December 2020

We are living in times where people have become more and more complacent with the status quo. It is almost as if there is a general acceptance with what is happening around us and to us. Changes are happening more rapidly and in quicker succession.

Imagine the lapse of time since the Wright brothers built the first aeroplane (1903 when the first powered flight was made) to the development of the first jet-propelled engine (1939 the first jet-propelled flight “Heinkel He 178” was made).

Today distance has become no challenge due to the rapid advancements made (and being made) in this field.

In other areas of development like the first Industrial revolution (1760-1840), we saw incremental development in the manufacturing processes. The second industrial revolution ( late 19th – early 20th century) brought technological advances. The third Industrial revolution started mid-1950’s and we are currently facing a fourth industrial revolution which will probably be about AI (artificial intelligence) and connectivity among all physical things.

In chemistry, we live in an era where a few hundred new chemicals are added to the already exhausted list- most of which has a negative impact on humans and the environment. Some are so toxic that it should never have been permitted to be commercialised at all. Pests, contamination and problems are wrongly addressed by using more chemicals to try and rectify the previous problem and unbalances created by the chemical implementation. Instead of addressing the cause, mankind chooses to address the consequence- with the same result. It has become a never-ending circle.

Recent studies have shown the increasing degradation of water quality from influences that are not known to most end users. Due to Industrial and human interaction, EDC’s (endocrine disruptors) are created which are natural and human-made chemicals that may mimic or interfere with the body’s hormones, known as the endocrine system. EDC’s interfere with the synthesis, transport, binding and elimination of natural hormones in the body that are responsible for normal cell metabolism. Pesticides are also EDC containing products. EDC’s are also produced during the creation and burning of many chemicals containing chlorine.

Chlorine in its’ many forms is widely used as a disinfectant- mainly because it is one of the more abundant minerals on earth and very cheap. It does however come with a price. Chlorine, when applied as a disinfectant to water, forms DBP’s ( disinfection by-products) like Haloacetic acids and Trihalomethanes (all of which is carcinogenic) when it comes in contact with organic matter. We have become used to accepting our potable water being disinfected with chlorine, turning a blind eye to the long-term consequences it might bring to our health and environment. In recent years there is more and more of an outcry from around the world to move away from chlorine as a disinfectant for amongst others, potable water and fresh produce.

The Olgenstine Group of Companies has made huge advances in this direction by developing chlorine-free alternatives for both the treatment of potable and industrial water as well as the disinfection of fresh produce. AOP (advanced oxidation potential) is based on new innovative oxidation technology, optimizing a compilation of complementary chemical formulation blends to disinfect through the creation of nascent oxygen and free radicals.

This technology is so advanced and superior to inter alia chlorine, that it outlasts chlorine in disinfection capability by up to 6 times in some cases. As a hard surface disinfectant, it proved to be effective against fungi, spores, bacteria, viruses and other pathogenic organisms. This technology also does not create any DBP’s and is unaffected by sunlight and organic matter as is the case with chlorine.

Research and development are a moving target and, in this sense, new applications and market possibilities are discovered in our ongoing testing and trials in the field of disinfection of water and fresh produce related applications.

We are very excited what the year 2021 will bring in the roll-out in various markets.