Independent study highlights
Published: 12 July, 2010
Tennant Company has announced the results of an independent third-party study by Elliott Affiliates on the effectiveness of Tennant's ec-H2O technology.
ec-H2O converts plain tap water into a powerful cleaning agent without any added chemicals.
The third-party study confirms ec-H2O technology performs well in very challenging environments, and highlights that ec-H2O powerfully cleans as well as or better than automated scrubbing technologies using traditional chemicals in four key categories, including cleanliness, hygienic safety, appearance, and sustainability.
The Elliott Affiliates study was specifically designed to test ec-H2O"s performance under real-world cleaning conditions. For that reason, testing occurred in a Baltimore-based soft drink bottling plant that is operational 24/7. Floor conditions in the plant included sugary syrup residue; petroleum-based stains and residue; and dirt, oil and other outside debris. Five different test areas within the plant with either unfinished concrete or VCT flooring were identified, including the pallet area, a corridor, a loading dock, a bottling area, and a cafeteria, and, over a period of three days, half of each test area was scrubbed with a traditional scrubber-dryer and the other half with Tennant’s ec-H2O technology.
The study focused on four key test categories, including cleanliness, hygienic safety, appearance and sustainability. Cleanliness and hygienic safety were measured by testing for the presence of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which indicates the presence of contamination, such as food residue, allergens and/or bacteria. Appearance was measured by taking before and after photographs. Sustainability was measured by testing and comparing a list of factors related to the social, economic, and environmental impacts of the technologies.
Study results show that ec-H2O technology outperformed the scrubber-dryer using traditional chemicals by reducing the presence of ATP by an average of 90.1 % versus 84.2 % and reducing the presence of aerobic bacteria by an average of 95.1 % versus 89.7 %. Results also show that ec-H2O performed as well as or better than the traditional scrubber-dryer in removing visible soil and improving overall floor appearance. And, based on the sustainability factors outlined and measured, ec-H2O technology provided superior environmental, economic and social benefits over the scrubber-dryer using traditional chemicals by using 70 % less water, releasing no used detergent discharge into water systems, eliminating chemical residue, enhancing worker safety, and reducing costs for purchasing and disposing of chemicals.
For further information please visit: www.tennantco.com
