Water quality and food safety are issues that increasingly attract the attention of public health authorities and engage the energies of microbiologists, engineers, and epidemiologists. While water is an essential element for sustaining life on earth, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) fifty percent of the worldwide infant mortality is caused by waterborne bacterial diseases and an estimated 30,000 people die daily drinking contaminated water. Food Safety has come to the forefront as a result of the recent deaths in the US and in Japan which were attributed to the consumption of Escherichia coli (E.coli) contaminated food. Recognizing that the population growth will increase pressure on these important issues, Monsanto has been searching for and developing more sustainable technologies to raise the standard of living of the growing world. Monsanto has recently acquired exclusive rights in the food processing, agriculture, and drinking water markets for an advanced and innovative water technology known as Electro-Chemical Activation (ECA). This technology has revolutionized the world of water purification, disinfection, and sterilization in Russia and the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States).
This scientific breakthrough uses classical principles of Electro-chemistry and the highly efficient Flow-through Electrolytic Module (FEM) reactor designed by Dr. Vitold Bakhir and Yuri G. Zadorozhny of the All-Russian Institute for Medical Engineering. The FEM unit is state of the art with respect to producing dilute, metastable mixed radical solutions. It is currently used in the Soviet MIR space station program. The cylindrical shaped anode and cathode, constructed in titanium and rare metals, are separated with a ceramic ionic membrane. Water, with its natural or added salts, flows on both sides of the membrane and is exposed to an electric field which modifies the structure of the solution causing the disequilibrious state responsible for the elevated chemical and catalytic activity of the emerging streams. These streams are called anolyte and catholyte in accordance with the electrode(anode or cathode) at which they were synthesized.
The anolyte has powerful bactericidal characteristics and is effective in the control of harmful organisms like bacteria, viruses, cysts, and germs. Research in Russia has shown that anolyte is 200 to 300 times more efficient than any existing safe alternative and yet it is very gentle to human and animal life. Because of its powerful bacterial killing effect and low toxicity to humans, many hospitals in Russia and the CIS use this sterilizing process to destroy infection causing bacteria.
The catholyte is a powerful alkaline solution used for treating industrial effluent like the ones from Electro-plating, photographic, and/or textile plants. Catholyte has powerful properties for flocculation, coagulation, bionutrient transfer, cleaning purposes, and neutralizing the toxicity of heavy metals.
The special design of the FEM is used to synthesize water with very low concentrations of natural minerals and salts and to generate powerful mixed oxidant solutions without requiring the use of concentrated chlorine oxidants or leaving harmful end-or by-products. Water contaminated with pathogens, toxic organics and metals may be passed through a system of FEM units to produce drinkable water. Alternatively the FEM unit may be used to produce the two highly efficient activated solutions (anolyte & catholyte) from tap water and/or dilute inorganic salts. The substances being used and created by the FEM reactor are completely familiar to the human body. These solutions may be used straight or be diluted in water as a sterilizant or disinfectant. This technology is a positive step towards providing safe food and water in a more sustainable fashion.
For more information please contact oguz@porsuk.net
