Page 86 - Occupational Health & Safety, October 2018

INDOOR AIR QUALITY
others are plug-and-play and are designed to release probiotics di- rectly in the air. These are carried by airflow throughout the indoor space, subsequently landing on every interior surface. Product lines have been developed that treat spaces of various sizes, from 800 square feet to up to 45,000 square feet. The systems are de- signed for ecological balancing and are both fully programmable and customizable. No special infrastructure is required.
In addition to providing a more friendly and healthy microen- vironment for office workers, the system provides automatic and continuous cleaning inside of air ducts, thereby improving the quality of the air that goes through them.
The Power of Probiotics, Backed by Research
To date, several studies have suggested a solid backing for the po- tential of probiotics to improve the environment in workspaces. For example, as reported in the Journal of Microbiology & Experi- mentation, a research study evaluated the efficacy of cleaning prod- ucts containing spore forms of Bacillus spp in comparison to a tra- ditional chlorine-based treatment. At a hospital, the total microbial count as well as Staphylococcus aureus, Coliforms, Pseudomonas spp, and Candida spp were monitored for four months on several surfaces. A total of 11,223 microbiological samples were collected, both seven and 24 hours after the scheduled cleaning procedures. The data showed that, differently from traditional chemical-based disinfectants, the effect of the probiotics-based product led to a re- duction of more than 80 percent in the microbial load of Staphy-
lococcus aureus, Coliforms, Pseudomonas spp, and Candida spp. The researchers concluded that the proposed strategy of utilizing probiotics-based cleaners is a reliable alternative to the traditional chemical disinfection of surfaces.
In a separate study, a probiotics system was installed at eight strategic zones (including a sitting room, recovery room, and wait- ing room) within a medical center in Israel. Air and surfaces were sampled prior to installation and following a treatment period of approximately three weeks. Initially, among additional problematic species, significant counts of pathogens—including Staphylococcus and Pseudomonas—were detected on various surfaces and in the air. At the conclusion of the test period, no fungi or bacteria at all were detected on surfaces, and only the Bacillus probiotics released by the system were detected in the air.
Given the evidence presented by these and other studies in the field, there appears to be ample potential for probiotics to be used as an effective class of cleaning and replenishment tools in com- mercial workspaces. The end result of their use could include not only cleaner workspaces, but also healthier and more productive employees.
Taly Dery is CEO of Better Air North America LLC, market devel- oper of the world’s first probiotic air and surface purifier. The com- pany is dedicated to improving quality of life by bringing balance to indoor living and workspaces by replenishing them with beneficial Enviro-Biotics.TM
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