The Chemistry Behind Airora

The chemistry behind Airora

Bacteria, Viruses and Vegetative Spores (Mould)

Hydroxyl radicals (hydroxyls) are lethal to all harmful viruses, bacteria and mould, for example Coronaviruses, MRSA, C.difficile, Salmonella, Norovirus, and Flu Virus, both in the air and on surfaces.

The hydroxyl cascade created by Airora is a zero vapour pressure condensing reaction which preferentially coats the surface of viruses, bacteria, particles and surfaces in general with abundant hydroxyls which rapidly inactivate the underlying bacteria, viruses and moulds.

Harmful bacteria succumb to hydroxyls because, being extremely small, hydroxyls are able to pass through the outer cell walls and oxidise the highly sensitive third membrane responsible for electron transport, rendering the whole organism non-viable.

Harmful viruses succumb to hydroxyls as hydroxyls disrupt their lipid envelope and/or protein shell and penetrate their interior, thereby disrupting their genome (RNA/DNA content).

Hydroxyl radicals are incredibly reactive and, as the Airora process produces a never-ending supply, even clumps of cells, thick layers and heavy cell walls (such as TB and spores) will eventually succumb.

Bacteria and viruses killed by Airora's Hydroxyl Cascade retain what scientists call their 'antigen signature'. That means that even though they can't harm you, they can still induce passive immunity.

Humans, animals, insects and even normal skin flora have evolved within an environment rich in hydroxyl radicals and are therefore immune to their actions.

Tests at the UK Government’s Health Protection Agency’s Centre for Emergency Preparedness & Response at Porton Down have shown that exposure to hydroxyl radicals created by our technology:

• Destroyed 99.9999% of airborne MS2 Coliphage in less than 5 minutes
• Destroyed 99.999% of airborne Staphylococcus Epidermidis in less than 2 minutes
• Destroyed 99.9999% of surface concentration of MRSA on glass over a 24 hour period

COVID-19

The US CDC has confirmed that Airora's ability to destroy MS2 Coliphage means that it will destroy ALL types of pathogenic bacteria and viruses, including all those in the coronavirus family (which includes the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that causes COVID-19). Like all coronaviruses, MS2 is a positive sense single-stranded RNA virus but studies have shown that it is many times harder to inactivate than a coronavirus.

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Allergens

Pollens, Non Vegetative Spores, House Dust Mites and Pet Dander

Allergens usually enter the respiratory system through the nose. Mast cells in the airways release mediators, which trigger the allergy attack. This attack is an overreaction of the body’s immune system to the invading allergens that have bonded with Immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies present on the surface of mast cells. This overeation leads to a release of histamine which irritates the mucous membrane in the upper airways, manifesting itself, for example, through coughs and sneezes.

Hydroxyl radicals have been shown to reduce IgE-binding capacity of allergens through the degradation and modification of their tertiary structure and/or the induction of protein denaturation and/or aggregation. The resulting structure is no longer recognised by the body's immune system and therefore histamine and other chemical mediators are not released.

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Ozone and Carbon Monoxide

Hydroxyl radicals have a strong tendency to remove (abstract) a hydrogen atom from organic species (RH) whenever possible. The organic radical (R) then reacts with oxygen (O2) to form organic peroxides (RO2).

On a global scale, OH reacts primarily with carbon monoxide (40%) to form carbon dioxide, around 30% of the OH produced is removed from the atmosphere in reactions with organic compounds and 15% reacts with methane (CH4). The remaining 15% reacts with ozone (O3), hydroperoxy radicals (HO2) and hydrogen gas (H2).

OH reacts with ozone according to the following reaction mechanism:
OH• + O3 → HO4•
HO4• → O2 + HO2•

OH reacts with CO according to the following reaction mechanism:
CO + OH• → CO2 + H

Bibliography

Pollutants & Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

Including odours, formaldehyde, ammonia and ultra-fine particles

Hydroxyl radicals react within 20-60 milliseconds with VOCs and initiate a series of fast, free radical chain reactions that continuously decompose VOCs and their byproducts, keeping air safe to breath. These reactions are thousands of times faster than ionic reactions that characterise ionisation and plasma systems and a million times faster than ozone.

The cascade of secondary oxidants formed is more stable, and circulates throughout the treatment area to complete the purification process. Oxidant and byproduct concentrations are diluted to the safe levels found in nature, which range from 10-40 ppb.

Byproducts recirculate until they are fully oxidised – a process which “clips” off carbon atoms one at a time, forming carbon dioxide and water and, as smaller VOCs react more quickly, oxidation byproducts like formaldehyde or acetaldehyde don’t accumulate.

Ultra-fine particles (less than 0.1 microns) are known to be potentially harmful to health, make up around 90% of all airborne particles and are too small to be captured by a HEPA filter. Typically, about a half of ultra-fine particles are particle-phase organic carbon which are subject to heterogeneous oxidation by the gas-phase hydroxyl radical. The amount of particle-phase carbon decreases with oxidation, due to fragmentation (C - C scission) reactions that form small, volatile products that escape to the gas-phase.

Bibliography

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Simply put, Airora is the future of clean, safe indoor air

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