The Science Behind the Chito Armor Solution

 It All Starts With a Harvest…

The raw material from which Chitosan is derived is found in the shells of many species, but is in abundance in crustaceans, like shrimp, lobsters and crabs.

Until recently, the exoskeletons of these creatures has been generally considered waste product, or perhaps as supplements for soil aeration or fertilization. The meat is extracted from the shells and the shells were thrown away.

What Makes for a Defensive Shell…

There’s no mistaking that shellfish are known for their tough, glossy, protective armor.

What allows these invertebrates to survive and defend themselves so effectively from natural enemies is the balance of:

Calcium – 35% (hardness)

Chitin – 40% (binding), and

Protein – 25% (elasticity for growth).

These combine to create an amazing structure, in the same way bricks, mortar and water can be used to build a wall.

Byproduct Separation Begins…

Once the meat is extracted from the shells, the exoskeleton is thoroughly washed, sanitized and dried.

The shells are then pulverized to create a powder that is then demineralized to remove the calcium carbonate, which becomes products for filtration, fertilization, pigmentation, and mixed in as a safe, inert filler to provide strength and structure for rubber and plastics.

Byproduct Separation Continues…

By various methods, the protein is extracted, collected and used separated by quality for either animal feed or fertilizer.

Having now washed, demineralized, and separated the proteins from the original powdered raw shell material what we are left with is called CHITIN.  

Chitin is the long-chain polysaccharide precursor to the final product for which we based our Defender line. Turning extracted Chitin into Chitosan is called Deacetylation, requiring mild alkalis and high pressure to reduce the acetylates from the material, leaving only the flake CHITOSAN.

Chitosan:

This final compound is a low molecular weight flake or powder that can be dissolved in organic acids to create a very viscous solution with numberless uses and endless potential. It is non-toxic and has been designated by the FDA as GRAS – Generally Regarded as Safe. Recognizing it’s natural antimicrobial properties, the US EPA has designated Chitosan among those natural pathogenic inhibitors that pose little to no risk to humans – making FIFRA registration of this ‘pesticide’ unnecessary.

The Character of Chitosan

Imagine a substance that offers so low a risk to humans that it is commonly used as a food supplement and ingredient in cosmetics and yet is commonly known and easily proven to be effective at dismantling the core structure of both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and fungi – the common triggers for allergies, asthma, odors and more.

What you have imagined is Chitosan.

It Starts With an Understanding of Microbial Metabolism…

All living things, regardless of how small or large must perform the functions of life – metabolism.

This may be understood as the processes of consumption and production. Nutrients from the air, the water, and surfaces around organism are converted into energy packets that can be then transported around the organism for movement, further consumption, and reproduction.

In the case of microbes like bacteria and fungi, this means the free movement of electrons from cellular centers within the organism up to the surface of the outer cell walls and back again to ‘deliver the goods’. Now, it must be remembered that electrons carry a negative ionic charge(-).

What is a Microbial Generation?

We have a good understanding of human generations – and how many years it can represent. It is not unreasonable to think that a couple in their 80’s may be the eldest of 4 generations in their family. They may have produced 3-4 children, who each married and produced 3-4 children, and some of these grandchildren may have already begun to raise families of their own – from 2 over this period, you may now find 40-60 members in a family.

The life-cycle of a bacteria is a great deal quicker than that.I n 15 minutes, 1 bacteria becomes 2, 30 minutes – 4….and in just 5 hours, that 1 is now 1 million!

And this replication and production can take place on just about any surface.

Biostatic Chitosan – A Strong Defense

There are two terms that will become important to our discussion from here – biocide & biostatic.

Think of the first as being offensive in nature, and the second as defensive. The first goes on the attack, the second provides a strong defense.

Disinfectants and sanitizers are in the first group, and antimicrobials are in the second group, and the EPA is not fond of having these distinctions confused – regardless of what properties from each category may be held by a single product.

The Capabilities of Chitosan

…Now imagine employing that substance to hard surfaces – like tables and chairs, counters and door handles, stair rails and water fountains; and soft surfaces – like carpeting and clothing, cushions and couches – transferring its long-lasting antimicrobial properties to each surface, lasting days, and weeks on end. And imagine being able to transfer that same biostatic property to even your hands, without fear of harm.

What you have imagined is Chitosan.

The Chito Armor Renders Surfaces BioStatic and is 100% Non-Toxic.

How is Chito Armor is an Improvement?

Up to now, there has only been 3 methods of offering long-lasting protection to surfaces:

1. Perpetual Disinfection – hiring sufficient staff to keep all surfaces perpetually disinfected.

2. Silver Nitrate Compounds – solutions containing nanoparticles of heavy metals that, unfortunately, leach over time.

3. Silane Quat Compounds – solutions that create a 3-dimensional, ‘bed of nails’ profile that physically ruptures the membranes of microbes. Unfortunately, the profile also makes cleaning more difficult. The Defender products have a better mechanism of defense.

How Safe is the Chito Armor coatings powered by Chitosan?

Chitosan has been in review and approved for many years for use as wound treatments, cosmetic fillers and dietary supplements – in each case carefully studied by the FDA. Their conclusion is that the ingredients used in our formulations are safe for food contact areas and skin applications. You just don’t get a better safety rating than that!

More recently, the Environmental Protection Agency was petitioned and approved the inclusion of chitosan as an active ingredient with ‘minimum risk’ – their way of recognizing both the safety AND the potential for microbial efficacy of this natural compound.

This has been spelled out in a host of write papers and university studies.

How Do these Products Works?

Within the cells of all organisms, a constant transference and production of energy must take place for survival – this process is initiated by what is called, the “Electron Transport Train”. Electrons (- charged) from within the mitochondria pass through the inner cell wall to the outer edges of the organism. When that cell wall comes into contact with a surface treated with the Defender coating , with its strong (+ charged) coating, the train is stopped dead in its tracks. No more growth simply means no more microorganism.

That which remains is simply washed away with microfiber and water (cleaner) during regular cleaning.

Regulatory:

Chitosan is non-toxic, non-costic and non corrosive:

* US-EPA approved:

https://www.epa.gov/pesticides/epa-adds-chitosan-list-active-ingredients-eligible-minimum-risk-pesticide-exemption

FDA approved:

GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) food ingredient by the FDA.

USDA approved:

USDA approved for use in organic crop production. It is listed on the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances in Organic Crop Production under §205.601(m) as an EPA List 4 inert

Chitin: is non-toxic*, inert, abundant, renewable & biodegradable (*as defined by OSHA Code 29 CFR 1910.1200).

Can be applied to food-contact and non-food contact surfaces (as defined by EPA Code 40 CFR 180.940, 960).

Doesn't harm people, pets, livestock, wildlife or the environment (as defined by EPA Code 40 CFR 180.930).

Traditional Cleaners v. Chito Armor:

Traditional cleaning products and methods commonly used by employees, maids, or janitorial companies leave behind a residue called biofilm on surfaces. This counterproductive practice makes it nearly impossible to maintain a safe and hygienic indoor environment.

Even supposedly safer green cleaning products, although plant-based and more environmentally responsible, still leave harmful biofilm on surfaces. This poses a significant challenge to achieving true cleanliness.

Since the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in 2020, an increased emphasis on cleaning has resulted in the overuse of disinfectants such as quaternary ammonium cations (Quats), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), and sodium hypochlorite (NaClO), commonly known as bleach. Unfortunately, this overuse worsens the problem.

Improper or excessive use of disinfectants without hygienically cleaning surfaces between applications leads to chemical loading or the formation of a super biofilm. For instance, have you ever witnessed a restaurant hostess spraying a colored solution on a table and then wiping it with the same rag used on multiple tables or surfaces? This is chemical loading combined with cross-contamination.

This is where Chito Armor comes to the rescue visit www.chitoarmor.com for more information.