Is the "disinfection artifact" useful?
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Recently, many merchants have launched a variety of disinfection products that claim to be able to "sterilize, disinfect and prevent epidemics", including disinfection cards, blue light atomization disinfection guns, air disinfection machines, etc. Whether these "disinfection artifacts" are useful has aroused concern.
Sterilization and disinfection cards, blue light atomization disinfection guns, air disinfection machines... Recently, many businesses have launched a variety of "artifacts" that claim to be able to "sterilize, disinfect and prevent epidemics", which has led to a sharp increase in sales of disinfection products.
In the promotion of some "disinfection artifacts", "within 1 meter, 360-degree coverage", "nano-level atomization, ultra-long range, no dead angle killing", "ultraviolet sterilization, ozone disinfection, 99.99% new crown killing rate"... …like the description of the gods can be seen everywhere.
Do these disinfection products really have miraculous effects, or are they just a gimmick for publicity?
In this regard, the reporter conducted an investigation.
Small disinfection card, full coverage within 1 meter?
"Black technology provides efficient protection, reducing the probability of cross-infection for children in public places such as kindergartens and schools." On an e-commerce platform, an air disinfection card with monthly sales of over 10,000 declared on the product details page "Wear it on the body, within 1 meter Inside, 360-degree coverage, sterilizing and disinfecting lasting power of up to two months."
Another merchant selling the same type of air disinfection card called it an "air mask" with a sterilization rate of 99.99%.
Some consumers buy air disinfection cards out of the mentality of adding a layer of security to themselves or their families.
However, it is difficult to have an intuitive judgment on the protective effect of the disinfection card.
In the product reviews, many consumers said, "I don't know if it's useful, just for psychological comfort", and some consumers bluntly said, "Just treat it as an 'IQ tax'".
A test on the sterilization effect of air disinfection cards conducted by the Healthy Appliances Testing Center of China Household Electrical Appliances Research Institute showed that the chlorine dioxide gas generating agent contained in each disinfection card is between 3 grams and 15 grams, which is suitable for most daily life environments. However, the effective concentration for sterilization and disinfection cannot be reached.
In the test chamber of 3 cubic meters, the sterilization rate of the place far from the air disinfection card is only 9.75%, and the sterilization rate of the place close to it is only 12.13%.
The scientific rumor platform sponsored by the China Association for Science and Technology and the National Health and Health Commission also published an article before, clearly stating that "chlorine dioxide patches can form a 'protective barrier' around the body to help block virus infections" as rumors.
Blue light spray, two-pronged approach to remove viruses?
How can common disinfection products such as alcohol and 84 disinfectant exert greater efficacy?
According to some merchants who sell disinfection spray guns, after putting these liquids into the water tank of the spray gun, and then spraying them through the high-pressure air pump and atomizing nozzle, the output of nano-scale atomization can be achieved and the aerosol transmission path can be blocked.
Not only that, most spray guns also add a blue light function, which can assist in "sterilization and disinfection".
"The front end of this blue light disinfection gun is equipped with an ultraviolet disinfection lamp." It is understood that blue light and ultraviolet light are different concepts, but some disinfection guns deliberately confuse the two in the promotion, and use the disinfection principle of ultraviolet light to promote blue light disinfection gun.
"Ultraviolet light disinfection takes more than 30 minutes, and the disinfection light on the watering can is simply an IQ tax." "This is an electric spray with a blue LED light. If you want to save effort, you can buy it"... Many consumers are concerned about blue light disinfection. I don't buy it.
"'Blue light disinfection spray' is an unreliable concept. It is difficult to expect to use the blue light on this product to kill the new crown virus. Direct exposure may also cause damage to people's eyes and skin, which poses a relatively large safety hazard. .” said Liang Zhenpeng, an analyst in the home appliance industry.
In addition, if alcohol is sprayed with a disinfection gun, it may be an additional safety risk.
Firefighters reminded that it is winter at this time, and down jackets, chemical fiber materials and other clothing are prone to friction and generate static electricity. The alcohol after spraying and atomizing on a large area is fully exposed to oxygen, and it is easy to be ignited and caught fire, so you need to be cautious when purchasing and using such products .
"Space Shield", a new blue ocean for home appliances?
During the period of staying at home, "how to sterilize and disinfect the air at home" has become a concern of consumers.
The new consumer demand has given birth to the household disinfection appliance market, and disinfection appliances represented by air disinfection machines are becoming more and more popular.
Ultraviolet disinfection, ozone disinfection, photocatalyst disinfection, plasma disinfection... In the product introduction of the air disinfection machine, "space protection shield" and "protection without dead ends" are the highlights of the air disinfection machine.
Faced with the continuous growth of the market size of air sterilizers, some analysts believe that this will be a new blue ocean for the home appliance industry.
However, as an emerging product, the effectiveness of household air disinfectors has yet to be tested by the market, and the quality of products on the market varies.
Many air sterilizers that should be managed as disinfection products have not even been reviewed and filed by the Health Commission before they go on the market.
In the face of many home appliance brands entering the disinfection appliance industry one after another, Zhang Jianfeng, secretary-general of the China Household Electrical Appliances Business Association, said that although these products can indeed attract consumers' attention in the short term, if the national or industry standards are not yet clear. If it fails to achieve the advertised effect, it will harm the brand image instead. The home appliance industry should operate in a standardized and orderly manner.
Epidemic prevention at home requires more science and rationality
In many questions and answers on "disinfection artifacts" on e-commerce platforms, there are consumers' questions about "whether the product is an IQ tax".
Consumers who have used it also have very different experiences. Some people think it is useful, at least spending money to buy a sense of security; some people think it is completely useless.
In the face of all kinds of "disinfection artifacts", how can we not be charged "IQ tax"?
Liang Zhenpeng believes that if household disinfection appliances claim to be able to kill the new crown virus, consumers may have to put a question mark on the authenticity of the propaganda, because the virus itself is constantly mutating, and it is difficult to determine whether a certain disinfection method is always effective.
As for promotional phrases such as "99.99% sterilization rate", further explanations are needed to explain which types of bacteria are removed. Deliberately expanding the concept may involve false propaganda.
"From the perspective of merchants, if a certain category of disinfection products wants to gain the trust of consumers, they must first ensure product quality, and secondly, comply with relevant national standards. In addition, they must be cautious in publicity at the marketing level. If the disinfection effect must be used as a The selling point, then the promotional content must be based on the test certificate issued by a qualified authority, and cannot be exaggerated to deceive or mislead consumers." Zhang Jianfeng said that for consumers, home epidemic prevention also requires more science and rationality .