Effect of Electro-Chemically Activated Water Solutions (ECA) on Adec-Tubing

Various electrode systems have been developed to electrically charge watery solutions. Two companies have recently entered the commercial market with ECA solutions. Millners Dental Suppliers market a device that produces Sterilox solutions on site, which is then diluted 1:16 with tap water or distilled water before use in dental units. Medical Waters produces and markets two ready to use bottled solutions: Steds Activated Solution no 3 (Steds 3) and no 1 (Steds 1). Concern existed in the dental field that undiluted ECA might be corrosive to the plastic tubing in the dental units. Objectives: This study determined the effect of different ECA solutions on Adec tubing used in dental unit water lines by means of Electronmicroscopy and tensile strength. Methods: Adec tubing was exposed for seven and fourteen days to the ECA solutions as follows: 24 hours to concentrated solutions and thereafter concentrations of solutions were used according to the manufactures recommendations. The tubes were analyzed as follows: visually, physically, deposits of inorganic substances by LV SEM and tensile strength using a Zwick material testing device. Results: Steds 3 effected the tubing most. Visually, these tubing became sticky and start to dissolve. SEM revealed deposits of chlorine as high as 98 weight percentage inside the tubing. The other solutions visually effected the tubing less, deposits of chlorine of 95 weight percentage were found for Sterilox and with Steds 1 inorganic deposits of chlorine 36, Na 32, Si 18.46, Al 9.24 weight percentages were found inside the tubing. Tensile strength of all tubing exposed to ECA solutions did not change significantly when compared with control samples. Conclusion: The solutions effected the tubing visually but did not effect the tensile strength of the tubing. High inorganic deposits were found inside the tubing.