Category: General

Small Bubbles, Big Changes – The Proven Benefits of Nanobubbles

Posted on by Hasselfeld_Robert

The concept of Nanotechnology which has been around for quite some time now. It focuses on the design and manufacture of extremely small devices and structures and has been utilized in a variety of industries such as electronics, medicine, energy, textiles, weapons, and more. Nanotechnology can be used to create materials, devices and systems with unique properties and function. The very small size of the materials allows them to exhibit different physical and chemical properties than the same materials at a larger scale.

With greater emphasis being placed on clean water sources, nanotechnology is providing critical contributions to agriculture in a variety of ways. With the evolution that is taking place in agriculture and the need for better technology for the treatment of water, nanomaterials can be used to create more effective filters for removing contaminants from water. Nanotechnology can cost-effectively treat contaminants in water that are untreatable by conventional methods. Bacteria, viruses, and heavy metals, which cause 1.5 billion people world-wide to suffer from water-related diseases each year, can be treated more efficiently with nanotechnology.

With the successes being achieved in agriculture with nano-enabled water treatment methods, we are now able to go even further with the introduction of Nanobubble technology. Nanobubble technology has brought about a whole new frontier of science and engineering that is changing how entire industries utilize and treat their water. This revolutionary technology and the fundamental understanding of nanobubbles is continuously evolving with recent advancements in nanobubble production methods and ongoing discoveries around how to measure, manipulate, and apply nanobubble properties to solve customer problems.

What are Nanobubbles

Nanobubbles are nanoscopic gaseous molecules that are ten thousand times smaller than a human hair and have the ability to change the normal characteristics of water. Ordinary bubbles have a diameter around 1 μm or larger. Nanobubbles which are smaller than 100 nm in diameter will randomly drift in a manner known as the Brownian Motion and can remain in liquids for extended periods of time.

Nanobubbles behave differently from larger bubbles because they are nanoscopic. All of their beneficial attributes, stability, surface charge, neutral buoyancy, oxidation, etc. are the result of their size. These unique features enable nanobubbles to participate in physical, biological, and chemical reactions while also providing the most efficient gas transfer. Unlike larger size bubbles that increase in size, rise rapidly, and burst at the water surface, nanobubbles remain stable in water for an extended period of time due to their strong negative surface charge and neutral buoyancy.

Nanobubbles are neutrally buoyant and can remain suspended in water for weeks without rising to the surface. They have a strong negative surface charge that keeps them stable in liquid and enables them to continuously participate in and stimulate physical, biological, and chemical interactions. When nanobubbles are stimulated, they destabilize and collapse, releasing the hydroxyl radical. The hydroxyl radical (HO) is one of the strongest known oxidizers commonly used to destroy hard to treat and hard to kill contaminants in water.

Nanobubbles have been studied for a wide range of applications, including water treatment and drug delivery, but have also been investigated for use in enhancing various industrial processes, such as cleaning, food processing, and oil recovery. The longevity factor of nanobubbles in water increases residence time of oxygen in the water and in doing so, directly impacts any type of aerobic or anaerobic interaction with viruses and bacteria.

Benefits of Nanobubbles

There are a number of benefits with Nanobubble technology that promises to redefine everyday processes by establishing a new standard for efficiency and sustainability:

  • Increases oxygen levels in water.
  • Can significantly eliminate microbial biofilms on surfaces.
  • Boosts dissolution efficiency and extends retention time.
  • Lowers surface tension, enhancing fluid permeability.
  • Will burst with ultrasound and kill bacteria.
  • Will be enhanced in combination with chlorine-based sanitizers
  • Stays stable in liquids until interaction with surfaces or contaminants occurs.
  • Amplifies sanitizer delivery to bacteria.
  • Effectively eradicates microbial biofilm on surfaces, even within pipe interiors.
  • Utilizes a strong negative surface charge to prevent coalescing and separate small particles.

A New Addition To Biosecurity

SafetyNet’s Aquaox Hypochlorous Acid solution (HOCL), part of our Enhanced Biosecurity Program, contains a high concentration of Nanobubbles of chlorine-oxygen in the treated water. These “colloidal particles” exhibit all the characteristics of a colloidal dispersion and will influence the nature and extent of any interfacial behavior of that bulk water.

Besides changing the chemical properties of water, the unique electrolysis technology of the Aquox product restructures the water by generating trillions of small bubbles to deliver remarkable features that ordinary bubbles do not possess. Aquaox Nanobubbles are electrically charged and stay suspended in liquids for months to accelerate the growth of plants, prevent biofilm and mineral scale formation, improve filtration, solubility, detergency, and lubricity properties of Aquaox solutions.

When HOCL-Nanobubbles are triggered, they destabilize and collapse releasing the Hydroxyl radical. The Hydroxyl radical (OH-) is a three-electron reduction product of molecular oxygen and the most reactive species of oxygen. It is one of the strongest known oxidizers commonly used to destroy hard-to-kill pathogens, destabilize biofilms, and penetrate the smallest cavities in surfaces deeply removing all contaminants.

With so much emphasis on reducing and eliminating the use of pesticides on plants, there is also the issue of excessive application of chemical fertilizers which can lead to serious environmental problems as well. There has been a great deal of research around the use of nanobubbles in water for irrigation as a means of reducing fertilizer use. It has been proven that Nanobubbles can have a positive effect on plant growth and nutrient uptake, while providing better crop yield and the efficiency provided by fertilizers.

The Next Generation Product

With all the benefits the Nanobubble technology brings to bear that can revolutionize so many industries, especially the treatment of water, Aquaox has taken this to a new level with the introduction of their new Nanobubble Generator. The technique utilized by the Nanobubble Generator consistently produces high density solutions of optimally sized nanobubbles, averaging 100 nm in diameter and ranging between 50 and 100 nm.

The unique, patented technology utilized combines three fluid mechanic principals to produce a high concentration of stable, extremely small size nanobubbles without the need of any external gasses. Nanobubbles of this size are stable in liquid because they have reached equilibrium with bubble surface tension, internal pressure, external pressure, surface charge, and their environment. Their stability and size give them neutral buoyancy and remain suspended until they interact with surfaces or contaminants.

The Aquaox Nanobubble Generator has a superior ability to blend gas and liquids into a stable solution with consistent particle distribution. It produces a large number of nanobubbles with a strong negative surface charge which allows them to attract an remove dirt. By using nanobubbles, you can reduce the number of detergents and solvents used for cleaning.

Creating The Gold Standard For Nanobubbles

Aquaox products are known around the world for their efficacy, reliability, and proven results. Their efforts to advance the science of nanobubbles and push the industry standards have been tested by third-party experts to validate the efficacy of their nanobubble technology.

Simply put, nanobubble technology supersaturates irrigation water with dissolved oxygen and injects hundreds of millions of electrochemically charged nanobubbles, which alters the properties of water.

Increased dissolved oxygen levels maximize oxygen utilization by plants and beneficial microbes in the rhizosphere, promoting healthy root development and improving plants’ resilience to environmental stressors such as drought and heat.

The end result is a technology that when used consistently as part of a proper irrigation system has proven to reduce fertilizer needs, produce more robust root systems and more resistance to pathogens and disease. This provides improved yields, shortens crop cycle times, and reduces disease pressure creating bigger, healthier plants with even more end product to use.

Using nanobubble technology as a chemical-free, cost-efficient, sustainable way to solve known problems helps to lower inputs, whether chemical, energy, or material, which saves cultivators money, and makes the crops more sustainable and environmentally responsible.

Time To Embrace The Technology?

Time To Embrace the Technology

Nanobubble technology is becoming increasingly popular in a range of aquaculture operations, with a growing number of studies supporting their value, both in improving production and in reducing the environmental impact of so many industries.

It is time to be a pioneer in safeguarding your products, consumers, and your bottom line. Take part in this extraordinary journey and elevate your business, with cost-effective sustainability and embrace a future where nanobubbles propel enhanced performance in diverse industries.

Take the first steps towards a healthier, more prosperous future for your cannabis venture and join the growing number of people who are shaping the future of cannabis industry. Contact SafetyNet today at info@safetynetamerica.com to discover how we can help empower your cannabis business with this great new technology.

Electrostatic Sprayers Versus Conventional Sprayers – Saving Cannabis Growers Water and Time

Posted on by Patsy

Although Electrostatic Spray technology has been used extensively in outdoor settings, it has drawn increased interest because of its effectiveness when disinfecting large indoor spaces or areas (e.g., schools, offices, businesses, agricultural spaces, etc.) with many surfaces. Electrostatic spraying is essentially a method of applying a complete coating of a cleaner, or chemical disinfectant, or other liquid. It involves applying an electric charge within the sprayer to the chemical disinfectant liquid to get it to fully cover any surface it is sprayed on.

The result is a more cost-effective and time-efficient process with numerous advantages. It is worth understanding how electrostatic spraying works and why it is the best and most advantageous disinfection and sanitization method to use to get the most out of your cleaning protocols and processes. Selecting the right sprayer for your environment is important for optimizing transfer efficiency. The challenge is choosing one that maximizes the spray performance for your specific application.

What Is Electrostatic Spraying

Unlike conventional spraying methods, electrostatic sprayers apply a negative charge to liquid disinfectants as they pass through the nozzle. The negatively charged disinfectant is attracted to positively charged surfaces, which allows for efficient coating of hard nonporous surfaces with far less product being used.

The electrostatic spraying technology uses the concept of “The Wrap Around Effect”. This means it can surround and cover objects completely from front to rear, top to bottom, and in every nook and cranny which allows for disinfection of those areas where you could not reach otherwise, substantially improving the scope of disinfection. Because of this Wrap Around effect, electrostatic sprayers can coat any surface or product with even coverage all around. When you think about the concept and process of disinfecting, electrostatic spraying is the most effective solution.

Adoption of Electrostatic Spraying as a Standard

In 2020, the EPA released guidance for adding electrostatic sprayer application directions to disinfectant product labels for use against SARS-CoV-2 (EPA takes action to help Americans disinfect indoor spaces efficiently and effectively | US EPA). This came after numerous studies that show that electrostatic spraying is far more effective in every way when compared to conventional sprayers when applying disinfectants over large areas or complex, intricate surfaces. This has been confirmed with a more recent post from the EPA (Evaluating Electrostatic Sprayers for Disinfectant Application | US EPA) where they confirm what was previously stated.

The Power of Superior Products

When looking at electrostatic spray technology, one company, Electrostatic Spraying Systems (ESS), stands out from the rest providing superior products world-wide. ESS has been in the business of manufacturing electrostatic sprayers utilizing its patented and proprietary technologies for over 30 years. Today, customers in over 60 countries worldwide enjoy the benefits of applying a variety of water-based disinfectants, food safety solutions and agricultural products with peace of mind that they are saving both time and money.

SafetyNet’s partnership with ESS allows us to offer a wide variety of electrostatic sprayers that provide the best electrostatic charge and consistent droplet size for superior coverage and when combined with our Enhanced Biosecurity Program has shown the highest pathogen reduction rate when used properly and consistently.

ESS sprayers take advantage of the principle of physics to achieve better coverage and to lessen the environmental impact by allowing smaller amounts of chemicals to be used. ESS sprayers are designed to impart an electrostatic charge to the spray droplets as small as 30 microns, with the goal of increasing deposition of the droplets onto surfaces, thereby promoting more efficient use of the disinfectant with less waste. Testing by four major universities comparing ESS sprayers with conventional and air-blast sprayers shows 300% better spray penetration and coverage.

The heart of the air-assisted electrostatic sprayers from ESS is the MaxCharge™ “air-atomizing induction-charging” nozzle, which was invented and patented, at the University of Georgia.

Air is necessary in electrostatic spraying to create tiny droplets (30-60 microns, 900 times smaller than conventional sprayers) that can travel in the turbulent airstream into dense areas.

Custom industrial applications engineered by ESS utilize electrostatic technology solve spray problems in areas like:

  • Food Safety
  • Food Processing
  • Animal Health
  • Industrial Coating
  • Post Harvest
  • Commercial and Industrial Vehicle Sanitizing

ESS offers an extensive line of sprayers for almost any industry with everything from small garden sprayers to large row crop units. ESS sprayers are the answer for combating some of the worst agricultural problems like thrips, aphids, downy mildew, mealybugs, early blight, late blight, and listeria. Electrostatic spraying combined with less chemicals can also give you excellent results when trying to control weeds and other unwanted plant growth.

The technology behind the ESS line of sprayers has proven to use significantly less water and get better coverage. The savings from this alone have the potential to pay for the cost of most sprayers in a relatively short period of time.

The ESS line of portable and outdoor sprayers is the ideal solution for biosecurity, fighting Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), MRSA, E. Coli, salmonella, swine flu, C. Diff, H1N1, and various other bacteria and viruses. The wide variety of sprayers available when combined with the superior disinfectants and antimicrobial products like those available in our Enhanced Biosecurity Program, reach into every nook and cranny of an environment to find and destroy pathogens where they hide.

ESS also offers an extensive line of large row crop agricultural sprayers for most growers’ needs. The air-assisted electrostatic sprayers produce droplets 900 times smaller than those produced by conventional or hydraulic sprayers. After tiny droplets are atomized, they are then given an electrical charge that is carried deep into the plant canopy in a turbulent airstream. The result provides more than twice the deposition efficiency of traditional hydraulic sprayers and foggers.

Conclusion

Research on electrostatic spray technology has both a natural basis and practical significance. The utilization of electrostatic spray technology has covered the biological, food, pharmaceutical, industrial, agricultural, chemical, and manufacturing industries.

Electrostatic spray technology is the best way to apply cleaners, sanitizers, and disinfectants to help facilities treat surfaces, often in less time and with better coverage than traditional cleaning methods and devices. Electrostatic technology is not new, with a history of more than 60 years in areas including business, schools, agriculture, automotive, and many other industries.

Routine cleaning, disinfection, and protection should continue to be a top priority to protect any facility against pathogens. Utilizing electrostatic technology in these processes can drastically cut down on the amount of time spent disinfecting.

With electrostatic technology and the extensive variety of sprayers offered, you will be able to complete a more thorough, consistent disinfection process given the product’s ability to entirely cover surfaces and objects, and will reduce overusing disinfectants, which saves your company money on products.

Ready to Evaluate Our Electrostatic Products?

Contact SafetyNet today at info@safetynetamerica.com and use discount code SNESS20 to receive your discount and discover how our electrostatic sprayers can empower your business. Gain access to valuable insights, proven strategies, and a roadmap to cleaner, pathogen-free environments.

Be a pioneer in safeguarding your environment, products, consumers, and your bottom line. Take the first steps towards a healthier, more prosperous future for your business.

How New Technologies Are Transforming Cannabis Packaging

Posted on by Patsy

Week after week, we continue to hear about cannabis products being pulled from the shelves of dispensaries after random testing shows issues with mold, mildew, fungus, and many other hops latent viroid’s. These are products that tested clean when processed, but soon after being placed into various packaging containers and sealed, dormant pathogens begin to come to life.

Cannabis, like any agricultural product, is susceptible to contamination during various stages of cultivation, processing, and packaging. Even when proving clean during testing, once cannabis is packaged and sealed, even a small amount of moisture content or residual contamination can serve as a good breeding ground for dormant microbes to come to life.

A Better Way to Package
If you think about how cannabis used to be sold (when it was still illegal), there wasn’t much attention paid to the packaging except for making it as inconspicuous as possible. The variety of packaging products used in the cannabis industry today, however, is no different than the packaging used throughout the food industry.

Anyone who has ever visited a cannabis dispensary has seen, even marveled at, the array of products and their various forms of packaging. From intricate glass bottles to elaborate plastic wraps, bags of all sizes, tubes, and a seemingly endless supply of vape cartridges.

Good packaging not only protects what goes in it, but it’s also key to growing your business. But a package has to be pretty and eye-catching, as well as useful. The purpose of packaging should be to protect the cannabis product and preserve what is inside to provide a clean, safe product for whenever the consumer is ready to use it.

A Revolutionary New Approach
Packaging is the final step before consumers purchase any cannabis product and even the best approaches to processing and drying cannabis have the potential to allow pathogens to get through and become a problem.

With so much emphasis on the post-harvest issues with mold, mildew, and other forms of contamination, the focus now needs to shift to providing an environment that not only protects the product but allows the contents to last longer.

For that reason, cannabis packaging needs to be reimagined and new approaches used for protection of the products that go inside is needed.

Biotrexx 247 is a revolutionary new antimicrobial product that is EPA and FDA approved and can be used as a pre-treatment and coating on packaging products before processed cannabis is introduced to keep pathogens at bay.

The effectiveness of Biotrexx 247 in inhibiting microbial growth lies in its unique active ingredient, which is a colorless, odorless, positively charged polymer that chemically bonds to the treated surface of the packaging. Think of it as a layer of electrically charged swords that stay on the surfaces of any packaging products for extended periods of time.

Our internal studies have demonstrated that Biotrexx 247 is compatible with various types of packaging materials commonly used in the cannabis industry, including glass, paper, plastic, and metal. A lot of cannabis packaging material is thick, and a huge benefit of Biotrexx 247 is its unparalleled ability to bond to these thicker materials.

Recycle, Reuse, Save The Environment
Sustainability has also become a trend across the cannabis industry. To address environmental concerns, there is a growing push to adopt sustainable packaging for cannabis products. Companies with an eye toward the future are introducing advanced packaging technologies that are leading the way with eco-friendly options like recyclable or compostable materials.

For recyclable products, an opportunity exists for the treatment of packaging products when manufactured as well as during the recycling process, providing an end-to-end solution for consumer safety and a way to protect the environment.

A Boost For The Cannabis Industry
With the potential for growers and processors to unknowingly introduce pathogens into products that are packaged for resale, and dispensaries ultimately become the victim of these issues, packaging companies are now in a unique position to provide the solution.

With packaging companies pretreating their products, they are effectively reducing the potential for mold, mildew, fungus, and other harmful pathogens, even if unknowingly introduced during growing and processing. As a result, dispensaries can now feel more confident that what is put on the shelves will remain clean and consumers no longer need to worry about potential health issues.

It is a major win for everyone and a great step forward for the cannabis industry.

Conclusion

Technology within the cannabis industry isn’t an end in itself: after all, the most important part of the effort is the health and cleanliness of the plants themselves. But technology can change the evolution of the industry in ways that make it more interesting for everyone, from the growers to the processors of products, to the dispensary owners and the consumers.

As the industry continues to evolve and expand its horizons, we can anticipate innovations that will shape the landscape and set benchmarks for cannabis packaging. With packaging companies taking the lead and showing the industry that it can be better and safer, hopefully others in the industry, from growers to processors, will see that change is inevitable and needed and adopting new and better ways will allow this industry to continue to grow while saving money with fewer issues.

Biotrexx Impact On Aspergillus Study

Posted on by Patsy

Clearstream’s Biostatic Antimicrobial
A SILANE QUATERNARY AMMONIUM SALT Biostatic/Fungistatic/Algistatic

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PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: BIOTREXX®

Antimicrobial is a highly effective biostatic/fungistatic/ algistatic surface and environmental treatment that is specifically designed to form a covalent bond on virtually any indoor/outdoor surface. This bond creates a long-lasting antimicrobial barrier inhibiting the growth of microorganisms with broad-spectrum activity, effective against gram (+) and gram (-) bacteria, fungi, algae, and yeasts.


FEATURES: Excellent durability BIOTREXX® Antimicrobial imparts durable, broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity to the surface of a wide variety of substrates; it is non-toxic, leach-resistant, and non-migrating and is not consumed by microorganisms. It imparts a safe durable barrier that protects treated surfaces and i s highly effective in extreme temperatures, humidity, and wet weather conditions. Increased efficiency—through Certified application; durable bacteriostatic, fungistatic, and algistatic surfaces can be attained with a minimum amount of BIOTREXX® Antimicrobial.

CASE STUDY: One of the Largest Commercial Indoor Cannabis Cultivation, Processing, and Packaging Operations in Northern California

The Challenge: Safely Control and Eliminate Pervasive Aspergillus Growth and Contamination within industry and regulatory guidelines and requirements.

The Facilities Issue: Significant registered Airborne and Surface levels (in excess of 3,000 m/3) of Aspergillus found in Grow, Dry, Trim, and Packaging areas. Extremely high ATP registered RLU readings (in excess of 12,000 RLU’s) even after spatial sanitized cleaning. Frequent crop testing failures and negative financial impact.

The Treatment: Apply BIOTREXXAntimicrobial via Electro-Static application to all Grow Room surfaces including walls, ceilings, floors, doors, lighting, shelving, piping, and fixtures after room was cleared from previous crop, wiped down, and completely dry. Then reapply after each grow cycle (approximately 60 days). Apply BIOTREXX® monthly to each Dry Room after spatial cleaning and dry. Apply BIOTREXX® monthly to Trim and Packaging Areas and equipment.

Air Testing Summary: (Mold-specific Microorganisms): Conducted over 40 Air Test Events and submitted with full Chain of Custody tracking to EPA registered laboratory for Full Microorganism Analysis and Enumeration. No Registered Airborne Aspergillus found in any of the spaces following BIOTREXX applications. Bio-Tape Culture Testing Summary (Mold Specific Microorganisms); Bio Tape samples gathered via Certified Testing Engineer and submitted with full Chain of Custody tracking to EPA registered laboratory for Full Microorganism Analysis and Enumeration. No Registered Surface-based Aspergillus found in any of the spaces following applications.

ATP Testing Summary : ATP Bioluminescence Testing performed in all areas regularly and logged for ongoing tracking. ATP Indicates overall level of cleanliness. ATP testing context; 30RLU is the limit within the Food Prep Industry. Hospitals and Sensitive areas utilize ATP to gauge their levels of cleanliness typically seeking readings of 100-500 RLU. The Average RLU prior to BIOTREXX® was well over 1K’s RLU with many reaching into the 10K’s. After applications, the average RLU Reading over 80 Test Events in the Cultivation Area: 72 RLU.

* Temp., Humidity, Moisture optimized for growth


Conclusion: BIOTREXX® Eco-Friendly Environmental Solutions continue to provide a completely safe, amazingly effective, and budget-friendly efficient solution to their client’s pervasive and costly Aspergillus problem.