Rip Rice History in Ozone Laundering

1. Rip Rice History in Ozone Laundering Or -- How I was dragged into this arena of gladiators, kicking and screaming Rip G. Rice April 7, 2011 CWT EcoTex Conference

2. Early 1990s • Approached by several firms, not known in ozone, with concept – ozone in laundering • I was dead set against it – because • People approaching me knew too little about ozone • Had not considered effects of ozone on equipment and materials • (German ozone pool folks had learned never to pass O3-containing water through Cu piping) • Their ozone equipment was unknown and untried • One firm was touting UV generation of Ozone as a magic potion for commercial laundering systems

3. In spite of my reservations • Progress was being made • Someone sold the Dept of Energy on funding ozone laundering tests in a prison • Rumors surfaced in the absence of published data on this and other projects • Some rumors said ozone was a huge success • Other rumors said ozone was an abject failure • It was as confusing as OGL* in Libya * Our Glorious Leader

4. Time Passed • Early 2000s – Cam asked: • “Ripper – what do you know about ozone for commercial laundering?” • Answer: “Not much good; unclear results” • More time passed • About 2005, Cam asked me to write a white paper on ozone laundering • Put me in contact with JLA, Ltd. for info

5. JLA’s Background • A UK full-service laundry firm, had became interested in ozone for laundering, • Primarily because superbugs MRSA and C. difficile were being found in hospitals & health-care facilities & being identified as new public health problem microorganisms • Ozone might cope with these critters • JLA had been doing testing since mid-late 1990s – mainly on how to “compatabilize” ozone with a commercial laundry machine

6. More JLA Developments • Major problem was how best to add ozone -- • Injectors or bubble diffusion ?? • Daniels Equipment had developed a bubble diffuser for laundry systems • JLA chose the Daniels diffuser, then began serious and multiple evaluations of the JLA OTEX system in early 2000s • Determined ozone laundering effects on microorganisms and on linens in hospitals and health care laundry facilities

7. JLA-Sponsored Testing • Many test programs conducted by 3rd party organizations – (Microsearch Labs, academia) • Initial tests involved the “usual suspect” microorganisms – E. coli, Pseudomonas, viruses, etc. • What are the proper ozone laundering conditions for what types of linens, etc. to nail these boogers to their crosses? • What are the comparative costs with ozone?

8. JLA-Sponsored Testing-2 • Having established optimum laundering conditions for linens, then for linens plus microorganisms, • JLA next sponsored tests involving MRSA and C. difficile, in microanalytical labs first, then in academia, then in hospitals. • All this information was made available to me in 2005, and out came the White Paper requested by Cam – • “Ozone (1) saves about half the laundering costs of conventional laundering and (2) eradicates superbugs” – no surprise to us ozonatics !

9. The Early 2006 White Paper • Rice knew going in that Cam wanted a “brief” paper • Cam knew that Rice is incapable of writing a brief paper • What Cam got was a detailed report, with supporting data that ended with : • “The Queen Elizabeth II Hospital tested ozone laundering for 6 months, then installed it for keeps (full-scale) in Dec. 2005” • Cam also got my recommendation to consider writing an Ozone Laundry Handbook

10. The Rice OLH Recommendation • In early 2006 Cam cogitated, then decided • “No handbook at this time” • CWT was having a hard enough time selling ozone in the States on cost benefits • Nobody in the States had even heard of Superbugs – unless they had been hospitalized in Europe. • That turned to be an omnipotent decision.

11. White Paper to OS&E • Rice proposed that the White Paper could form the basis of a manuscript for submission to Ozone: Science & Engineering • OS&E is the peer-reviewed Journal of the IOA • A manuscript was written, submitted, was accepted, and published [29(2):85-99, 2006]

12. 2006 OS&E Paper • “Ozone in the Laundry Industry – Practical Experiences in the United Kingdom” • by : Dick Cardis (JLA), Cameron Tapp, Marc DeBrum & Rip G. Rice • Also presented at the 2006 IOA-PAG Conference (Arlington, TX). • Was one of the best attended papers – standing room only in a multiple session

13. Post-White Paper Events • 2006 – Cam bought me a beer and said “thanks” • Years passed – 2.5 to be exact • Early 2009 – Cam called: • “I think I’m ready to support an Ozone Laundry Handbook” • “I’d like to have a 20-25 page document for handout” • “Cam – I’ve got to write the full story before I can figure out how to condense it to 25 pages.”

14. The Ozone Laundry Handbook • We had hoped to have the OLH completed by the end of 2009 • Then we hoped to complete it by 2010 • It was completed in March 2011 • Meantime – the IOA held a World Congress in Japan in Sept. 2009 • That would be an ideal time to spread the word about ozone laundering to Japan • So we submitted four papers to IOA

15. Four Papers for Japan • “The Ozone Laundry Handbook”, Rice, DeBrum, Cardis & Tapp • “Economic and Environmental Benefits of Ozone Laundering”, Rice, DeBrum, Jacqueline Hook (JLA), Cardis, Tapp • “Microbiological Benefits of Ozone Laundering”, Rice, DeBrum, Hook, Cardis, Tapp • “Quantification of the Microbiological Efficacy of the JLA Ltd Ozone Diffusion Laundering System”, Kyle Allison (MGS Labs), Hook, Cardis & Rice

16. Four Papers Given in Japan • All four papers were accepted and published in OS&E – last issue of 2009 • Contained much updating information, especially on Microbiological Benefits • Gave the same four (updated) papers at IOA-PAG, Bellevue, WA, Sept. 2010 • Updated with UK approval of OTEX • Will repeat the four papers at IOA-IUVA World Congress in Paris, May 2011

17. OLH – Pregnancy & Labor Pains • Rice is not a laundry expert, but he does know ozone technologies • If someone tells me what he/she wants to do with ozone (such as in laundering), and defines all the parameters involved, • I can advise whether that idea will/will not fly technically. • Marc and I have gone ‘round and ‘round on laundry chemistries while assembling the OLH. • Bottom Line: we are proud of our product! • And we hope it will be valuable to its readers.

18. Materials Produced • Hard bound book: “The Ozone Laundry Handbook”, Rice, DeBrum, Cardis & Tapp (2011) • OS&E paper: “The Ozone Laundry Handbook”, Rice, DeBrum, Cardis, & Tapp (2009) • OS&E paper: “Economic and Environmental Benefits of Ozone Laundering”, Rice, DeBrum, Jacqueline Hook (JLA), Cardis, Tapp (2009) • OS&E paper: “Microbiological Benefits of Ozone Laundering”, Rice, DeBrum, Hook, Cardis, Tapp (2009) • OS&E paper: “Quantification of the Microbiological Efficacy of the JLA Ltd Ozone Diffusion Laundering System”, Kyle Allison (MGS Labs), Hook, Cardis & Rice (2009) • OS&E paper: “Ozone in the Laundry Industry – Practical Experiences in the United Kingdom”, Cardis, Tapp, DeBrum & Rice (2007) • UNESCO Encyclopedia chapter: “Ozone in the Laundry Industry – Practical Experiences in the UK”, Rice, Cardis & Hook (2011) • NAILM Paper: “Eradicating MRSA and C. difficile in Care Home Linens”, Rice and Gerace (2007) • Multitudinous PPT Presentations

19. Summary • Rice has developed 12-18 PPTs on ozone laundering • Presented 13 times in Texas, Seattle, and two foreign countries • Written 5 peer-reviewed OS&E papers • One chapter in a UNESCO Encyclopedia • Co-authored: Ozone Laundry Handbook Who Ever Thought Doing Laundry Could Be So Interesting?