PU makes sanitisers

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 23

The University Institute of Engineering & Technology (UIET) in Panjab University’s (PU) South Campus has prepared alcohol-based sanitisers. Since sanitisers with 60 per cent ethanol as active ingredient are a regulated item, an alternative with 50 per cent isopropanol is also being prepared at PU in 200 ml plastic bottles to be used on the university campus.

“The solution also contains 5 per cent glycerine to give a moisturising effect. However, these are not functionally important for the core purpose,” said Prof Rakesh Tuli, who has been at the helm of preparing the sanitiser.

The UIET has important guidelines to offer in this respect. “Periodical use of sanitisers or a thorough hand wash with detergents is the first defence against acquiring and spreading the virus. It is equally important to also sanitise the surfaces and objects in public contact. These include door handles, staircase panels, lift doors, surfaces of tables and chairs, pens, mobile phones, etc, that we keep touching routinely. In all these cases, sanitisers should be applied periodically. Wiping the surfaces with sanitisers is fundamental to safety against spread of the virus.”

Stating that ethanol or isopropanol of industrial quality costs between Rs 50 and Rs 100 per litre, Tuli said these could be used to clean surfaces. “As a cheaper alternative, sodium hypochlorite (0.05 to 0.5 per cent bleaching powder) can be used to wipe surfaces. These are available from any chemicals shop that supplies industrial and laboratory chemicals.”

PU has proposed to train the community on preparing these sanitisers. In an advisory, the authorities clarified, “Sneezing or coughing into hands is cleaned better with liberal application of soap and water, rather than a brief jet of sanitiser. This is because the cough contains the virus embedded in mucous and that can be removed better under a continuous flow of water with detergent.”