Increased Sterility by Fenton Reaction and Increased OH Radicals upon UV Irradiation-Comparison of Sterility between Fenton Reaction and UV Irradiation to Hydrogen Peroxide

Abstract

Copyright: © 2015 Shintani H. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Fenton reaction produces OH radicals from hydrogen peroxide with the catalyst of Fe2+ or Cu+. The sterilization mechanism of hydrogen peroxide can be explained from OH radicals. If so using Fenton reaction, OH radical from hydrogen peroxide may increase and increased result of sterilization can be attained. Fe2+ was inoculated onto the sterilization pack and by contacting hydrogen peroxide with Fe2+, Fenton reaction occurred. Production of OH radicals from hydrogen peroxide was increased and increased sterility efficiency can be confirmed from the comparison of D value to the control. The D values of hydrogen peroxide with Fe2+ and without Fe2+ were 5 s and 30 s, respectively, indicating OH radical formed greater by Fenton reaction. In addition, we studied the production of OH radicals from the UV exposure at 254 nm to hydrogen peroxide. The result of D values was compared with UV254 nm exposure and without UV 254 nm exposure, the D value of the former was 1.7 s and the latter was 3.3 s, respectively, indicating UV exposure supplied increased OH radicals. Furthermore sterility efficiency of Fenton reaction and UV 254 nm exposure was compared. Fenton reaction was inferior to UV 254 nm exposure due to the greater D value. The former was 5-10 s and the latter was 1.7 s. However, this comparison has a problem that primary package was absence and presence. UV exposure was absence and Fenton reaction was presence. Primary package present an obstacle to penetrate OH radicals into the interior of BI. As a conclusion, Fenton reaction was not always inferior to UV 254 nm exposure.