High concentrations of hypochlorous acid‐based disinfectant in the environment reduced the load of SARS‐CoV‐2 in nucleic acid amplification testing

Abstract

During the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, chlorine-containing disinfectants have been widely used in nucleic acid amplification testing laboratories. Whether the use of disinfectants affect the results of viral nucleic acid amplification is unknown. We examined the impact of different hypochlorous acid (HOCl) concentrations on the quantitative results of SARS-CoV-2 by real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR). We also explored the mechanisms and models of action of chlorine-containing disinfectants that affected the detection of SARS-CoV-2. The results showed that different HOCl concentrations and different action times had an impact on the SARS-CoV-2 results. High concentrations of ambient HOCl have a greater impact than low concentrations, and this effect will increase with the extension of the action time and with the increase in ambient humidity. Compared with the enzymes or the extracted RNA required for rRT-PCR, the impact of HOCl on the SARS-CoV-2 detection is more likely to be caused by damage to primers and probes in the PCR system. The false negative result still existed after changing the ambient disinfectant to ethanol but not peracetic acid. The use of HOCl in the environment will have an unpredictable impact on the nucleic acid test results of SARS-CoV-2. In order to reduce the possibility of false negative of SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid test and prevent the spread of epidemic disease, environmental disinfectants should be used at the beginning and end of the experiment rather than during the experimental operation.

Carbon-coated nickel foam for hypochlorous acid sensor

“…HOCl is also widely used as a disinfectant. However, excessive amounts can cause harm to the environment and human health (Duan et al, 2021). As a crucial component of the human immune system, the normal concentration of HOCl in the body typically ranges around 200 μM (Hu et al, 2021).…”

“…HOCl can also pose health risks if its levels exceed the normal range, as it has high oxidation ability that can lead to diseases such as cardiovascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis, and cancer (Andrés et al, 2022;Lau et al, 2008;Martemucci et al, 2022;Zuo et al, 2015). Studies have shown that the use of chlorinecontaining disinfectants can increase mortality in zebrafish embryos and the risk of bladder cancer in humans (Duan et al, 2021;Hanigan et al, 2017;Rahmawati et al, 2022). Therefore, developing a fast and efficient method to measure HOCl in environmental and biological samples is critical for ensuring public health and safety.…”

A New and Fast-Response Fluorescent Probe for Monitoring Hypochlorous Acid Derived from Myeloperoxidase

“…Molecules 2023, 28 Since the concentrations of chlorine anion are much higher (100-150 mM) than other halide/thiocyanate ions (Br − : 20-100 μM; I − : <0.1-1 μM, SCN − : 20-150 μM), Cl − is a major physiological substrate for MPO [6]. Due to its high reactivity toward HOCl with biological targets and its limited selectivity, the excessive or misplaced production of HOCl can damage most biological molecules, with targets including proteins, DNA [7], RNA [8], and lipids [9]. Hypochlorous acid was found to react rapidly with proteins, being major targets of HOCl due to their high abundance and reactivity [10].…”