'Mother Nature's natural protector': Electrolyzed Water Eco proposing crop treatment alternative to farmers

Apr. 26—Practical uses of hypochlorous acid as a disinfectant have long been stated. The inorganic compound occurs naturally in the human body, and is formed when chlorine dissolves in water and partially dissociates.

Commonly used as a cleaning agent, this powerful but gentle sanitizer is highly effective against bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Hypochlorous acid can be made at home by electrolyzing salt and water. Its properties are similar to those of bleach, but — perhaps most importantly — it's nontoxic.

Despite its long history in medicine and housekeeping, hypochlorous acid's impacts on farming and food preservation have been relatively understated. In recent decades, the material has been used to sanitize fruit, vegetables, meat and food processing equipment, but a Sutter County farmer hopes to open fellow growers to the next step in crop preservation: electrolyzed water.

J.R. Thiara, a former Live Oak City Council member and co-founder of Electrolyzed Water Eco, aims to market the material as an alternative to chemical pesticides in hopes of protecting crops from common diseases while avoiding the health impacts associated with many pesticides.

According to Thiara, hypochlorous acid — the main oxidizer in electrolyzed water — has proven benefits in crop protection, but on its own, is unstable and typically loses its effectiveness in a month. On April 8, Electrolyzed Water Eco announced its use of new manufacturing technology, allowing the company to produce thousands of gallons per day while maintaining its stability.

"We take salt, water and electricity and then combine (or put) them through a proprietary electrolysis process that produces stable, very effective, and organic electrolyzed water," Thiara said.

This process has allowed Electrolyzed Water Eco to produce three blends varying in pH balance and balance between hypochlorous acid and sodium hypochlorite. Neutral pH is a blend of the two materials, low pH is pure hypochlorous acid and high pH is pure sodium hydroxide.

"They have a little different purpose for different applications, different crops, but neutral seems to be, by far, the most common," Thiara said. "Hypochlorous acid is the most elemental part of chlorine, but it's 80 times stronger than bleach. It doesn't have the gases. It doesn't have the toxicity. It doesn't have the caustic effects that bleach has. This is nontoxic, noncaustic, eco-friendly, and completely organic. We're simply reproducing Mother Nature's natural protector."

Thiara believes that mass production in agriculture attracts more pests and pathogens due to the high quantity of food encased in a relatively small area. Treating these crops with pesticides or fungicides becomes a necessity if farmers hope to turn a profit.

Many have speculated on the possible impacts pesticides have had on human health over the years. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that while many pesticides can pose health risks, people are generally only exposed to small amounts — "too small to pose a risk," it says. Ultimately, the health effects of pesticides depend on the type being used.

"Some, such as the organophosphates and carbamates, affect the nervous system. Others may irritate the skin or eyes. Some pesticides may be carcinogens. Others may affect the hormone or endocrine system in the body," the EPA said.

Other studies maintain that long-term exposure to certain chemicals found in pesticides or fungicides can impact the health of farmers, applicators or consumers.

According to one study published in the National Library of Medicine assessing types of toxicity from pesticides, exposure in the agricultural sector "typically occurs among farmers and professional applicators of pesticides. Regarding the general population, individuals may be exposed to pesticide residues in food and drinking water on a daily basis or to pesticide drift in residential areas close to spraying areas."

Thiara maintains dependence on pesticides is contributing to pollution and overall negative health in the general population.

"Chemical companies have been the masters for the last 60 to 70 years. I don't want to bad mouth them, but they have put farmers in a bad position of being dependent on pesticides based on the companies saying it's safe. We know that it's not, and now know even more that it's not," Thiara said.

When applying electrolyzed water to crops, Thiara said that hypochlorous acid and sodium hydroxide work in tandem to disinfect and penetrate the plant's surface in order to prevent insect-borne diseases and pathogens.

"We call it foliar spraying," he said. "85% of all (plant) disease is bacterial or fungal. There are pests involved, but pests aren't the problem; they bring the problem. Traditional treatment is to try to kill the pests with toxic chemicals. With us, we're not really killing bugs. We're deterring them."

Thiara also believes that electrolyzed water could potentially protect plants from new strains of diseases as they become resistant to current chemical treatments. A 2021 study from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences states that plant diseases — both existing and emerging — are becoming more frequent and severe with "climate change, transmission with global food trade networks, pathogen spillover, and evolution of new pathogen lineages."

"Chemical companies now are running out of chemistry. ... We've created the Godzilla of bacteria, fungi and viruses. They have to make something stronger, and they can't because then it becomes toxic," Thiara said.

According to a study from the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development, implementing neutral electrolyzed water greatly reduces the need for chemical treatments against "superbug" plant diseases as it effectively prevents their ability to build resistance to other disinfectants.

The combination of low pH levels and elevated oxidation reduction potential creates a hostile environment where fungi and bacteria cannot thrive. Bacteria and viruses are killed by neutral or slightly alkaline electrolyzed water, while insects and fungi are killed by neutral, slightly acidic or acidic solutions.

Numerous studies have touted electrolyzed water solution as a safe, all-natural material with no exposure limits or health impacts. You could even drink it, Thiara said.

In farming, Thiara sees potential lasting effects on crop protection, but more time and research are needed to definitively prove its longevity with different plants.

"An apple farmer in Quincy, Washington, treated about 40 or 50 acres amongst a 600-acre ranch. Apples have a bacterial fungal called powdery mildew. ... This is year five, and that little block that's surrounded by disease is still holding its own," he said. "We don't claim that as a product because we haven't demonstrated that enough. There's not enough science to say it's going to last in peaches or (other crops), and each crop is a little different."

Thiara said that Electrolyzed Water Eco is currently working with a 4,000-acre farm in the Central Valley as well as a small trial group of local farms.

"We're hoping to save farmers money. In the long run, I believe we're going to reduce the number of treatments that farmers are traditionally used to doing," he said. "With the efficacy of this product, I believe with everybody monitoring their fields closely, that's what is going to help us reduce more chemicals and more input time. ... We're trying to help farmers figure out alternatives, saying 'Hey, give us a shot. Give us a small trial and see if you like it. If you see it's positive, we'll save you money, give you better crops, and your company, your buyers will know you're using less pesticides.'"