Societal implementation of MA-T® a matter of urgency

Using MA-T® in infection control was the area of greatest interest among its six fields of application. In terms of strength of MA-T® oxidation control, it is at the weak end, and the only one deployed in society to date.
Since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a global pandemic in March 2020, 220 million people have been infected worldwide and 4.55 million have died (as of September 25, 2021) as the spread continues. We have been living with the disease for more than one year, and hand disinfection, temperature measurement, mask wearing, and avoiding the 3Cs (confined spaces, crowds, and close contact) have become entrenched. Despite the vaccine rollout, new variants have emerged, and we look to be in for a long-term battle.
As we await the development of a cure and treatments, new technologies are expected to emerge to prevent the spread of infection so we can return to safe and secure daily lives. In view of the current status (living with COVID-19), societal implementation of MA-T® (on-demand aqueous chlorine dioxide solution) is a matter of urgency. In the seventh Japan Resilience Awards in March 2021, MA-T® was awarded the Grand Prix in the inaugural “Stop Infection Grand Prize” for leading initiatives to counter the spread of infection.

MA-T® is highly effective and safe

Chlorite ions are the main constituent of MA-T®. Chemical equilibrium is maintained in a delicate balance and the radical active species are extremely stable in the absence of a target. The initially developed MA-T® solution (100 ppm concentration) was stored at room temperature in the dark for more than 10 years, and its sterilization effect remains intact to this day. Going forward, the continuing long-term storage experiment will likely extend the stability record.
Although it is simple, MA-T® has been shown to be highly effective and stable over a long period. Stockpiling it is useful not just for preventing disease spread, but in case of natural disasters.
Aqueous radicals, the radical active species, are stable but used up (consumed) by bacteria and viruses when they act upon them. These are replenished immediately as chlorite ions are transformed into radical active species by a chemical reaction. Bacteria and viruses are eliminated as this series of reactions repeats.
MA-T® concentration can be reduced to a level safe for the human body because it produces aqueous radicals only as necessary. It is also safe because chloride dioxide gas is not generated. The on-demand mechanism is hard to understand, so we have prepared an explanatory video available on our website.
Conventional disinfectants and sanitizers generally feature a trade-off between effectiveness and safety, but MA-T® has both thanks to its groundbreaking technology (Figure 1).

• Figure 1. Sterilizing power versus safety

  

Comparison with other disinfectants and sterilizers

Oral care using MA-T®