Kennisinventarisatie naar de achtergronden en toepassingen van electrochemisch geactiveerd water in de agrarische sector

Wageningen UR Greenhouse Horticulture, with funding of Dutch Horticultural Board, has described the history and background of electrochemically activated water and explored possibilities for applications within the agricultural sector. In the Netherlands, the use of activated water as a biocide is allowed since 2009. Active ingredients of activated water are chlorine gas, hypochlorous acid and hypochlorite. Together with a high oxidation-reduction potential (ORP 750-1100 mV) there is a broad activity against bacteria, fungi, viruses, algae, protozoa and nematodes. Agricultural applications of activated water are described for seed disinfection, cleaning equipment and packing materials, removal of biofilms from pipes, disinfection of flowers, fruits and vegetables. The recent development of ultrasonic atomization of activated water created new possibilities to treat crops and harvested products against pathogens without excessive volumes of water and disinfect air from pathogens. For applications in protected crops it is desirable that the corrosive properties of the activated water should be minimized and capacities of dispensing equipment must be enlarged.