Chennai Metro becomes first in country to use high-end disinfectant to fight COVID-19

CHENNAI: Chennai Metro Rail has become the first in the country to use micro-plasma oxidation system, a technology used in high-end defence and medical applications, to disinfect rolling stock and stations following the COVID-19 pandemic.

A clean, safe and sustainable water disinfectant, the technology produces aqueous stabilized ozone on demand to avoid exposure of harsh chemicals during sanitization.  

According to a Chennai Metro release, the micro-plasma oxidation system uses surrounding air that is chemical–free as its raw material  and leaves no harmful residues. Chennai Metro Rail in association with ETA Purification has designed and developed the system to disinfect rolling stock and stations. The aqueous-based disinfecting agent is approximately 10 to 1000 times more effective than other chemicals against bacteria, mold and viruses.  

The sanitation process can be completed in just a few minutes. It is 51 percent more powerful on bacteria cell walls than chlorine and  kills bacteria 3000 times faster. Unlike chlorine, it is non-toxic and produces no disinfection by-products. This system uses only ordinary water as input and no chemicals are added, the release added.