I presume that Bob Scully's rebuttal of he antiviral effectiveness of a
simple exposure to bleach [hypochlorite] originates from the Work Ethic concept
that the greater the labor, the greater the reward. Regarding the torch vs.
bleach, it ain't necessarily so.
I have great respect for Bob's historical stewardship of the renowned
Jones and Scully orchid stock, but my own background in Cell Biology,
Biophysics and Biochemistry is more appropriate for the issue at hand. I find it
challenging to draw upon my laboratory research career to compensate for the
greater cultural prowess of my colleagues,
I have "Googled" the entry "hypochlorite and virus" and found 615 PAGES
of entries; all I had time to peruse concur with the total antiviral
effectiveness of even short exposures to strong bleach. I hesitate to disagree with
Dr. Zettler, cited as a "distinguished," retired Floridian virologist, but I
take some pride in having been the most highly cited scientist in the state
of Florida for a stretch of over a decade before my own retirement. I suggest
that the authorities cited by Bob have been overly cautious in recommending
an unnecessarily great safety margin in their advisories. My own grasp of
the stability of biological entities such as cells, membranes and viruses
makes it inconceivable that they can resist the chemical action of hypochlorite,
especially coupled with high pH. This view is reinforced by my observations
of how effectively bleach destroys organic residues on clay pots.
The suggestion that TSP could substitute for bleach as a viricide, a
common misconception among orchid cultivators based on repeated assertions, is
like sending soldiers to war with pea shooters instead of guns. Incidentally,
it is impossible to maintain a "supersaturated" solution of TSP, for if it
is truly supersaturated the excess TSP will crystallize out.
Bert Pressman
_______________________________________________
the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD)
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://lists.orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids
