Use of Hypochlorite Solution as Disinfectant during COVID-19 Outbreak in India: From the Perspective of Human Health and Atmospheric Chemistry

Abstract The current situation in India regarding the COVID-19 pandemic is the worst since its first detection, in terms of the number of new cases per day, and it is now more than 10000 (as of June 16, 2020). In addition to several precautionary steps being taken (social distancing, use of masks, s...

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Main Author: Abhijit Chatterjee
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Springer 2020-06-01
Series:Aerosol and Air Quality Research
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.4209/aaqr.2020.05.0253
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author Abhijit Chatterjee
author_facet Abhijit Chatterjee
author_sort Abhijit Chatterjee
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The current situation in India regarding the COVID-19 pandemic is the worst since its first detection, in terms of the number of new cases per day, and it is now more than 10000 (as of June 16, 2020). In addition to several precautionary steps being taken (social distancing, use of masks, sanitizing hands etc.), spraying disinfectants (NaOCl solution) over several residential, official and commercial buildings, open areas, markets, public road transports, railways etchas been occurring on a regular basis. It has also come to the world’s attention that spraying of disinfectants has been especially used on people who are migrating from one part of the country to another. In this letter, I have made an attempt to discuss some major impacts of NaOCl on human health as well as atmospheric chemistry. NaOCl once emitted into the air reacts easily with the water vapor to form HOCl that further gets photo-dissociated into various reactive species. These reactive species have significant potentials to participate in various tropospheric chemistry of chlorine radical, ozone, S (IV) oxidation, hydrocarbon oxidation, modification of chloride salts etc. I have also recommended some important steps to be taken if spraying of NaOCl is deemed essential.
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spelling doaj-art-4212fbb86dc94a7ba70c8f8a791498b92025-08-20T02:15:16ZengSpringerAerosol and Air Quality Research1680-85842071-14092020-06-012071516151910.4209/aaqr.2020.05.0253Use of Hypochlorite Solution as Disinfectant during COVID-19 Outbreak in India: From the Perspective of Human Health and Atmospheric ChemistryAbhijit Chatterjee0Environmental Sciences Section, Bose InstituteAbstract The current situation in India regarding the COVID-19 pandemic is the worst since its first detection, in terms of the number of new cases per day, and it is now more than 10000 (as of June 16, 2020). In addition to several precautionary steps being taken (social distancing, use of masks, sanitizing hands etc.), spraying disinfectants (NaOCl solution) over several residential, official and commercial buildings, open areas, markets, public road transports, railways etchas been occurring on a regular basis. It has also come to the world’s attention that spraying of disinfectants has been especially used on people who are migrating from one part of the country to another. In this letter, I have made an attempt to discuss some major impacts of NaOCl on human health as well as atmospheric chemistry. NaOCl once emitted into the air reacts easily with the water vapor to form HOCl that further gets photo-dissociated into various reactive species. These reactive species have significant potentials to participate in various tropospheric chemistry of chlorine radical, ozone, S (IV) oxidation, hydrocarbon oxidation, modification of chloride salts etc. I have also recommended some important steps to be taken if spraying of NaOCl is deemed essential.https://doi.org/10.4209/aaqr.2020.05.0253COVID-19NaOCl solutionDisinfectants
spellingShingle Abhijit Chatterjee
Use of Hypochlorite Solution as Disinfectant during COVID-19 Outbreak in India: From the Perspective of Human Health and Atmospheric Chemistry
Aerosol and Air Quality Research
COVID-19
NaOCl solution
Disinfectants
title Use of Hypochlorite Solution as Disinfectant during COVID-19 Outbreak in India: From the Perspective of Human Health and Atmospheric Chemistry
title_full Use of Hypochlorite Solution as Disinfectant during COVID-19 Outbreak in India: From the Perspective of Human Health and Atmospheric Chemistry
title_fullStr Use of Hypochlorite Solution as Disinfectant during COVID-19 Outbreak in India: From the Perspective of Human Health and Atmospheric Chemistry
title_full_unstemmed Use of Hypochlorite Solution as Disinfectant during COVID-19 Outbreak in India: From the Perspective of Human Health and Atmospheric Chemistry
title_short Use of Hypochlorite Solution as Disinfectant during COVID-19 Outbreak in India: From the Perspective of Human Health and Atmospheric Chemistry
title_sort use of hypochlorite solution as disinfectant during covid 19 outbreak in india from the perspective of human health and atmospheric chemistry
topic COVID-19
NaOCl solution
Disinfectants
url https://doi.org/10.4209/aaqr.2020.05.0253
work_keys_str_mv AT abhijitchatterjee useofhypochloritesolutionasdisinfectantduringcovid19outbreakinindiafromtheperspectiveofhumanhealthandatmosphericchemistry