The disinfection principle of hydrogen peroxide

Many daily necessities are disinfected with hydrogen peroxide, a disinfectant. Many people do not know the principle of this disinfection and are afraid of affecting their health. Hydrogen peroxide is also called hydrogen oxide. Its characteristic is that its molecular structure is very unstable. The principle of hydrogen peroxide sterilization is this unstable characteristic. So, what is the disinfection principle of hydrogen peroxide?

First, what is the disinfection principle of hydrogen peroxide? The professional name of hydrogen peroxide is hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), which is a strong oxidant. Hydrogen peroxide is a naturally occurring chemical substance that exists in air and water. Light, lightning and microorganisms can produce hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide dissolves in water and becomes what people often call hydrogen peroxide. In fact, as early as the 18th century, humans discovered and began to use hydrogen peroxide. In the food industry, hydrogen peroxide is mainly used for the disinfection of soft packaging paper, disinfection of canning factories, sterilization of milk and dairy products, bread fermentation, decolorization of food fibers, etc. It is also used as a production and processing aid. In addition, hydrogen peroxide also plays an important role in the fields of drinking water treatment, textile bleaching, papermaking industry, medical industry and household detergent manufacturing.

Second, the use of hydrogen peroxide depends on the oxidizing property of hydrogen peroxide. Different concentrations of hydrogen peroxide have different uses. The concentration of general pharmaceutical-grade hydrogen peroxide is 3%, the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in beauty products is 6%, the concentration of reagent-grade hydrogen peroxide is 30%, and the concentration of edible-grade hydrogen peroxide is 35%. Hydrogen peroxide with a concentration of more than 90% can be used as an oxidant for rocket fuel. If hydrogen peroxide with a concentration of more than 90% is exposed to heat or vibration, it will explode. Hydrogen peroxide is also particularly easy to decompose. The basic form of high-purity hydrogen peroxide is stable. When it comes into contact with other substances, it will quickly decompose into oxygen and water. The strong oxidizing property of hydrogen peroxide is used to destroy the proteins that make up bacteria, causing them to die.

What is the disinfection principle of hydrogen peroxide? The strong oxidizing property of hydrogen peroxide is used to destroy the proteins that make up bacteria, causing them to die (similar to the sterilization principle of potassium permanganate solution). Concentrated salt water will increase the concentration difference between the fluid inside and outside the cells, causing the cells to dehydrate and lead to cell death. However, this method is ineffective for cells with cell wall structures. Concentrated salt water will only cause plasmolysis and cannot kill the cells in a short period of time. There are three methods for using hydrogen peroxide: dilution method, neutralization method and catalytic method. The dilution method means that after daily care, the lenses are soaked in 3% hydrogen peroxide solution for 15-30 minutes, and then diluted with saline and soaked overnight. It should be noted that since hydrogen peroxide is extremely cytotoxic, lenses disinfected with hydrogen peroxide must be thoroughly rinsed and neutralized before they can be worn.

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