(Originally Published on Halosil.com)

The Silver Lining: An Overview of the Science Behind HaloMist™

HaloMist™, Halosil NXT’s flagship hydrogen peroxide disinfectant, is a proven healthcare, research and whole-room disinfection chemistry that utilizes a blend of hydrogen peroxide and silver for its efficacy. In this blog, we’ll delve into the science behind this unique disinfection formula, and why silver plays such an important role in both the efficacy and performance of HaloMist.

HaloMist’s proprietary formula kickstarts the action by building on the individual biocidal powers of hydrogen peroxide and silver. The result? The immediate release of highly reactive free radicals that embark on a mission to dismantle the cell membrane of the targeted microorganism. Here’s how they do it:

• Cell Membrane Attack: The free radicals begin their assault by attacking and disrupting the cell membrane, weakening the microorganism’s defenses.
• Enzyme Denaturation: Next, they bind to the enzymes within the microorganism, causing denaturation. This renders the enzymes ineffective, further crippling the microorganism.
• DNA Replication Halt: The silver and hydrogen peroxide also team up to bind to the microorganism’s DNA, effectively putting a halt to replication. This is a knockout punch for the microorganism.

The Silver Lining: Stability and Efficiency

Silver’s antimicrobial effects aren’t new. In fact, silver is noted in the Hippocratic Corpus, ancient Greek medical texts, for its antimicrobial properties, and the ancient Greeks stored water and liquids in silver vessels for preservation¹. Over the centuries, its applications expanded from purifying water and treating ailments in the 900s, to wound treatment in the 1500s, and preventing infections in burns and wounds in the decades after. In the 1990s, silver began to be used in space travel for water sterilization, and silver nanoparticles were synthesized for their enhanced antimicrobial properties. Most recently, in the 2020s, silver nanoparticles have been used to reduce the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

When paired with H2O2, silver offers much-needed stability to the peroxide compound². This stabilizing effect ensures a prolonged and sustained release of H2O2, known for its ability to induce oxidative stress within microbial cells.

Moreover, silver ions have an impressive range of antimicrobial actions on their own. They can disrupt proteins by binding to sulfhydryl groups, causing structural and functional havoc. Silver ions also interfere with bacterial energy production and respiration by affecting the electron transport chain³.

The Silver Advantage

One standout feature of silver’s integration into HaloMist is its ability to maintain robust biocidal effectiveness even with lower concentrations of hydrogen peroxide. This improves material compatibility, a significant advantage in disinfection applications.

As the disinfection process unfolds, hydrogen peroxide transforms into harmless water and oxygen gas, creating a hostile environment for anaerobic microorganisms. Plus, when used on surfaces, HaloMist requires no rinsing, as it decomposes into water and oxygen, leaving no trace of chlorinated or brominated ingredients.

Now, you might be wondering about silver residues. The efficacious concentration of silver in HaloMist is so low (0.01%), that it, along with the minimal amount of solution required for fogging, results in undetectable amounts of silver on fogged surfaces (less than 2.5 parts per billion, ppb) in environmental tests.

A Higher Standard for Disinfection​

HaloMist represents a cutting-edge advancement in the world of disinfection. By harnessing the combined power of silver and hydrogen peroxide, it offers an effective and efficient solution for creating cleaner and healthier environments. As further research uncovers the intricacies of this remarkable partnership, we can anticipate even more exciting developments on the horizon. Stay tuned for a future with cleaner spaces, courtesy of HaloMist.

References

1. Geddes, L. (2013). Silver makes antibiotics thousands of times more effective. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/silver-makes-antibiotics-thousands-of-times-more-effective/
2. Mijnendonckx, K., Leys, N., Mahillon, J., Silver, S., & Van Houdt, R. (2013). Antimicrobial silver: uses, toxicity and potential for resistance. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4496041/
3. Fang, F. C., Frawley, E. R., Tapscott, T., & Vázquez-Torres, A. (2016). Bacterial stress responses during host infection. Metallomics, 10(4), 557-571. https://academic.oup.com/metallomics/article/10/4/557/6013405?login=false