Effectiveness of electrolyzed water as a sanitizer for treating different surfaces

The effectiveness of electrolyzed (EO) water at killing Enterobacter aerogenes and Staphylococcus aureus in pure culture was evaluated. One milliliter (approximately 10(9) CFU/ml) of each bacterium was subjected to 9 ml of EO water or control water (EO water containing 10% neutralizing buffer) at room temperature for 30 s. Inactivation (reduction of >9 log(10) CFU/ml) of both pathogens occurred within 30 s after exposure to EO water containing approximately 25 or 50 mg of residual chlorine per liter. The effectiveness of EO water in reducing E. aerogenes and S. aureus on different surfaces (glass, stainless steel, glazed ceramic tile, unglazed ceramic tile, and vitreous china) was also evaluated. After immersion of the tested surfaces in EO water for 5 min without agitation, populations of E. aerogenes and S. aureus were reduced by 2.2 to 2.4 log(10) CFU/cm(2) and by 1.7 to 1.9 log(10) CFU/cm(2), respectively, whereas washing with control water resulted in a reduction of only 0.1 to 0.3 log(10) CFU/cm(2). The washing of tested surfaces in EO water with agitation (50 rpm) reduced populations of viable cells on the tested surfaces to <1 CFU/cm(2). For the control water treatment with agitation, the surviving numbers of both strains on the tested surfaces were approximately 3 log(10) CFU/cm(2). No viable cells of either,train were observed in the EO water after treatment, regardless of agitation. However, large populations of both pathogens were recovered from control wash solution after treatment.