Sanitization Process Research Articles

Modification of Superhydrophilic Surfaces with Antibacterial Properties to Enhance Their Resistance to Fiber Contamination during Sanitary Treatment

Superhydrophilic copper surfaces with hierarchical textures have demonstrated high effectiveness in combating healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). However, a key drawback of these surfaces is their susceptibility to mechanical contamination by fibrous materials during sanitary treatment. This study proposes a method for laser modification of superhydrophilic copper surfaces to enhance resistance to fiber contamination during sanitary processing. The modified surfaces retain superhydrophilicity and exhibit superhydrophobic properties upon the application of a hydrophobic agent. Additionally, the proposed modification method improves the resistance of the hierarchical texture to abrasive wear while maintaining high bactericidal properties. The results suggest that these modified textured copper materials can be utilized as bactericidal touch surfaces to combat HAIs in medical facilities.

Sustainable Bacterial Control of Hatching Eggshells Using Essential Oils.

Background: Decontamination of poultry surfaces through appropriate hygiene and sanitation measures can partially mitigate bacterial problems, as this process does not result in the complete elimination of bacteria. Thus, the remaining bacteria can persist and contaminate eggshells. Therefore, regardless of the rigor of the sanitary standards applied on farms, it is suggested that hatching eggs be subjected to the sanitization process. Here, we investigated the effectiveness of essential oil-based antibacterial agents in sanitizing eggs. Results: The results indicated that essential oils from Cinnamomum cassia (L.) J. Presl. (CCEO), Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. & L.M. Perry (SAEO) and Cymbopogon nardus (L.) Rendle (CNEO), at specific concentrations, have antibacterial effects in vitro, reducing the load of mesophilic bacteria and enterobacteria in the eggshell by at least 3 and 2 log10 CFU/mL, respectively. Conclusion: The adoption of CCEO, SAEO and CNEO to reduce the bacterial load on eggshells could be a favorable change to the conventional protocol of egg sanitization with formaldehyde, especially on farms where sanitary standards are insufficient.

A Review of Sanitation Options and Programming in Ghana, West Africa

This review examines Ghana’s progress in sanitation. These efforts include the containment, transport, treatment, and disposal or reuse of human waste. This research specifically examined the current sanitation processes and programming efforts within Ghana, West Africa. Some reports indicate that Ghana is the second dirtiest country in Africa and the seventh dirtiest country in the world. A review of the current water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) options within the country indicates that significant efforts need to be undertaken. There are multiple toilet options and current practices within the country for the disposal of excrement. Unfortunately, the municipal sewer systems and wastewater treatment facilities within the country are either broken down or severely inadequate compared to their surrounding population. Current WASH programming, extension efforts, and key factors affecting the uptake of sanitation investment are reviewed. The price point where consumers would utilize sanitation products and services was analyzed, as well as the cost-to-benefit ratio of specific technologies for community members. This review demonstrated that initiatives should be undertaken to provide more sanitation professionals, renovate and expand urban municipal sewerage systems, and provide basic access to rural community areas. It was recommended that future programming, extension, and policy efforts be intentional and include relevant stakeholders and community members to provide a greater opportunity for establishing successful and substantial efforts.

Screening of Macrophytes on the basis of Efficiency of Industrial Wastewater Treatment in Constructed Wetland

Improper wastewater treatment and sanitation processes can negatively affect the environment and public health. Due to the problems with global water shortages, it is essential to take non-conventional water resources into account to facilitate the production of pure fresh water. To provide enough fresh water in the coming decades, wastewater treatment and recycling techniques will be crucial. Due to the limited availability of fresh water and over 70% of it is used for irrigation. Therefore, there is great potential for using recycled water for agricultural irrigation, particularly in cases where minerals like phosphorus and nitrogen are crucial for plant growth. Wetlands are shown to be one of the most suitable treatment options for reusing urban wastewater for irrigation in terms of pollution removal, with high reliability and energy required. Macrophyte species, substrate, hydrology, Surface flow rates, effective food systems, abundance of microorganisms, and temperature all play a role in wetlands ecology and efficiency in waste-water treatment. Organic matter can be effectively removed by constructed wetlands. The result showed that Pistia stratiotes, Alternanthera philoxeroides, Eichhornia crassipes, Polygonum persicaria, Ludwigia adscendens, Marsilea quadrifolia, Nymphoides cristata, and Ipomoea aquatica have the efficiency to reduce BOD up to 86.36%, 77.45%, 88.23%, 76.33%, 77.06%, 77.06%, 81.98%, 83.18%, and 78.26% respectively and COD removed up to 79.3%, 67.5%, 77.98%, 71.29%, 71.6%, 70.86%, 75.4% and 68.2% respectively In present study evaluated that Eichhornia crassipes have higher efficiency for contamination removal as compared to other seven macrophytes.

Anise essential oil immobilized in chitosan microparticles: a novel bactericidal material for food protection.

Foodborne infections in humans are one of the major concerns of the food industries, especially for minimally processed foods (MPF). Thereby, the packaging industry applies free chlorine in the sanitization process, ensuring the elimination of any fecal coliforms or pathogenic microorganisms. However, free chlorine's propensity to react with organic matter, forming toxic compounds such as trihalomethanes and haloacetic acid. Therefore, the present work aimed to synthesize a novel organic biomaterial as an alternative to free chlorine. Chitosan microparticles were produced, with Pimpinella anisum (anise) essential oil immobilized in the biopolymer matrix (MPsQTO). The characterization of this biomaterial was done through GC-MS/MS, FT-IR, and SEM. Antimicrobial assays proved that the MPsQTO presented antibacterial activity for Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Bacillus subtilis at 300 µL mL-1 of concentration. The fluorescence microscope also showed the MPsQTO targets the cytoplasmatic membrane, which is responsible for cell death in the first minutes of contact. Studies with the mutant B. subtilis (amy::pspac-ftsZ-gfpmut1) and the Saccharomyces cerevisiae D7 also proved that the biomaterial did not affect the genetic material and did not have any mutagenic/carcinogenic effect on the cells. The sanitization assays with pumpkin MPF proved that the MPsQTO is more effective than free chlorine, increasing the shelf-life of the MPF. Consequently, the novel biomaterial proposed in this work is a promising alternative to traditional chemical sanitizers.

Control of Mal secco disease in lemon by drip irrigation with fungicide

Mal secco disease of citrus is caused by the mitosporic ascomycete fungus Plenodomus tracheiphilus (formerly Phoma tracheiphila [Petri]). Mal secco is a highly destructive vascular disease of lemon and other citrus which is presently confined to the Mediterranean basin and has a marked economic impact on the citrus industry. The fungal pathogen infects the host tree by penetrating through wounds in the roots or canopy. Infection spreads quickly into the main branches and trunk and tree mortality usually ensues. The most typical symptoms are veinal chlorosis, leaf wilt, red discoloration of the xylem and dieback of twigs and branches. Current accepted control of the disease is mainly by sanitation of infected wood, and copper application during the winter to prevent germinating spores from infecting the plant. No effective chemical control for this disease has been reported. We present a drip-irrigation protocol to protect trees and control the disease in which we apply 250 g/ha of the triazole fungicide flutriafol five times a year. Progression of disease symptoms in the treated trees was inhibited by up to 81% compared to the untreated control, thereby significantly shortening the sanitation process and making it less costly than in untreated trees. Moreover, disease symptoms became less severe as the duration of treatment increased. We have treated orchards for 3 years, and present an effective commercial protocol for the growers which will help them control Mal secco disease.

Stigmatized Artefacts: Towards a Relational Process of Artefact Stigmatization and Sanitization

Stigmatized Artefacts: Towards a Relational Process of Artefact Stigmatization and Sanitization

Restoring private autism dataset from sanitized database using an optimized key produced from enhanced combined PSO-GWO framework

The timely identification of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children is imperative to prevent potential challenges as they grow. When sharing data related to autism for an accurate diagnosis, safeguarding its security and privacy is a paramount concern to fend off unauthorized access, modification, or theft during transmission. Researchers have devised diverse security and privacy models or frameworks, most of which often leverage proprietary algorithms or adapt existing ones to address data leakage. However, conventional anonymization methods, although effective in the sanitization process, proved inadequate for the restoration process. Furthermore, despite numerous scholarly contributions aimed at refining the restoration process, the accuracy of restoration remains notably deficient. Based on the problems identified above, this paper presents a novel approach to data restoration for sanitized sensitive autism datasets with improved performance. In the prior study, we constructed an optimal key for the sanitization process utilizing the proposed Enhanced Combined PSO-GWO framework. This key was implemented to conceal sensitive autism data in the database, thus avoiding information leakage. In this research, the same key was employed during the data restoration process to enhance the accuracy of the original data recovery. Therefore, the study enhanced the restoration process for ASD data's security and privacy by utilizing an optimal key produced via the Enhanced Combined PSO-GWO framework. When compared to existing meta-heuristic algorithms, the simulation results from the autism data restoration experiments demonstrated highly competitive accuracies with 99.90%, 99.60%, 99.50%, 99.25%, and 99.70%, respectively. Among the four types of datasets used, this method outperforms other existing methods on the 30-month autism children dataset, mostly.

Effects of cherries Sanitization methods and fermentation times on quality parameters of coffee beans

For the first time, the dual effect of coffee cherry sanitization methods to control the microbial load in processing and the influence of fermentation time on coffee quality parameters was evaluated. Two assays were carried out by wet processing: I) Sanitization of the coffee cherry (ST1: Unclassified processed cherries; ST2: Classified and sanitized cherries with drinking water; ST3: Classified and sanitized cherries with a chemical agents and II) Fermentation times (FT1: 12 h; FT2: 24 h; FT3: 48 h; FT4: 72 h and FT5: 96 h). pH, temperature, and dissolved oxygen were monitored during fermentation. Counts of Lactic Acid Bacteria - LAB, mesophiles, and yeasts were carried out on the coffee mass before and after fermentation. Caffeine and chlorogenic acid contents were determined by HPLC-DAD and the sensory profile by methodology for specialty coffees (SCA). The main findings showed that: sanitization with Timsen® did not significantly influence the evolution of pH during fermentation (p > 0.05), but it can reduce to a small extent the action of LAB at the end of the process. It was observed that the temperature of the coffee mass tends to balance with the ambient temperature, with significant effects (p < 0.05) of sanitization (ST2 and ST3) on the stability of this variable during fermentation. Timsen® as a disinfectant affected microbial populations and improved the sensory profile in the cup. In prolonged coffee fermentations (FT3, FT4 and FT5), the pH of the coffee mass tended to stabilize after 36 h, regardless of the process time. Likewise, a correlation was evident between a higher microbial load correlated with better sensory profiles in FT4 and FT5. Neither the sanitization process nor the fermentation time significantly affected the caffeine and chlorogenic acid contents of the coffee, both in its green and roasted states. Consequently, the sanitization of cherry coffee with Timsen® and prolonged fermentation times favor the safety and coffee final quality in the cup.

An assessment of various disinfectants using the Kirby-Bauer Method with disc diffusion to determine their effectiveness against locally isolated pathogens

This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of various disinfectants against locally isolated pathogens using the Kirby-Bauer Method with disc diffusion. Indigenous strains of Salmonella typhimurium, E. coli, Campylobacter, Citrobacter freundii, and Staphylococcus aureus were obtained from the bacterial depository bank and sub-cultured on their respective selective media. A 0.5 McFarland Turbidity Standard was prepared, and eight commercially available disinfectants were tested for efficacy. The results of this study will inform the selection of appropriate disinfectants for use in preventing the spread of disease in various settings, including home sanitation, healthcare, and industrial manufacturing processes. The disinfectants used in this study produced different results against the targeted pathogens. Hydrogen peroxide and Formalin produced larger zones of inhibition, while Povidone Iodine and Hydrochloric acid produced intermediate zones. Ethanol, Methanol, and Dettol produced smaller .zones of inhibition. Benzalkonium Chloride was effective only against S. aureus, while all other indigenous isolates resisted it. Keywords: Disinfectants, Sal. typhimurium, E.coli, Campylobacter, Citrobacter freundii, Staphylococcus auerus, Antibiotic sensitivity test

Cloud data security with Deep Maxout assisted data sanitization and restoration process

The potential of cloud computing, an emerging concept to minimize the costs associated with computing has recently drawn the interest of a number of researchers. The fast advancements in cloud computing techniques led to the amazing arrival of cloud services. But data security is a challenging issue for modern civilization. The main issues with cloud computing are cloud security as well as effective cloud distribution over the network. Increasing the privacy of data with encryption methods is the greatest approach, which has highly progressed in recent times. In this aspect, sanitization is also the process of confidentiality of data. The goal of this work is to present a deep learning-assisted data sanitization procedure for data security. The proposed data sanitization process involves the following steps: data preprocessing, optimal key generation, deep learning-assisted key fine-tuning, and Kronecker product. Here, the data preprocessing considers original data as well as the extracted statistical feature. Key generation is the subsequent process, for which, a self-adaptive Namib beetle optimization (SANBO) algorithm is developed in this research. Among the generated keys, appropriate keys are fine-tuned by the improved Deep Maxout classifier. Then, the Kronecker product is done in the sanitization process. Reversing the sanitization procedure will yield the original data during the data restoration phase. The study part notes that the suggested data sanitization technique guarantees cloud data security against malign attacks. Also, the analysis of proposed work in terms of restoration effectiveness and key sensitivity analysis is also done.

Eco-Friendly Sanitization of Indoor Environments: Effectiveness of Thyme Essential Oil in Controlling Bioaerosol Levels and Disinfecting Surfaces.

Bioaerosols and pathogens in indoor workplaces and residential environments are the primary culprits of several infections. Techniques for sanitizing air and surfaces typically involve the use of UV rays or chemical sanitizers, which may release chemical residues harmful to human health. Essential oils, natural substances derived from plants, which exhibit broad antimicrobial properties, could be a viable alternative for air and surface sanitation. The objective of this study has been to investigate the efficacy of thyme essential oil (TEO) in environmental sanitation processes. In Vitro assays through agar well diffusion, disk volatilization and tube dilution methods revealed significant antimicrobial activity of TEO 100% against foodborne and environmental isolates, with both bacteriostatic/fungistatic and bactericidal/fungicidal effects. Therefore, aqueous solutions of TEO 2.5% and 5% were formulated for air sanitation through nebulization and surface disinfection via direct contact. Bioaerosol samples and surface swabs were analyzed before and after sanitation, demonstrating the efficacy of aqueous solutions of TEO in reducing mesophilic and psychrophilic bacteria and environmental fungi levels in both air and on surfaces. The obtained results prove the antimicrobial potential of aqueous solutions of TEO in improving indoor air quality and surface cleanliness, suggesting thyme essential oil as an effective and safe natural sanitizer with minimal environmental impact compared to dangerous chemical disinfectants.

Influence of Sanitization Process on Maintaining Sweet Potato Quality for Export

Influence of Sanitization Process on Maintaining Sweet Potato Quality for Export

Population dynamics and bidirectional transfer of Listeria monocytogenes and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli during cheese production in wooden vats

Wooden vats are used in the production of some traditional cheeses as the biofilms on wooden vat surfaces are known to transfer large quantities of microbes to cheese. However, the safety of using wooden vats for cheese production remains controversial as the porous structure of wood provides an irregular surface that may protect any attached pathogen cells from cleaning and sanitation processes. On the other hand, the absence of pathogens in wooden vats has been reported in multiple studies and wooden materials have not been associated with foodborne illness outbreaks. The present study determined the survival of Listeria monocytogenes and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) during the production of an uncooked pressed cheese in wooden vats as well as their ability to transfer to the wood and then to milk used in subsequent batches of cheese production in the absence of formal cleaning. Results from the study indicate that pathogens inoculated in milk grew during production of the uncooked cheese, but showed limited ability to colonize the wooden vats and contaminate subsequent batches. These results suggest that the risks of using wooden vats to produce cheese is low if the milk is of high microbiological quality.

Microbiological evaluation of packaging obtained from cosmetics production establishments

The cosmetics are commonly placed in plastic packaging that have the important function of protecting the product. However, the cosmetics packaging can contribute to the total microbial load of the product, leading to product deterioration and putting the health of users at risk. The main purpose of this research was the microbiological evaluation of cosmetics packaging obtained from cosmetics production establishments (an industry and four compound pharmacies) from Vale do Taquari, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Based on the results of a questionnaire applied at the moment of packaging acquisition, previous sanitization is performed for compound pharmacies packaging, with different handling of the packaging, whereas in the industry the process of packaging sanitization does not occur. However, this sanitization was not considered enough to guarantee the absence of microorganisms in the packaging, since a microbial growth was observed for 6 out of the 16 evaluated containers obtained from compound pharmacies, and for 2 out of the 4 industrial containers. Although several containers were contaminated, a few number of CFU/mL (from 1- 4) was isolated from each sample. Staphylococcus bacteria were the most common type of contamination, with S. aureus being identified in one sample. Not performing prior sanitization or storing packaging with the lid open led seems to lead to a higher microbial contamination of the packaging. Hence, both the sanitization process and the storage of packaging play an important role in guaranteeing packaging and cosmetics quality. The present investigation points for the importance of microbiological quality control of cosmetics packaging.

A review of food safety in low-moisture foods with current and potential dry-cleaning methods.

Food is one of the basic needs of human life. With the increasing population, the production and supply of safe and quality foods are critical. Foods can be classified into different categories including low moisture, intermediate moisture, and high moisture content. Historically, low-moisture foods have been considered safe for human consumption due to the limited amount of moisture for microbial activity. Recalls of these foods due to pathogens such as Salmonella and undeclared allergens have brought attention to the need for improved cleaning and sanitization in dry food manufacturing facilities. In the food industry, cleaning and sanitation activities are the most efficient methods to prevent microbial contamination; however, water is most often required to deliver cleaning and sanitation agents. A well-written and properly implemented sanitation standard operating procedure can take care of microbial and allergen cross-contamination. Nevertheless, there are unique challenges to cleaning and sanitation processes for low-moisture food manufacturing facilities. The introduction of moisture into a low-moisture food environment increases the likelihood of cross-contamination by microbial pathogens. Hence, the use of water during cleaning and sanitation of dry food manufacturing facilities should be limited. However, much less research has been done on these dry methods compared to wet sanitation methods. This review discusses recent foodborne outbreaks and recalls associated with low-moisture foods the accepted methods for cleaning and sanitation in dry food manufacturing facilities and the limitations of these methods. The potential for air impingement as a dry-cleaning method is also detailed.

Biomimetic leaves with immobilized catalase for machine learning-enabled validating fresh produce sanitation processes

Washing and sanitation are vital steps during the postharvest processing of fresh produce to reduce the microbial load on the produce surface. Although current process control and validation tools effectively predict sanitizer concentrations in wash water, they have significant limitations in assessing sanitizer effectiveness for reducing microbial counts on produce surfaces. These challenges highlight the urgent need to improve the validation of sanitation processes, especially considering the presence of dynamic organic contaminants and complex surface topographies. This study aims to provide the fresh produce industry with a novel, reliable, and highly accurate method for validating the sanitation efficacy on the produce surface. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of using a food-grade, catalase (CAT)-immobilized biomimetic leaf in combination with vibrational spectroscopy and machine learning to predict microbial inactivation on microgreen surfaces. This was tested using two sanitizers: sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The developed CAT-immobilized leaf-replicated PDMS (CAT@L-PDMS) effectively mimics the microscale topographies and bacterial distribution on the leaf surface. Alterations in the FTIR spectra of CAT@L-PDMS, following simulated sanitation processes, indicate chemical changes due to CAT oxidation induced by NaClO or H2O2 treatments, facilitating the subsequent machine learning modeling. Among the five algorithms tested, the competitive adaptive reweighted sampling partial least squares discriminant analysis (CARS-PLSDA) algorithm was the most effective for classifying the inactivation efficacy of E. coli on microgreen leaf surfaces. It predicted bacterial reduction on microgreen surfaces with 100% accuracy in both training and prediction sets for NaClO, and 95% in the training set and 86% in the prediction set for H2O2. This approach can improve the validation of fresh produce sanitation processes and pave the way for future research.

Adhesion to and survival of foodborne pathogens in produce and strategies for their biocontrol

AbstractFoodborne pathogens can cause gastrointestinal infections in consumers and in some cases can even lead to outbreaks. In the last decade, it has been observed that some zoonotic pathogenic bacteria can use plants as secondary hosts. Contamination with foodborne bacteria becomes relevant in foods that are regularly eaten raw, such as lettuce, cilantro, fenugreek, rocket leaves, basil, and so forth, and some fruits such as tomatoes, melons, and green peppers; because the elimination of these pathogenic bacteria is difficult to achieve with conventional sanitization processes. Contamination of produce can occur throughout the entire production chain. In farmlands, pathogenic bacteria can contaminate the seed, mainly when contaminated water is used for irrigation. Later, bacteria can reach other plant tissues such as the stems, leaves, and fruits. Another form of contamination is when the produce is in contact with feces from domestic, production, or wild animals. Additionally, poor handling practices during harvest, packaging, distribution, and sale can contaminate produce. Studies have shown that foodborne pathogens can adhere to produce, sometimes forming a biofilm, and can also be internalized into the plant or fruit, which protects them from sanitation processes. For this reason, in this text we address three biocontrol strategies such as bacteria, lytic bacteriophages, and some fungi, as an alternative approach for the control of both foodborne and plant pathogens. Additionally, the use of these biological agents can represent an advantage for the development of the plant, making them a good strategy to favor yield.

Comparative understanding of peroxide quantitation assays: a case study with peptide drug product degradation.

Peroxide-mediated oxidation of drug molecules is a known challenge faced throughout the pharmaceutical development pathway-from early-stage stability studies to manufacturing processes. During the initial development stage, the major source of peroxide is the formulation excipients, whether they are pre-loaded or generated in situ due to slow degradation, and in the late phase, peroxides can be introduced during sanitization processes or generated via cavitation. In essence, a control strategy for peroxide mitigation often becomes a critical quality attribute for successful drug development. To this end, quantitation of peroxide is essential to monitor the peroxide level to ensure product quality and proposed shelf-life. However, methods for reliable and robust quantitation to detect trace levels of peroxide in a complex drug product matrix become increasingly challenging. This article discusses three high-throughput assays based on absorbance, fluorescence and chemiluminescence measurements to detect peroxide at a low level and compares the methods through validation studies in water. Selected methods have also been tested to understand the forced degradation of model peptide drug products with spiked hydrogen peroxide. Peptide degradation profiles and residual peroxide levels are presented to provide an understanding of the suitability of the quantitation methods and their performance.

Graph rewriting primitives for semantic graph databases sanitization

Due to the rapid proliferation of data online, an important quantity of private or sensitive informations is being stored as linked data in graph databases (e.g., represented as RDF). For such databases to be shared without jeopardizing privacy, they must first undergo a process known as database sanitization. During this process, databases are transformed following graph transformations that are usually described informally or through ad-hoc processes. However, a more thourough formalization of these transformations would aid in analysing the sanitization process, ensuring its correctness, and demonstrating the resulting privacy guarantees. This paper is an effort toward bridging the gap between the rigorous graph rewriting approaches and graph sanitization. We propose a graph transformation language to serve as a basis for constructing various sanitization mechanisms. This language relies on a set of elementary transformation operators formalized using a generic algebraic graph rewriting approach. Our language takes into account semantic and supports the equivalent of WHERE and EXCEPT clauses. As a proof of concept, we use these operators to implement two mechanisms from the literature, one generic (Local Differential Privacy) and one specifically introduced for semantic graph databases (sensitive attribute masking through anatomization). We propose an open-sourced tool implementing the elementary operators and the privacy mechanisms we derive from them relying on the Attributed Graph Grammar System (AGG) and its java API, providing a concrete tool implementing formal graph rewriting mechanisms to sanitize semantic graph databases. We present experimental results on this implementation regarding both proposed schemes and discuss its efficiency and scalability.