SODIUM 1,5‒DICHLORO‒4,6‒DIOXO‒1,4,5,6‒TETRAHYDRO‒1,3,5‒TRIAZIN‒2‒ OLATE AS BROAD SPECTRUM FAST ACTING SANITIZER AND WATER STERILIZER
*Prof. Dr. Dhrubo Jyoti Sen
ABSTRACT
Household water treatment using sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) has
been recognized as a cost‒effective means of reducing the heavy
burden of diarrhoea and other waterborne diseases, especially among
populations without access to improved water supplies. Sodium
dichloroisocyanurate (NaDCC), which is widely used in emergencies,
is an alternative source of chlorine that may present certain advantages
over NaOCl for household‒based interventions in development
settings. Like other sources of hypochlorous acid, NaDCC has been
shown to be an effective antimicrobial agent. The chemical
composition and physical characteristics of NaDCC tablets, however,
may offer certain advantages over NaOCl as a possible donor of free
chlorine in the disinfection of water at the household level. The safety
of the compound for the routine treatment of drinking water has now
been satisfactorily addressed. There is also evidence that suggests that use of NaDCC tablets
increases compliance and is more acceptable and affordable than NaOCl thus potentially
increasing overall uptake in a household‒based water treatment intervention. These
advantages would have to be balanced against its relative lack of availability compared to
NaOCl and the issues that this raises about its sustainability. While there is reason to believe
that NaDCC may present a promising alternative to NaOCl in household based water
treatment interventions, it has yet to be subjected to the same kinds of rigorous trials to which
NaOCl and certain other point‒of‒use interventions have been subject. Longer‒term
randomized, controlled trials in different settings in which NaDCC is compared not only
against a control group without access to water treatment but also directly against an
intervention group using NaOCl would help clarify its potential benefits, including microbiological effectiveness, compliance, acceptability and affordability. Some of these
questions can also be explored in the assessment of pilot programs. Investigators should also
determine the programmatic support necessary to achieve a given level of coverage in order
to assess its cost‒effectiveness. This research would not only address remaining issues about
the possible role of NaDCC tablets as a public health intervention, but also provide useful
information to determine if investment that would be necessary to bring the intervention to
scale on a sustainable basis would be warranted.
Keywords: Chlorine, Household, NaDCC, Sodium hypochlorite, Sodium dichloroisocyanurate, Water treatment.
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