What is electron irradiation sterilization and what is EO sterilization?
2025-01-03
What is electron irradiation sterilization and what is EO sterilization?
Electron irradiation sterilization and EO (ethylene oxide) sterilization are two common sterilization methods, commonly used in the medical and sanitary products industries.
Electron irradiation sterilization
1. Principle
- Electron irradiation sterilization is the use of high-energy electron beams generated by electron accelerators to irradiate products. High-energy electron beams can destroy the DNA structure of microorganisms (such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, etc.), making them lose their ability to reproduce and survive, thereby achieving the effect of sterilization.
- This method is a physical sterilization method that does not involve the addition of chemical substances.
2. Advantages
- High efficiency: A large number of products can be sterilized in a short time.
- No pollution: No chemical reagents are required, which avoids the pollution of chemical residues to products and the environment.
- Strong penetration: The electron beam has a certain penetration ability and can sterilize packaged products without unpacking.
3. Application areas
- Widely used in medical devices, pharmaceuticals, food, cosmetics and other industries. For example, disposable medical devices (such as syringes, infusion sets, etc.) and sanitary products (such as disposable underwear, sanitary napkins, etc.) are often sterilized by electron irradiation.
EO (ethylene oxide) sterilization
1. Principle
- EO sterilization uses the chemical activity of ethylene oxide gas to kill microorganisms. Ethylene oxide can undergo alkylation reactions with biomacromolecules such as proteins, nucleic acids and enzymes of microorganisms, making them inactive, thereby achieving the purpose of sterilization.
2. Advantages
- Low temperature sterilization: EO sterilization is usually carried out at low temperatures (generally between 30-60℃), which is suitable for heat-sensitive products such as plastic products, rubber products, etc.
- Good penetration: Ethylene oxide gas has good penetration and can penetrate packaging materials and the inside of products, and can also effectively sterilize products with complex shapes.
3. Application areas
- Commonly used for sterilization of medical devices, disposable products, medicines, etc. For example, some precision medical devices (such as endoscopes, electronic devices, etc.) and disposable medical supplies (such as surgical gowns, masks, etc.) are often sterilized by EO.
Comparison between the two
- Safety
- Electron irradiation sterilization is relatively safer because it does not involve the use of chemicals. However, products sterilized by EO need to undergo an analysis process to ensure that the residual amount of ethylene oxide meets safety standards, otherwise it may cause harm to the human body.
- Cost
- The initial investment of electron irradiation sterilization equipment is high, but the operating cost is relatively low, especially for large-scale production. The initial investment of EO sterilization equipment is low, but the procurement, storage and handling costs of ethylene oxide gas are high, and strict safety measures are required.
In short, electron irradiation sterilization and EO sterilization each have their own advantages and disadvantages. The choice of which sterilization method depends on factors such as product characteristics, production scale and cost.
