The Science Behind PathoPure® and PathoNex® & Why It Is Important

PathoPure sodium hydroxide cleaner/degreaser and PathoNex hypochlorous acid disinfectant/sanitizer are produced by the electrolysis of salt and water. Commonly referred to as electrochemically-activated solutions (ECAS), PathoSans solutions are produced using patented technology to ensure highly effective cleaning and disinfection without being irritating to eyes, skin and nose. The solutions offer both high-performance and a gentle way to clean and disinfect.

You can find more details on electrolysis below. But, if you’re like most customers, you’re most interested in what’s in the solutions and why they’re suitable for daily cleaning and disinfecting.

Both solutions contain softened water and small amounts of the active ingredient.  You can review the labels here. But what’s not in the solutions is just as important as what is.

Our solutions do NOT contain any of the following:

  • Additives
  • Alcohol
  • Ammonia
  • Buffers
  • Butoxyethanol
  • Chelating agents
  • Colorants
  • Foaming agents
  • Hydrogen peroxide
  • Nonylphenol ethoxylates
  • Perfumes
  • Peroxide bleach
  • Phosphates
  • Surfactants
  • Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
Pathonex and Pathopure are produced by the electrolysis of salt and water.

Most conventional cleaners and disinfectants contain many of these ingredients that are toxic or irritating to people, pets and the planet. PathoSans solutions are different. They can be used without gloves of other PPE if desired. They are drain and disposal friendly. They’re easy to use – no dilution, mixing or rinsing required. They do not leave grit, soap scum or harsh chemical residue behind. PathoPure removes dirt, grease and grime. PathoNex is a hospital broad-spectrum disinfectant, food sanitizer, virucide that is 99.9% effective, eliminates odors and reduces cross-contamination of bacteria on non-treated, hard, non-porous surfaces. With PathoSans solutions, you can clean and disinfect daily with confidence.

Advantages to Using Electrochemical Activation Technology (ECA) Solutions

Water, Salt and Electricity creates Electrochemical Activation
Electrochemical activation (ECA) processes go by many names: electrolyzed water, electro-activated water, electrolyzed oxidizing water and electro-chemically activated solutions. All these names describe a similar process. An electrochemical cell uses electricity, high-purity salt and soft tap water to produce two solutions – a cleaner and a disinfectant. The cleaning solution is an alkaline solution that both cleans and degreases surfaces. The disinfectant is a hypochlorous acid solution. Hypochlorous acid is a naturally occurring chemical that is produced by our white blood cells to fight bacteria and inflammation after an infection or trauma. It kills viruses, germs and other pathogens, and because it is produced by the human body, it is non-toxic to humans.
Conventional chemicals are often toxic and can endanger human health – both for the people using the chemicals and those who are exposed to chemical residue or lingering fragrances. They generally contain high levels of active ingredients to ensure effectiveness even when stored for long periods of time. ECA solutions are different. Made from salt, water and electricity, they can clean and disinfect effectively with low levels of the active ingredients.
Electrolysis was first discovered in the 1830s. Michael Faraday, an English scientist proved that materials could be separated by passing a direct electric current through an ionic substance that is either molten or dissolved in a suitable solvent such as water. Forty years later it was discovered that minerals could be extracted in this manner and electrolysis began to be used commercially to refine copper, zinc and nickel. In the 1890s, the development of the Chloralkali process enabled the production of chlorine and sodium hydroxide from sodium chloride on an industrial scale. This process is still used today to make concentrated caustic soda, NaOH and chlorine gas, Cl2. In the mid-1970s, electrolytic technology was first used to create ready-to-use sodium hydroxide cleaners and hypochlorous acid sanitizers that didn’t require dilution. This technology, now commonly referred to as electrochemical activation, still required the use of large generators in order to produce the solutions cost-effectively. In recent years, with the advancements in the efficiency and size of electric power sources, the production of ECA solutions has evolved dramatically. ECA solutions became available for home and commercial use in the early 2000s.