Electrolyzed Water Proven Safe for Skin and Eyes While Killing Germs
- Authors
- H Sipahi, R Reis, O Dinc, T Kavaz, A Dimoglo, A Aydın
- Journal
- Human & Experimental Toxicology
- Year
- 2019
- DOI
- 10.1177/0960327119862333
- Study Type
- Cell Culture
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Turkey
- Health Condition
- Skin Irritation
- Body System
- Integumentary
TL;DR
This study shows that electrolyzed water (EW), a type of disinfectant, can kill various microbes without being toxic to human cells or causing skin and eye irritation.
Key Finding
Electrolyzed water demonstrated strong antimicrobial activity against five common pathogens while showing no toxicity to skin cells, no skin irritation, and no eye irritation in laboratory biocompatibility tests.
Summary
Researchers created electrolyzed water (water treated with electricity to increase its disinfectant power) at different strengths and tested whether it was safe for skin and eyes. Lab tests showed that electrolyzed water killed common bacteria and fungi effectively, and when applied to human skin cells and tissue models, it did not damage cells or cause irritation. The study suggests electrolyzed water could be used safely as a disinfectant in medical and food settings.
Practical Takeaway
This laboratory study suggests electrolyzed water may be safe for skin and eye contact at the concentrations tested, but these are early-stage results using cell cultures and tissue models rather than human studies. More research in living organisms would be needed before drawing conclusions about safety for consumer use.
Abstract
Electrolyzed water (EW) is a widely used disinfectant agent with high oxidation–reduction potential (ORP). Although EW has been used in many areas, such as food hygiene, agriculture, and animal husbandry, the studies presented in the literature are not enough to clarify the toxic effects of EW. The aim of this study is, therefore, to produce EWs at different pH, ORP, and chlorine concentrations and to assess their safety in terms of toxicology. At the beginning of the study, the antimicrobial activity of the EW types with respect to bacteria and fungus was investigated. EWs below pH 7 were all effective in inactivating Enterococcus hirae, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida albicans completely. In vitro studies of cell cultures revealed that different concentrations of EWs were not cytotoxic for the L929 cells under 10- to 80-fold dilutions. In addition, it has been determined that produced EWs did not have irritation potential, according to the in vitro EpiDerm ™ , reconstituted skin irritation test in the frames of biocompatibility tests. For the mucous membrane irritation test, the hen’s egg test-chorioallantoic membrane experiment was performed, and EWs were found to have no eye irritation. In conclusion, it has been shown that produced EWs with antimicrobial efficacy were found to be safe for skin and eye according to in vitro biocompatibility study studies. Thus, the establishment of a technological infrastructure for the EW production and the use of produced EW as an effective disinfectant in the food, medical, and agricultural areas should be encouraged.