Brazil. Halo LED, a device that releases hydrogen peroxide, was installed in the ventilation ducts of several buses in Sao Paulo, where it was able to neutralize contaminants and eliminate up to 98% of fungi, viruses and bacteria.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) in its Questions and Answers space on the cleaning and disinfection of surfaces in the immediate environment in the context of COVID-19 outside the health field, it indicates that the means of transport are within the areas that must be disinfected as a priority. In addition, he affirms that the importance of this care action is to reduce the possibility of contamination by the virus, therefore "it is necessary to define which are the surfaces that are touched with great frequency in these non-sanitary environments to give them priority in disinfection".
In this sense, public transport implies a challenge, due to the flow of users, the high contact that people have on their surfaces and their mass service nature. It was because of this need for frequent sanitation that Mercato Automação, an environmental supply company, imported to Brazil the Halo LED, a product developed and manufactured by RGF Environmental, which managed to meet that demand automatically and continuously inside the buses.
How Halo LED works
The Halo Led is a device composed of an ultraviolet system and an advanced oxidation cell, which produces hydrogen peroxide, which is released into the environment in quantities not toxic to people and animals; this contributes to the eradication of viruses, including coronavirus and other disease vectors. Additionally, it neutralizes odors. This compound, commonly known as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), is widely used in various industries for its disinfectant and oxidizing characteristics, is soluble in water and decomposes easily in the air. In addition to being totally safe for people's health, it has been shown to even relieve the symptoms of rhinitis.
Experience in Sao Paulo
In three buses of the transport companies (Ambiental Transportes Urbanos, Express Transportes Urbanos and Vía Sudeste) the HaloLED was installed in the ventilation ducts, along with the air conditioning system. So the team generated a chemical reaction with the air inlet to then constantly release the hydrogen peroxide. It is worth mentioning that the decontamination reached the multiple surfaces of the interior of the vehicles, such as seats, turnstiles, grab bars and even the clothing of the users.
Armando Scarcella Júnior, commercial representative of Mercato Automação, said that "for a year and a half we carried out several tests with independent laboratories, under the supervision of SPTrans, responsible for the management of public bus transport in the city of Sao Paulo. At the end of that process, we obtained efficiencies of up to 98% in the elimination of substances. That way the product was approved by the regulatory body."
Finally, this solution is being offered by other operators, to bring their benefits to more transport companies, among which the safety for users and employees stands out, as well as the savings in labor for cleaning.
