IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v15y2024i1d10.1038_s41467-024-48752-w.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

An effective and rapidly degradable disinfectant from disinfection byproducts

Author

Listed:
  • Jiarui Han

    (The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology)

  • Wanxin Li

    (The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology)

  • Xiangru Zhang

    (The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology)

Abstract

Chloroxylenol is a worldwide commonly used disinfectant. The massive consumption and relatively high chemical stability of chloroxylenol have caused eco-toxicological threats in receiving waters. We noticed that chloroxylenol has a chemical structure similar to numerous halo-phenolic disinfection byproducts. Solar detoxification of some halo-phenolic disinfection byproducts intrigued us to select a rapidly degradable chloroxylenol alternative from them. In investigating antimicrobial activities of disinfection byproducts, we found that 2,6-dichlorobenzoquinone was 9.0–22 times more efficient than chloroxylenol in inactivating the tested bacteria, fungi and viruses. Also, the developmental toxicity of 2,6-dichlorobenzoquinone to marine polychaete embryos decreased rapidly due to its rapid degradation via hydrolysis in receiving seawater, even without sunlight. Our work shows that 2,6-dichlorobenzoquinone is a promising disinfectant that well addresses human biosecurity and environmental sustainability. More importantly, our work may enlighten scientists to exploit the slightly alkaline nature of seawater and develop other industrial products that can degrade rapidly via hydrolysis in seawater.

Suggested Citation

  • Jiarui Han & Wanxin Li & Xiangru Zhang, 2024. "An effective and rapidly degradable disinfectant from disinfection byproducts," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-9, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-48752-w
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48752-w
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-48752-w
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-024-48752-w?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Dyani Lewis, 2021. "COVID-19 rarely spreads through surfaces. So why are we still deep cleaning?," Nature, Nature, vol. 590(7844), pages 26-28, February.
    2. William Msemburi & Ariel Karlinsky & Victoria Knutson & Serge Aleshin-Guendel & Somnath Chatterji & Jon Wakefield, 2023. "The WHO estimates of excess mortality associated with the COVID-19 pandemic," Nature, Nature, vol. 613(7942), pages 130-137, January.
    3. Eduardo Di Mauro & Denis Rho & Clara Santato, 2021. "Biodegradation of bio-sourced and synthetic organic electronic materials towards green organic electronics," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-10, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Torsten Thalheim & Tyll Krüger & Jörg Galle, 2022. "Indirect Virus Transmission via Fomites Can Counteract Lock-Down Effectiveness," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-14, October.
    2. Kozlov Vladimir & Pahomii Irina & Gagauz Olga & Šmit Jelena, 2024. "Covid-19 Mortality Shock: Demographic and Economic Losses in Moldova," Comparative Southeast European Studies, De Gruyter, vol. 72(1), pages 135-148, March.
    3. Vania Aparecida Vicente & Bruno Paulo Rodrigues Lustosa & Maria Eduarda Grisolia & Caroline Pavini Beato & Eduardo Balsanelli & Viviane de Souza Gubert Fruet & Meri Bordignon Nogueira & Sonia Maria Ra, 2021. "Environmental Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Virus RNA in Health Facilities in Brazil and a Systematic Review on Contamination Sources," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(7), pages 1-12, April.
    4. John F. Helliwell & Max B. Norton & Shun Wang & Lara B. Aknin & Haifang Huang, 2021. "Well-being Analysis Favours a Virus-Elimination Strategy for COVID-19," NBER Working Papers 29092, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Pedro Francke & Josue Benites G., 2024. "'Bonos’: Lecciones de las transferencias monetarias no condicionadas durante la pandemia de COVID-19 en Perú," Documentos de Trabajo / Working Papers 2024-534, Departamento de Economía - Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú.
    6. Hailong Li & Fanyue Meng & Penglin Zhu & Hongxiao Zu & Zequn Yang & Wenqi Qu & Jianping Yang, 2024. "Biomimetic mercury immobilization by selenium functionalized polyphenylene sulfide fabric," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-15, December.
    7. Doran, Áine & Colvin, Christopher L. & McLaughlin, Eoin, 2024. "What can we learn from historical pandemics? A systematic review of the literature," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 342(C).
    8. Parrendah Adwoa Kpeli & Günther G. Schulze & Nikita Zakharov, 2024. "Elections and (mis)reporting of COVID-19 mortality," Discussion Paper Series 48 JEL Classification: D7, Department of International Economic Policy, University of Freiburg, revised Apr 2024.
    9. Florian Bonnet & Pavel Grigoriev & Markus Sauerberg & Ina Alliger & Michael Mühlichen & Carlo-Giovanni Camarda, 2024. "Spatial disparities in the mortality burden of the covid-19 pandemic across 569 European regions (2020-2021)," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.
    10. José Henrique Costa Monteiro da Silva & Helena Cruz Castanheira, 2024. "Using household death questions from surveys to assess adult mortality in periods of health crisis: An application for Peru, 2018–2022," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 51(8), pages 215-228.
    11. Ali Cheshmehzangi & Maycon Sedrez & Junhang Ren & Dezhou Kong & Yifan Shen & Sinan Bao & Junhao Xu & Zhaohui Su & Ayotunde Dawodu, 2021. "The Effect of Mobility on the Spread of COVID-19 in Light of Regional Differences in the European Union," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-24, May.
    12. Rachel Glennerster & Thomas Kelly & Claire T. McMahon & Christopher M. Snyder, 2024. "Quantifying the social value of a universal COVID-19 vaccine and incentivizing its development," Review of Economic Design, Springer;Society for Economic Design, vol. 28(4), pages 723-761, December.
    13. Wenjing Wang & Yixin Liu & Ling Zhang & Li Ran & Siyuan Xiong & Xiaodong Tan, 2021. "Associations between Indoor Environmental Quality and Infectious Diseases Knowledge, Beliefs and Practices of Hotel Workers in Wuhan, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(12), pages 1-13, June.
    14. Joseph A. Lewnard & Chandra Mohan B & Gagandeep Kang & Ramanan Laxminarayan, 2023. "Attributed causes of excess mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic in a south Indian city," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-14, December.
    15. Jesem Douglas Yamall Orellana & Maximiliano Loiola Ponte de Souza & Bernardo Lessa Horta, 2024. "Excess suicides in Brazil during the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic: Gender, regional and age group inequalities," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 70(1), pages 99-112, February.
    16. Basnak, Paul & Giesen, Ricardo & Muñoz, Juan Carlos, 2022. "Estimation of crowding factors for public transport during the COVID-19 pandemic in Santiago, Chile," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 140-156.
    17. Eleonora Mussino & Gunnar Andersson & Sunnee Billingsley & Sven Drefahl & Matthew Wallace & Siddartha Aradhya, 2024. "Lives saved, lives lost, and under-reported COVID-19 deaths: Excess and non-excess mortality in relation to cause-specific mortality during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 50(1), pages 1-40.
    18. Bratti, Massimiliano & Brunetti, Irene & Corvasce, Alessandro & Maida, Agata & Ricci, Andrea, 2024. "Did COVID-19 (permanently) raise the demand for "teleworkable" jobs?," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1415, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    19. M. Otiende & A. Nyaguara & C. Bottomley & D. Walumbe & G. Mochamah & D. Amadi & C. Nyundo & E. W. Kagucia & A. O. Etyang & I. M. O. Adetifa & S. P. C. Brand & E. Maitha & E. Chondo & E. Nzomo & R. Ama, 2023. "Impact of COVID-19 on mortality in coastal Kenya: a longitudinal open cohort study," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-9, December.
    20. Bhorat, Haroon & Köhler, Timothy, 2025. "The labour market effects of cash transfers to the unemployed: Evidence from South Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 188(C).

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-48752-w. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.