The DepHyze Revolution

For decades, the U.S. military's standard protocol for decontaminating soldiers, vehicles, and equipment that had been exposed to biological or chemical weapons and contaminants was to wash them in concentrated bleach (NaOCl). Unfortunately, not only did this make soldiers sick and corrode or destroy the treated equipment, but bleach did not even effectively neutralize the contaminants. The military needed a better solution.

So in 1990’s, the U.S. Department of Defense, requested that the Sandia National Laboratory develop a revolutionary formula for a new type of decontaminant, designed to safely neutralize virtually all types of biological and chemical warfare agents. Sandia's discovery was a true breakthrough, unlike anything the world has seen, prompting them to patent the formula.

Until recently, this successful formula has only been available to the military and certain federal agencies and first-responders prepared against terrorist attacks involving biological and/or chemical Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD).

As of 2007, Sandia's patented formulation is now available from Tionicon for the first time to the private sector. DepHyze and Symagin are Tionicon's trademarked names for a line of products using Sandia's formulation, now commercialized for military, industry and consumer use.

The Norovirus Problem

DepHyze is a broadly effective biocide, found to be an extremely effective killer against every pathogen against which it has been tested (over 25 common or virulent pathogens - see table). Among them is the Norovirus, which has particular importance to the hospitality industry.

Norovirus derives its name from its previous name, the "Norwalk-like virus," named after a 1968 outbreak among schoolchildren in Norwalk, Ohio. Four years later, it was the first virus ever to be identified as a cause of gastroenteritis in humans.

Each year in the U.S., Noroviruses cause an estimated 23 million cases of acute gastroenteritis, and is estimated to cause 50% of all cases around the world. It is the most reported type of viral infection after the common cold. Collectively, the symptoms are commonly known as "food poisoning" and include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramping, as well as possible low-grade fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, and general lethargy. The illness often begins suddenly, and the infected individual may feel very sick. Symptoms may persist for several days and may become life-threatening in the young, the elderly, and the immune-compromised if dehydration is ignored or not treated.

In 2007, Hilton’s Dulles Airport hotel had to be shut down after 120 guests and employees became sick with Norovirus. During its closure, the entire hotel was scrubbed down from top to bottom.

Noroviruses are highly contagious and are found in the stool or vomit of infected people. Transmission can occur in several ways:

• Eating food or drinking liquids that are contaminated with Norovirus
• Touching surfaces or objects contaminated with Norovirus, and then placing the hand into the mouth
• Having direct contact with an infected individual who is symptomatic

The DepHyze Solution

The chemistry behind this new generation of sanitizer is the development of a very specific attack against harmful agents based on the ions they possess. It has been long know that oxygen is a very safe and effective killing and neutralizing agent, however in most cases it takes time for oxygen-based chemicals to react and the results are not permanent.

DepHyze specifically attacks nitrogen and sulfur ions, which are present in chemical weapons, industrial chemicals and all amino acids. Because amino acids are the building block for all living organisms, DepHyze is a natural general-purpose and extremely effective biocide. Because other commercial antiseptics do not target the same ions, their effectiveness is limited and varies widely from one pathogen to another. For instance, no previous disinfectant approved for household use is a moldicide (not even household bleach). This is because molds and spores (including anthrax) have a very tough polysaccharide outer shell that makes them nearly impervious to cleansers - until now. Chronic mold problems are about to become a thing of the past.

DepHyze is a two-part system. Prior to being mixed, the separate parts have a known shelf-life of over five years (possibly more). Once combined, the mixture is fast-acting and extremely effective killing most organisms within 5 minutes and neutralizing hazardous chemicals in 30 minutes. (During application, users should wear rubber gloves and goggles to avoid contact with mucous membranes. No special ventilation is required.)

After mixing, DepHyze naturally decomposes in approximately 8 hours. This natural breakdown makes DePHyze extremely safe, and 100% biodegradable.

DepHyze comprises a cationic soap portion and a hydrogen peroxide portion. When the two parts are combined, the active solution has a mild pH of 9.8. The oxygen level in the final mixture is 3.8%. At this concentration the oxygen, will not harm fabric or skin. When DepHyze is sprayed in a fine mist it will not harm sensitive electronics and leaves a fine residue that is easily wiped away. Areas that have been treated with DepHyze have not had an incident of re-growth of mold or mildew for over 3 years, making it the ideal solution for marine use.

The Problem with Alcohol Hand Sanitizers

In addition to cleaning rooms, surfaces, laundry, and carpet, prevention of food-borne contamination requires food handlers to wash and disinfect their hands after using the bathroom and before handling food.

The primary problem with traditional alcohol-based hand cleansers is that they are simply not strong killers of many microbes, especially non-bacterial microbes such as Norovirus. According to the FDA's Dep't of Health and Human Services:

In addition to their weak efficacy, alcohol-based hand sanitizers suffer from other problems:

• Alcohol-based sanitizers stop working the instant they dry. The leading manufacturer of alcohol- based sanitizers claims that their product kills 99.99% of most common germs in as little as 1 5 seconds; however, their product dries in 8-10 seconds, rendering such claims meaningless as alcohol concentration drops below its efficacious level within a few seconds of application
• According to the FDA, alcohol rubs have been shown to cause an increase in Staphylococcus aureus five hours after application, due to the alcohol's elimination of skin oils that naturally defend the body against bacterial infection.
• No residual protection
• Drying of skin
• Irritation, pain, and discomfort
• Flammability (vapors can explode from cell phone or static electricity sparks)
• Tendency to be consumed by some people (especially minors) as an alcoholic intoxicant

In a study performed to simulate repeated usage, an alcohol-based and an alcohol-free benzalkonium chloride-based hand sanitizer were compared. In the study, subjects' hands were repeatedly inoculated with bacteria followed by application of hand sanitizer, then evaluated for antimicrobial effectiveness. The antimicrobial efficacy of the alcohol-based hand sanitizer showed a markedly decreased antimicrobial efficacy with subsequent contamination and decontamination cycles, whereas the alcohol-free benzalkonium chloride-based hand sanitizer showed a steady increase in antibacterial efficacy.

In addition to these objective results, subjects were asked to subjectively evaluate the condition of their hands after the completion of the test protocol. Forty-seven percent (47%) of the alcohol-based hand sanitizer users reported pain or discomfort on their palms, and tended to indicate continued discomfort for one to several days after the test. In contrast, none of the subjects that used alcohol-free benzalkonium chloride-based sanitizer reported any pain or discomfort of their hands after completing the test protocol.

In tour group and food-service environments in particular, frequent hand sanitization among passengers and crew members is essential to good hygiene. Unlike alcohol-based sanitizers, frequent use of DepHyze™ causes no discomfort or skin irritation, thereby increasing employee compliance with employers' posted hygiene regulations.

Eradication of ALL Germs

Until now, even the most well-run and hygienic facilities have only been able to offer kill rates of 99.99% against viruses, such as the common Norovirus, using products such as alcohol-based hand sanitizers. While 99.99% may sound impressive to people thinking back to test scores in school, in the world of germ eradication, this amounts to a degree of efficacy barely better than washing with mere soap and water (99.9%), leaving thousands of living microbes to reproduce and repopulate their environment.In short, a surface that has been "cleaned" to 99.99% is not truly clean, is not at all sterile, and will often soon be teaming with dangerous bacteria and other biological pathogens. To prevent this, one must kill the germs to what scientists call "log kill 7" (meaning seven nines, or 99.99999%). This level of efficacy is only available with DepHyze™.

To prevent germs from being spread when food is touched, add DepHyze Foaming Hand Sanitizer to the mix for a degree of efficacy and comfort unmatched by alcohol hand sanitizers or soap-and-water hand washing.

Mold Remediation and Prevention

Molds can be found wherever there is moisture, oxygen, and something to feed on. Aside from causing health issues such as allergic reactions and asthma episodes, mold growth can also cause structural damage to buildings if the problem remains unaddressed. Any place where there’s humidity or moisture, mold can be a serious problem, imposing potentially deadly health risks. And once mold sets in, it can be virtually impossible to eliminate. That is, until now.

Mold is a spore, which makes it extremely difficult to kill. When you scrub mold off of infected surfaces and absorbent materials such as toilets, walls, and carpeting, the mold almost always grows back. This is because you have not killed the mold’s reproductive cells, which are called spores.

Spores’ genetic material is encased in a tough protein exterior. This armored shell makes the spore so impervious to extremes of heat, chemical, and radiation that spores can survive almost anywhere – even outer space. When conditions are not conducive to growing, the spores simply become dormant until conditions are more favorable to growth. And once conditions are right – such as in damp, dark areas – the spores hatch, and your mold returns.

Until now, spores have been virtually impossible to kill using any cleaner or disinfectant that wasn’t extremely toxic to humans. DepHyze™ kills mold spores (micotoxins) by poking holes in the spore's protein armor, allowing the oxidizing agents to attack the genetic material inside. Furthermore, after DepHyze breaks down and neutralizes mold spores, it creates a barrier on the surface that prevents organisms from growing back.

DepHyze is the world's only safe and effective mold/mildew killer and re-growth retardant (treated areas have not had re-growth of mold or mildew in over 3 years and counting). It is an extremely safe, non-toxic, ultra powerful antimicrobial disinfectant, chemical decontaminant, and moldicide. It kills bacteria, viruses, spores, molds, and fungus with unprecedented 99.99999% efficacy. DepHyze is the world’s ONLY EPA-approved moldicide that is non-toxic, biodegradable and can break down a mold spore wall.

100% Odor Negation

Now, even pet urine odors are a thing of the past. DepHyze™ is extremely effective at neutralizing tough odors in carpet caused by mold, mildew, cigarette smoke, pets, people, and even skunks! Because DepHyze provides 100% biological and chemical odor negation (true chemical neutralization - not a mask), it is extremely effective at neutralizing tough odors. Most air fresheners, disinfectants and carpet cleaners only mask fire, cigarette, and other tobacco smoke odors, providing merely seconds of relief. DepHyze actually cleaves offending molecules apart, providing 100% biological and chemical odor negation – a true chemical neutralization, not a mask. DepHyze can be used on surfaces and in the air to neutralize and freshen immediately and permanently, leaving the entire room (carpets, furniture, drapes, etc.) free of both unpleasant odors and harmful pollutants like those found in second-hand smoke. Even long-standing, embedded odors don’t stand a chance!