At Arkam, we are used to criticizing the dangers of chemical disinfection. Although chemical disinfection is effective, it is also dangerous in many ways. One of the proofs was brought again a few weeks ago, when a little girl suffered severe chemical burns in her school…  

On April 29th, a kindergarten student was seriously burned in Rueil-Malmaison. The reason? This one had just sat on a chair where there were drops of a disinfectant product. The problem is that this chemical product had not been diluted. The girl suffered significant injuries due to the corrosive nature of the chemical. This chemical would have been used during the disinfection of the school during its closure between April 6 and 26.

This is further evidence that despite attempts at disinfection, many schools unfortunately do not know how to manage the dangers of chemicals. It is important to know that before use, these compounds must be diluted according to very precise rules. However, these protocols are far from being always respected… An administrative investigation has been launched to determine the causes of this accident.

Alternatives to chemical products

This accident has, in a legitimate way, triggered the concern of several parents of students. They would like the product concerned not to be used anymore in the disinfection of the school. A reaction that we can understand when we know that the little girl had to undergo a skin graft.

However, it would be neglecting the bottom of the problem to take into account only the incriminated product… Indeed, this chemical compound is far from being the only one to be so dangerous. Moreover, the misuse of these potentially harmful elements is far too common. It is therefore time to think of alternatives

That’s what we’re working on at Arkam. We are moving away from traditional chemical disinfection to offer a UV-C LED solution. UV-C radiation has been known for decades for its virucidal and fungicidal properties.

We can thus disinfect all establishments, without the slightest risk of chemical burns for the people who will be in the concerned rooms afterwards. And this is just one of the many advantages of UV-C LED disinfection. For comparison, we can mention the following:

UV-C LED disinfection:

• UV-C only (no damage to exposed surfaces)
• No chemicals used
• Does not generate ozone (non-polluting)
• Lower irradiance (less dangerous for humans) but just as effective against viruses and bacteria
• Durable
• Totally automatable (saving precious time)
• Return on investment

For any question or additional information, you can contact us directly here.

Translated from french article at https://arkam-group.com/fr/2021/06/17/quand-les-produits-chimiques-sont-un-danger-pour-les-enfants-a-lecole.html