JP7658593B2 - Treatment Agent - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a treatment agent.

Proper disposal of excrement is important for maintaining a hygienic and comfortable environment, but this can be difficult in a variety of situations and places. For example, in evacuation shelters where flush toilets cannot be used during emergency disasters, in areas without infrastructure such as mountainous or seaside areas, in the rooms of people who require care and cannot go to the toilet on their own, and in hospitals, such as operating rooms and endoscopy rooms.

For example, in an endoscopy examination room, the endoscope is divided into upper examinations, which are conducted through the mouth or nose to examine the stomach etc., and lower examinations, which are conducted through the anus to examine the rectum, large intestine and small intestine. Both upper and lower examinations involve suction of bodily fluids, and in some cases washing with water while the examination is being carried out, resulting in the discharge of waste liquid containing a mixture of excrement, blood and bodily fluids. The waste liquid containing bodily fluids generated in this way is sent for waste disposal.

Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which a treatment agent composed entirely or mainly of a high molecular weight absorbent polymer is placed inside the collection container to absorb the waste liquid that has flowed down into the collection container through the waste liquid inlet pipe. As a result, the waste liquid collected by suction in the sealed collection container is supplied with the treatment agent that has been placed in the collection container beforehand, and is gradually gelled. Therefore, there is no risk of the suctioned and collected waste liquid scattering outside the collection container, and it is said to be extremely safe.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 02-157083

Patent Document 1 only mentions the problem of waste liquid treatment, but there is also the problem of foul odors from excrement. In particular, the foul odors of indole and skatole are very unpleasant and cause headaches for medical professionals.

The objective of the present invention is to provide a new treatment agent that can reduce malodors containing indole and skatole, and ultimately to provide a new treatment agent that can be used for at least one of the treatments of wastewater in operating rooms, endoscopy rooms, evacuation sites where flush toilets cannot be used, areas without infrastructure such as mountainous or seaside areas, and rooms of people requiring care who cannot go to the toilet on their own.

One aspect of the present invention is a treatment agent that contains hydrated lime and pepper.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a novel treatment agent capable of reducing malodors containing indole and skatole can be provided, which can be used in at least one of wastewater treatments in operating rooms, endoscopy rooms, evacuation sites where flush toilets cannot be used, areas without infrastructure such as mountains or seaside areas, and rooms of people requiring care who cannot go to the toilet on their own. Such a treatment agent can also be used to treat excrement, blood, vomit, or body fluids discharged from humans or animals, and organic sludge such as food waste.

FIG. 1 is a color photograph showing the growth inhibitory effect of sample A on spore-forming bacteria.

In this specification, the range "X to Y" means "X or more and Y or less". When multiple "X to Y" are listed, for example, when "X1 to Y1 or X2 to Y2" is listed, the disclosure of each numerical value as the upper limit, the disclosure of each numerical value as the lower limit, and the combination of the upper and lower limits are all disclosed (i.e., the basis for the correction is lawful). Specifically, the correction with X1 or more, the correction with Y2 or less, the correction with X1 or less, the correction with Y2 or more, the correction with X1 to X2, the correction with X1 to Y2, etc. must all be considered lawful. In addition, unless otherwise specified, the operation and measurement of physical properties are performed under the conditions of room temperature (20 to 25°C) and relative humidity of 40 to 50% RH. Unless otherwise specified, % means mass %.

<Treatment Agent>
One aspect of the present invention is a treatment agent for treating wastewater, which contains slaked lime and pepper. This treatment agent can reduce the malodor containing indole and skatole, and can be applied to wastewater treatment in at least one of the following places where this problem is common: operating rooms, endoscopy rooms, evacuation sites where flush toilets cannot be used, areas with poor infrastructure such as mountains and beaches, and rooms of people who need care and cannot go to the toilet by themselves.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the waste liquid is excrement, blood, vomit, or bodily fluids discharged from a human or animal. In one embodiment of the present invention, the waste liquid is liquid (excrement, blood, bodily fluids, etc.) discharged from a patient during a medical procedure such as an endoscopic examination (upper examination, lower examination). In one embodiment of the present invention, the waste liquid may be human excrement (feces and/or urine) (if only feces, it may contain liquids such as water).

In one embodiment of the present invention, the waste liquid contains at least one malodorous component selected from the group consisting of n-butyric acid, n-valeric acid, isovaleric acid, indole, and skatole. In one embodiment of the present invention, the waste liquid contains at least one of indole and skatole as a malodorous component. The treatment agent of the present invention is effective not only for fatty acids such as n-butyric acid, n-valeric acid, and isovaleric acid, but also for deodorizing (including reducing odors) at least one of indole and skatole in particular. In one embodiment of the present invention, the treatment agent is a treatment agent for deodorizing at least one of indole and skatole.

(Slaked lime)
The treatment agent according to one embodiment of the present invention contains slaked lime. In one embodiment of the present invention, the content ratio (mass%) of slaked lime in the treatment agent is 0.1 mass% or more, 0.5 mass% or more, 1 mass% or more, 2 mass% or more, 3 mass% or more, 5 mass% or more, 6 mass% or more, 7 mass% or more, 8 mass% or more, 9 mass% or more, 10 mass% or more, 12 mass% or more, 15 mass% or more, 17 mass% or more, 20 mass% or more, or 30 mass% or more. In one embodiment of the present invention, the content ratio (mass%) of slaked lime in the treatment agent is 70% by mass or less, 60% by mass or less, 50% by mass or less, 40% by mass or less, 35% by mass or less, 30% by mass or less, 28% by mass or less, 25% by mass or less, 20% by mass or less, 15% by mass or less, 14% by mass or less, 13% by mass or less, 10% by mass or less, 9% by mass or less, 8% by mass or less, 7% by mass or less, 6% by mass or less, 5% by mass or less, 4% by mass or less, or 3% by mass or less. In one embodiment of the present invention, the content ratio (mass%) of slaked lime in the treatment agent is 0.1 to 40% by mass, 0.5 to 35% by mass, 1 to 30% by mass, 3 to 28% by mass, 5 to 25% by mass, or 7 to 15% by mass.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the average particle diameter of the slaked lime is, for example, 10 μm or more, or 50 μm or more. In one embodiment of the present invention, the average particle diameter of the slaked lime is, for example, 1000 μm or less, 500 μm or less, or 300 μm or less. In addition, the "average particle diameter" described in this specification means, unless otherwise specified, an average value obtained by arbitrarily selecting a statistically reliable number of particles (or 100, 200, 300, or 1000 particles), measuring the longest particle diameter for each particle using a microscope, and arithmetically averaging them. In addition, in order to obtain the desired average particle diameter, it is sufficient to sieve the particles appropriately. In one embodiment of the present invention, the method of preparing slaked lime is preferably a method of purchasing a commercially available product, such as that of Ube Material Industries, Ltd.

(Pepper)
The treatment agent according to one embodiment of the present invention includes pepper. Pepper is a fruit that grows on the pepper plant, Piper nigrum. In one embodiment of the present invention, the pepper may be any of black pepper, white pepper, green pepper, and pink pepper.

In one embodiment of the invention, the pepper is not in the form of a piperine extract.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the average particle size of the pepper is, for example, 10 μm or more, or 50 μm or more. In one embodiment of the present invention, the average particle size of the pepper is, for example, 1000 μm or less, 500 μm or less, or 300 μm or less.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the pepper content (mass%) in the treatment agent is 0.05% by mass or more, 0.1% by mass or more, 0.5% by mass or more, 1% by mass or more, 1.5% by mass or more, 1.6% by mass or more, 1.7% by mass or more, 1.8% by mass or more, 2% by mass or more, 2.5% by mass or more, 3% by mass or more, 3.2% by mass or more, 3.5% by mass or more, 3.8% by mass or more, 4% by mass or more, 5% by mass or more, 6% by mass or more, 7% by mass or more, 8% by mass or more, 9% by mass or more, 10% by mass or more, 12% by mass or more, 14% by mass or more, 16% by mass or more, 18% by mass or more, or 20% by mass or more. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the pepper content (mass%) in the treatment agent is 55% by mass or less, 45% by mass or less, 40% by mass or less, 30% by mass or less, 25% by mass or less, 20% by mass or less, 15% by mass or less, 10% by mass or less, 9% by mass or less, 8% by mass or less, 7% by mass or less, 6% by mass or less, 5.5% by mass or less, 5% by mass or less, 4% by mass or less, 3.8% by mass or less, 3.5% by mass or less, or 3% by mass or less.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the pepper content (mass %) in the treatment agent is 0.05-30 mass%, 0.1-25 mass%, 0.5-20 mass%, 1-15 mass%, 1.5-10 mass%, 1.6-9 mass%, 1.7-8 mass%, 1.8-7 mass%, 1.8-6 mass%, 1.8-5 mass%, 1.8-4.5 mass%, or 1.8-3.8 mass%.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, these content ratios (mass%) can be values obtained by calculation including the binder in the treatment agent, or values obtained by calculation excluding the binder from the treatment agent. Note that the content ratios (mass%) of components in the treatment agent described in this specification can be values obtained by calculation including the binder in the treatment agent, or values obtained by calculation excluding the binder, as described above.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the treatment agent may or may not contain a binder. The preferred range of the content ratio (mass %) of each component in the treatment agent may vary depending on the presence or absence of a binder.

(Water-absorbent polymer)
The treatment agent according to one embodiment of the present invention contains a water-absorbing polymer. By containing the water-absorbing polymer, moisture and the like in the object to be treated are absorbed, and the treated object is likely to solidify (become jelly-like). In this specification, the term "water-absorbing polymer (water-absorbing resin)" refers to a polymer gelling agent having a water swelling capacity (CRC) of 5 g/g or more as defined by ERT441.2-02 and a water-soluble component (Ext) of 50 mass% or less as defined by ERT470.2-02.

In one embodiment of the present invention, specific examples of the water-absorbing polymer include starch-based water-absorbing polymers such as starch acrylonitrile graft polymer hydrolysate and starch acrylic acid graft polymer, cellulose-based water-absorbing polymers such as cellulose-acrylonitrile graft polymer and cellulose-styrene sulfonic acid graft copolymer, polysaccharide-based water-absorbing polymers such as pectin, protein-based water-absorbing polymers such as collagen, polyvinyl alcohol-based water-absorbing polymers such as polyvinyl alcohol crosslinked polymer, acrylic-based water-absorbing polymers such as sodium polyacrylate crosslinked body, acrylic acid polymer partial sodium salt crosslinked body, sodium acrylate-vinyl alcohol copolymer, maleic anhydride-based water-absorbing polymers, vinylpyrrolidone-based water-absorbing polymers, polyether-based water-absorbing polymers such as polyethylene glycol diacrylate crosslinked polymer, etc. These water-absorbing polymers may be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds. In addition, these water-absorbing polymers may be synthesized or commercially available products may be used. Examples of commercially available products include AQUAKEEP (registered trademark) SA (manufactured by Sumitomo Seika Chemicals Co., Ltd.), AQUALIC (registered trademark) CA (manufactured by Nippon Shokubai Co., Ltd.), SANFRESH (ST-250, ST-100, ST-573), AQUAPEARL (manufactured by San-Dia Polymer Co., Ltd.), HYMOSUB HS-960 (manufactured by HYMO Co., Ltd.), and EF POLYMER (manufactured by EF Polymer Private Limited).

In one embodiment of the present invention, the water-absorbing polymer may be carboxymethylcellulose. Carboxymethylcellulose is a derivative of cellulose, in which a carboxymethyl group (-CH ₂ -COOH) is bonded to a part of the hydroxyl group of a gluconopyranose monomer constituting the cellulose skeleton. This carboxymethylcellulose may also be a carboxymethylcellulose salt. Carboxymethylcellulose is a thickener that has high affinity with water and becomes a gel-like high-viscosity body when mixed with water. In the present invention, the thickening of the treatment agent enhances the odor suppression effect and further maintains the odor suppression effect.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the average particle size of the water-absorbing polymer is 1 to 1200 μm, 50 to 1100 μm, 10 to 1000 μm, 80 to 850 μm, 100 to 600 μm, 150 to 500 μm, or 200 to 400 μm.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the content ratio (mass%) of the water-absorbent polymer in the treatment agent is 1% by mass or more, 5% by mass or more, 10% by mass or more, 15% by mass or more, 20% by mass or more, 25% by mass or more, 28% by mass or more, 30% by mass or more, 35% by mass or more, 40% by mass or more, 45% by mass or more, 50% by mass or more, 55% by mass or more, 60% by mass or more, or 65% by mass or more. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the content ratio (mass%) of the water-absorbent polymer in the treatment agent is 99% by mass or less, 95% by mass or less, 90% by mass or less, 85% by mass or less, 80% by mass or less, 75% by mass or less, 70% by mass or less, 65% by mass or less, 60% by mass or less, 55% by mass or less, 50% by mass or less, 45% by mass or less, 40% by mass or less, or 35% by mass or less.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the content ratio (mass %) of the water-absorbent polymer in the treatment agent is 1% to 99% by mass, 5 to 95% by mass, 10 to 90% by mass, 15 to 85% by mass, 20 to 80% by mass, 25 to 75% by mass, 30 to 70% by mass, 35 to 65% by mass, 40 to 60% by mass, or 45 to 55% by mass. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the content ratio (mass %) of the water-absorbent polymer in the treatment agent is 25 to 60% by mass.

(Zinc Oxide)
According to one embodiment of the present invention, the treatment agent contains zinc oxide. Zinc oxide is an oxide of zinc represented by ZnO, and has the effect of absorbing odorous components such as ammonia and sulfides to deodorize and eliminate odors. The zinc oxide can be freely selected from commercially available products. Examples include zinc oxide type I (manufactured by Hakusui Tech Co., Ltd.), zinc oxide type II (manufactured by Hakusui Tech Co., Ltd.), Pazet AB, Pazet AK, and Pazet CK (all manufactured by Hakusui Tech Co., Ltd.).

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the zinc oxide content (mass%) in the treatment agent is 0.05 mass% or more, 0.1 mass% or more, 0.25 mass% or more, 0.5 mass% or more, 1 mass% or more, 1.5 mass% or more, 2 mass% or more, 2.5 mass% or more, 3 mass% or more, 3.5 mass% or more, 3.8 mass% or more, 4 mass% or more, 4.2 mass% or more, 4.4 mass% or more, 4.6 mass% or more, 4.8 mass% or more, 5 mass% or more, 5.2 mass% or more, 5.4 mass% or more, 5.6 mass% or more, 5.8 mass% or more, 6 mass% or more, 6.2 mass% or more, or 6.4 mass% or more.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the zinc oxide content (mass%) in the treatment agent is 30% by mass or less, 25% by mass or less, 23% by mass or less, 20% by mass or less, 18% by mass or less, 15% by mass or less, 10% by mass or less, 9% by mass or less, 8% by mass or less, 7% by mass or less, 6% by mass or less, 5% by mass or less, 4% by mass or less, or 3% by mass or less.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the zinc oxide content (mass %) in the treatment agent is 0.05-30 mass%, 0.1-25 mass%, 0.5-20 mass%, 1-15 mass%, 2-10 mass%, 2.5-8 mass%, 3-6 mass%, 3.5-5 mass%, or 3.8-4 mass%. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the zinc oxide content (mass %) is 2.5-30 mass%.

(Lignin)
According to one embodiment of the present invention, the treatment agent contains lignin. Lignin is a polymeric phenolic compound involved in lignification of higher plants, and is also called xylin. Lignin can exert the effect of adsorbing and decomposing ammonia and other odorous substances.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the lignin content (mass%) in the treatment agent is 0.01% by mass or more, 0.05% by mass or more, 0.1% by mass or more, 0.5% by mass or more, 0.8% by mass or more, 1% by mass or more, 1.2% by mass or more, 1.5% by mass or more, or 1.8% by mass or more. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the lignin content (mass%) in the treatment agent is 30% by mass or less, 25% by mass or less, 20% by mass or less, 15% by mass or less, 10% by mass or less, 8% by mass or less, 6% by mass or less, 4% by mass or less, 3.5% by mass or less, 3.3% by mass or less, 3.1% by mass or less, 3.0% by mass or less, 2.8% by mass or less, 2.6% by mass or less, or 2.4% by mass or less.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the lignin content (mass%) in the treatment agent is 0.01-30 mass%, 0.05-25 mass%, 1-20 mass%, 1.5-15 mass%, 1.5-10 mass%, 1.5-8 mass%, 1.5-6 mass%, 1.5-4 mass%, or 1.5-3 mass%. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the lignin content (mass%) is 1-3.5 mass%.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the average particle size of the lignin is 1 to 500 μm, 5 to 300 μm, 10 to 100 μm, or 40 to 80 μm.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the method of preparing lignin is preferably a method of purchasing a commercially available product, such as Sunex and Vanilex (both manufactured by Nippon Paper Industries Co., Ltd.).

(Bentonite)
According to one embodiment of the present invention, the treatment agent includes bentonite. Bentonite contains a large amount of layered aluminum phyllosilicate and has properties such as high viscosity, adhesion, water absorption and adsorption. Bentonite adsorbs cations such as ammonia, and suppresses and adsorbs the generation of ammonia and other odorous substances. In addition, by combining lignin with bentonite, the adsorption effect of the cations of bentonite and the complex three-dimensional network structure of lignin, which has not yet been elucidated, work together to further suppress the generation of ammonia and other odorous substances, adsorb, and decompose them.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the content ratio (mass%) of bentonite in the treatment agent is 0.01% by mass or more, 0.05% by mass or more, 0.1% by mass or more, 0.5% by mass or more, 0.8% by mass or more, 1% by mass or more, 1.2% by mass or more, 1.5% by mass or more, or 1.8% by mass or more. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the content ratio (mass%) of bentonite in the treatment agent is 30% by mass or less, 25% by mass or less, 20% by mass or less, 15% by mass or less, 10% by mass or less, 8% by mass or less, 6% by mass or less, 4% by mass or less, 3.5% by mass or less, 3.3% by mass or less, 3.1% by mass or less, 2.8% by mass or less, 2.6% by mass or less, or 2.4% by mass or less.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the content ratio (mass %) of bentonite in the treatment agent is 0.01% to 30% by mass, 0.05% to 25% by mass, 0.1% to 20% by mass, 1% to 15% by mass, 1.5% to 10% by mass, 1.5% to 8% by mass, 1.5% to 6% by mass, 1.5% to 4% by mass, or 1.5% to 3.5% by mass. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the content ratio (mass %) of bentonite in the treatment agent is 1% to 3.5% by mass.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the average particle size of the bentonite is 0.05-300 μm, 0.5-200 μm, 10-150 μm, 50-148 μm, or 80-145 μm. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the volume average particle size (D50) of the bentonite is 0.05-300 μm, 0.5-200 μm, 10-150 μm, 50-148 μm, or 80-145 μm. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the mode diameter of the bentonite is 0.05-300 μm, 0.5-200 μm, 10-150 μm, 50-148 μm, or 80-145 μm.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the method of preparing bentonite is preferably to purchase a commercially available product, such as Kunipia-F, Kunimine F, Moistnite S, Moistnite U (all manufactured by Kunimine Industries), or 250SA-B (all manufactured by Hoyo Bentonite Mining Co., Ltd., etc.).

(Zeolite)
According to one embodiment of the present invention, the treatment agent contains zeolite. "Zeolite" is a general term for minerals called zeolites, and about 40 types of natural zeolites have been found. By containing zeolite, the pores of the zeolite can capture the malodor and suppress the malodor. The zeolite may be natural or artificial, but from the viewpoint of availability, artificial zeolite is preferable. In addition, the zeolite of the present invention is preferably a zeolite called mordenite, which has extremely small cavities of about 5.5 to 8 Å, which are slightly larger than water or nitrogen molecules, and are formed in a tunnel shape. When purchasing a commercially available zeolite, Zeolite 2460, Zeolite 60, Zeolite CP, Zeofil (registered trademark) series, etc., manufactured by Shin Tohoku Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. are preferable. The average particle size of the zeolite is not particularly limited, but is about 5 μm to 1.5 mm, about 8 μm to 1.2 mm, or about 10 to 100 μm. Zeolite contains SiO ₂ (silicon oxide), Al ₂ O ₃ (aluminum oxide), CaO (calcium oxide), Na ₂ O (sodium oxide), K ₂ O (potassium oxide), Fe ₂ O ₃ (iron oxide), MgO (magnesium oxide), adherent water (H ₂ O), bound water (H ₂ O), and others in amounts of about 70.5 mass%, 11.3 mass%, 2.6 mass%, 1.6 mass%, 1.3 mass%, 0.7 mass%, 0.1 mass%, 8.0 mass%, and 3.9 mass%, respectively, but of course, the composition is not limited to this, and it is also possible to use a zeolite in which each component is approximately 0.1 to 20% and the total is 100%. In addition, in the present invention, for example, zeolite such as K[AlSi ₂ O ₆ ] may be used.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the content ratio (mass%) of zeolite in the treatment agent is 0.01% by mass or more, 0.05% by mass or more, 0.1% by mass or more, 0.5% by mass or more, 1% by mass or more, 1.5% by mass or more, 2% by mass or more, 3% by mass or more, 3.5% by mass or more, 4% by mass or more, 4.5% by mass or more, 5% by mass or more, 5.5% by mass or more, 6% by mass or more, 6.5% by mass or more, 7% by mass or more, 7.5% by mass or more, or 8% by mass or more. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the content ratio (mass%) of zeolite in the treatment agent is 40% by mass or less, 30% by mass or less, 25% by mass or less, 20% by mass or less, 15% by mass or less, 13% by mass or less, 12% by mass or less, 10% by mass or less, 9% by mass or less, or 8.5% by mass or less.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the content ratio (mass%) of zeolite in the treatment agent is 0.01 to 40 mass%, 0.05 to 30 mass%, 0.1 to 20 mass%, 0.5 to 15 mass%, 1 to 13 mass%, 1.5 to 12 mass%, 2 to 9 mass%, 3 to 9 mass%, or 3.5 to 8.5 mass%. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the content ratio (mass%) of zeolite is 1 to 20 mass%.

(Humic acid)
According to one embodiment of the present invention, the treatment agent includes humic acid. Humic acid is an end product formed through the decomposition of plants, etc. by microorganisms, and may be an organic fraction that is not classified as sugar, carbohydrate, protein, lipid, etc. Humic acid has a strong chelating bond with metal ions, has many functional groups, and may generate sugars and amino acids by hydrolysis.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the average particle size of the material containing humic acid is about 100 nm to 3 mm, about 0.01 to 1 mm, about 100 to 900 μm, about 200 to 800 μm, or about 400 to 600 μm. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the material containing humic acid is 1 to 15 weight %, 5 to 14 weight %, or 7 to 12 weight % that passes through a sieve with a mesh size of 42 mm and on a sieve with a mesh size of 0.6 mm, 15 to 45 weight %, 30 to 43 weight %, or 40 to 42 weight % that passes through a sieve with a mesh size of 0.6 mm and on a sieve with a mesh size of 0.3 mm, and 20 to 60 weight %, 35 to 55 weight %, or 46 to 52 weight % that passes through a sieve with a mesh size of 0.03 mm.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the preferred method for preparing a material containing humic acid is to purchase a commercially available product.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the content (mass %) of the material containing humic acid in the treatment agent is 0.01% by mass or more, 0.05% by mass or more, 0.1% by mass or more, 0.5% by mass or more, 1% by mass or more, 1.5% by mass or more, 3% by mass or more, 4% by mass or more, 5% by mass or more, 6% by mass or more, 6.5% by mass or more, 7% by mass or more, 7.5% by mass or more, 8% by mass or more, 8.5% by mass or more, or 9% by mass or more. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the content (mass %) of the material containing humic acid in the treatment agent is 30% by mass or less, 25% by mass or less, 20% by mass or less, 15% by mass or less, 13% by mass or less, 12% by mass or less, 10% by mass or less, 8% by mass or less, or 7% by mass or less.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the content (mass %) of the material containing humic acid in the treatment agent is 0.01-30 mass%, 0.05-25 mass%, 0.1-20 mass%, 3-15 mass%, 4-13 mass%, or 5-12 mass%. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the content (mass %) of the material containing humic acid is 1-20 mass%.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the treatment agent contains lignin, bentonite, and humic acid. This combination makes it possible to more efficiently suppress the malodors of ammonia and the like from the object to be treated.

(disodium hydrogen phosphate)
According to one embodiment of the present invention, the treatment agent contains disodium hydrogen phosphate. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the average particle size of disodium hydrogen phosphate is about 100 nm to 3 mm, about 0.01 to 1 mm, about 100 to 900 μm, about 200 to 800 μm, or about 400 to 600 μm, but is not limited to these and may deviate from the above ranges, and commercially available products of the same size may be used as appropriate.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the content (mass%) of disodium hydrogen phosphate in the treatment agent is 0.01% by mass or more, 0.05% by mass or more, 0.1% by mass or more, 0.5% by mass or more, 1% by mass or more, 1.5% by mass or more, 3% by mass or more, 4% by mass or more, or 5% by mass or more. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the content (mass%) of disodium hydrogen phosphate in the treatment agent is 30% by mass or less, 25% by mass or less, 20% by mass or less, 15% by mass or less, 13% by mass or less, 12% by mass or less, 10% by mass or less, 8% by mass or less, or 7% by mass or less.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the content (mass %) of disodium hydrogen phosphate in the treatment agent is 0.01 to 30 mass%, 0.05 to 25 mass%, 0.1 to 20 mass%, 3 to 15 mass%, 4 to 13 mass%, or 5 to 12 mass%. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the content (mass %) of disodium hydrogen phosphate in the treatment agent is 1 to 10 mass%.

(Sodium dihydrogen phosphate)
According to one embodiment of the present invention, the concentration of sodium dihydrogen phosphate is less than 1% by mass. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the treatment agent is substantially free of sodium dihydrogen phosphate.

(baking soda)
According to one embodiment of the present invention, the treatment agent includes baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). Baking soda is a sodium bicarbonate represented by the composition formula NaHCO _3. Baking soda is safe for the human body, as it is sometimes used as a food additive. Therefore, baking soda is suitable in that it is less likely to cause chemical burns. As a method for preparing baking soda, a commercially available product may be purchased, and for example, industrial grade baking soda manufactured by Tosoh, QINDAO HAI WAN GROUP IMP. & EXP. CO., or Zichuan Antou Alum Factory is preferable. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the average particle size of baking soda is not particularly limited, but is preferably 30 to 150 μm, and more preferably 80 to 100 μm.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the content (mass%) of baking soda in the treatment agent is 0.01% by mass or more, 0.05% by mass or more, 0.1% by mass or more, 0.5% by mass or more, 1% by mass or more, 1.5% by mass or more, 2% by mass or more, 3% by mass or more, 3.5% by mass or more, 4% by mass or more, or 4.5% by mass or more. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the content (mass%) of baking soda in the treatment agent is 40% by mass or less, 38% by mass or less, 35% by mass or less, 33% by mass or less, 30% by mass or less, 29% by mass or less, 28% by mass or less, 25% by mass or less, 20% by mass or less, 18% by mass or less, 15% by mass or less, 13% by mass or less, 12% by mass or less, 11% by mass or less, or 10% by mass or less.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the content (mass%) of baking soda in the treatment agent is 0.01-40% by mass, 0.05-38% by mass, 0.1-35% by mass, 0.5-30% by mass, 1-28% by mass, 1.5-25% by mass, 2-20% by mass, 3-18% by mass, 3.5-15% by mass, 4-12% by mass, or 4.5-10% by mass. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the content (mass%) of baking soda in the treatment agent is 1-20% by mass.

(Limonite)
According to one embodiment of the present invention, the treatment agent includes limonite.

The chemical composition of limonite is FeO(OH)·nH ₂ O, but it may contain impurities such as hematite (Fe ₂ O ₃ ), clay minerals, manganese (II) oxide, etc. The inclusion of limonite allows it to decompose and adsorb sulfur-based compounds such as mercaptan, methyl mercaptan, and hydrogen sulfide, which are odor-causing components in feces, as well as fatty acid-based compounds.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the content ratio (mass%) of limonite in the treatment agent is 0.01% by mass or more, 0.05% by mass or more, 0.1% by mass or more, 0.5% by mass or more, 1% by mass or more, 1.5% by mass or more, 2% by mass or more, 3% by mass or more, 3.5% by mass or more, 4% by mass or more, or 4.5% by mass or more. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the content ratio (mass%) of limonite in the treatment agent is 40% by mass or less, 38% by mass or less, 35% by mass or less, 30% by mass or less, 28% by mass or less, 25% by mass or less, 20% by mass or less, 18% by mass or less, 15% by mass or less, 13% by mass or less, 12% by mass or less, 10% by mass or less, 5% by mass or less, 2% by mass or less, or less than 1% by mass.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the content (mass%) of limonite in the treatment agent is 0.01-40 mass%, 0.05-38 mass%, 0.1-35 mass%, 0.5-30 mass%, 1-28 mass%, 1.5-25 mass%, 2-20 mass%, 3-18 mass%, 3.5-15 mass%, 4-12 mass%, or 4.5-10 mass%. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the concentration of limonite in the treatment agent is less than 1 mass%. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the treatment agent is substantially free of limonite.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the volume average particle size (D50) of limonite in particle size distribution measurement is preferably 0.1 to 200 μm, more preferably 1 to 150 μm, even more preferably 5 to 100 μm, and even more preferably 10 to 50 μm. By being in such a range, the intended effect of the present invention can be efficiently achieved.

Limonite can be freely selected from commercially available products. Examples include LMB50 and LMB300 (both manufactured by Nippon Limonite Co., Ltd.).

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the treatment agent is in an air-dried state (a state in which the treatment agent placed in the air loses moisture through natural drying and maintains equilibrium with the humidity in the air).

<Lump-shaped treatment agent>
According to one embodiment of the present invention, the treatment agent may be granulated using a binder such as water, PVA, cellulose, water-soluble cellulose, sodium alginate, etc. That is, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the treatment agent is a lump-shaped treatment agent. In addition, the treatment agent of one embodiment of the present invention may be in the form of a granular treatment agent or a lump-shaped treatment agent using the technology of JP 2013-6137 A or JP 2011/162244 A. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the treatment agent includes a lubricant. The lubricant is used, particularly when preparing a lump-shaped treatment agent, to facilitate smooth feeding into the mortar of the tablet press. Therefore, the type of lubricant may be appropriately selected from those known in the art or may be used in combination. For example, ester-based, silicon-based, stearate ester, calcium stearate, potassium stearate, calcium, zinc, etc. are used. The content of the lubricant is about 0.3 to 5% by mass, about 0.8 to 4.5% by mass, or about 0.8 to 3% by mass with respect to the total amount of the treatment agent.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the average diameter of the treatment agent is 0.01 to 100 mm, 0.1 to 50 mm, 1 to 30 mm, 3 to 20 mm, or 5 to 20 mm. In this specification, unless otherwise specified, "average diameter" refers to the average value obtained by arbitrarily selecting a statistically reliable number of particles (or 10, 100, 200, 300, or 1000 particles), measuring the longest particle diameter for each particle with a vernier caliper, and taking the arithmetic mean of these.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the treatment agent is prepared using a tabletop manual tablet press. To prepare a lump-shaped treatment agent using a tabletop manual tablet press (one punch and one mortar), first, the components to be solidified are manually placed in the pestle using a spoon. After that, the lever is manually (hydraulic) lowered to apply pressure to solidify the components and prepare a lump-shaped treatment agent. For example, when a small-diameter pestle (diameter 7 mm: upper and lower circular plate type) is used, the smaller the diameter, the higher the pressure per area, so even materials that are difficult to solidify tend to solidify. On the other hand, when a large-diameter pestle (diameter 15 mm: upper and lower flat plate type) is used, the larger the diameter, the lower the pressure per area, so it is disadvantageous for materials that are difficult to solidify, but the larger the diameter, the easier it is to feed the pestle, and productivity is improved.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the treatment agent is prepared using a continuous tablet press. The continuous tablet press may or may not be a direct compression type, but it is preferable to adopt a direct compression type, which improves productivity by eliminating the need for pretreatment. It is also preferable to add a lubricant to make it easier to feed fine powder. On the other hand, when pretreatment is performed, for example, a lubricant may be added to granulate fine powder by rolling with a large pressure using a roller compactor, mix the granulated powder with a binder (binding agent), and tablet the mixture. In consideration of mass production, it is preferable to use a tablet press (model AP18-SS, etc.) manufactured by Hata Iron Works Co., Ltd. In this case, the diameter of the punch and die is about 13 mm, and the number of punches is about 18. If such a tablet press is used, production is possible and preferable, simply by preparing and mixing the raw materials to the desired ratio, putting the mixed raw materials into the hopper of the tablet press, and tableting with the tablet press in a rotary manner.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the treatment agent is prepared using a continuous rotary tablet press. As described above, there are no particular limitations on the method for preparing the treatment agent (lump treatment agent). The treatment agent may be prepared by mixing the components that make up the treatment agent in any order, or by mixing the desired components, including a binder, while tableting using a tablet press.

(Binder)
According to one embodiment of the present invention, the binder is preferably a cellulose-based binder, which has the effect of binding a part or all of the components contained in the treatment agent.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the binder may be prepared by purchasing a commercially available product. Suitable commercially available products include PH-102, TG-101, ST-02, and TG-101 manufactured by Asahi Kasei Chemicals Corporation, PVPK-15, PVPK-30, and PVPK-90 (polyvinylpyrrolidone) manufactured by Higuchi Shokai Co., Ltd., KC series (KC Flock W-50S, W-50, W-100/100G, W-200/200G, W-250, W-300G, and W-400G) manufactured by Nippon Paper Chemicals Co., Ltd., and Cerrossa series (Cerrossa K2) manufactured by Asahi Kasei Chemicals Co., Ltd.

The main function of the binder is to contribute to solidification. Therefore, the smaller the amount, the better. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the binder content (mass %) in the treatment agent is 5 mass % or more, 10 mass % or more, 15 mass % or more, 20 mass % or more, or 25 mass % or more. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the binder content (mass %) in the treatment agent is 60 mass % or less, 55 mass % or less, 50 mass % or less, or 45 mass % or less. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the binder content (mass %) in the treatment agent is 10 to 50 mass %.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the treatment agent is not in a lump form. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the treatment agent may be in the form of a mixture in which the components constituting the treatment agent are simply mixed without applying pressure or the like. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the treatment agent is substantially free of a binder that functions to bind some or all of the components constituting the treatment agent. In this specification, the expression "substantially free of" includes the concept of not only not containing the component at all, but also the concept of containing 0.005% by mass or less of the component in the treatment agent.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the lump treatment agent is in an air-dried state (a state in which the treatment agent placed in the air loses moisture through natural drying and maintains equilibrium with the humidity of the air).

<Treatment with treating agent>
There is no particular limitation on the specific method of treatment, but according to one embodiment of the present invention, a method of contacting the waste liquid with a treatment agent is suitable. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method of adding a treatment agent to the waste liquid is exemplified. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method of adding the waste liquid to the treatment agent is exemplified. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a treatment agent is placed in advance in a bottle that stores waste liquid discharged from a human during a surgical procedure (e.g., an endoscope). Waste liquid discharged by suction or the like is introduced into a bottle in which the treatment agent of the present invention is placed in advance, and the waste liquid is treated.

For example, in an endoscopic examination, waste liquids (excrement, blood, body fluids, etc.) are discharged from the digestive tract (stomach, rectum, large intestine, small intestine, etc.) after the examination, and this waste liquid is used for waste disposal. In addition, in hospitals, waste liquids such as urine from hospitalized patients are also used for waste disposal. These waste liquids may contain spore-forming bacteria such as those of the Bacillus and Clostridium genera. Spore-forming bacteria are representative of bacteria that cause opportunistic infections. Spore-forming bacteria are heat-resistant bacteria that can withstand heat of 100°C or higher, and also form spores within the bacterial body when nutrients are lacking or the environment deteriorates. These spores are resistant not only to heat but also to drying and disinfectants, so they can survive in harsh environments until they are in an environment suitable for growth. Then, when the growth environment, such as moisture, temperature, and nutrients, is ready, they germinate and become vegetative cells, and grow. Therefore, spore-forming bacteria require special attention in hospital infection control. The treatment agent according to the present invention can suppress or inhibit the germination or proliferation of spore-forming bacteria by contacting such waste liquid. Therefore, it is particularly useful in hospitals that need to treat a large amount of waste liquid from patients. Here, the reason why the treatment agent according to the present invention exerts an inhibitory or inhibiting effect on the germination or proliferation of spore-forming bacteria is unclear, but it is speculated as follows. Note that the present invention is not limited by the speculation below. The treatment agent according to the present invention contains hydrated lime and pepper. Of these, the presence of hydrated lime makes the waste liquid alkaline. Therefore, the spore coat (outer layer of spore coat, inner layer of spore coat) of spore-forming bacteria placed in an alkaline atmosphere becomes soft, making it easier for substances to enter from the outside world. Therefore, pepper and zinc oxide (if further contained) in the treatment agent are more likely to directly act on the core, and spore germination and bacterial proliferation (growth) are effectively suppressed and inhibited.

That is, the treatment agent according to the present invention is used to suppress or inhibit the spore germination or proliferation of spore-forming bacteria. The present invention also provides a method for suppressing or inhibiting the spore germination or proliferation of spore-forming bacteria, which comprises contacting a waste liquid with the treatment agent according to the present invention. Here, examples of spore-forming bacteria include well-known spore-forming bacteria such as those of the genus Amphibacillus, Bacillus, Clostridium, and Sporosarcina. Of these, the treatment agent according to the present invention exhibits excellent suppression or inhibition of spore germination or proliferation against the genus Clostridium, particularly Clostridioides difficile.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the amount of the treatment agent relative to the object to be treated (for example, waste liquid discharged in an endoscopic examination: about 1000 mL to about 4000 mL) can be adjusted as necessary, but as a guideline, it is 1 to 1000 g, 2 to 900 g, 3 to 800 g, 5 to 750 g, 10 to 700 g, 20 to 650 g, or 30 to 600 g. According to one embodiment of the present invention, after the object to be treated and the treatment agent are contacted (and then mixed as necessary), the treatment agent may be left to stand for, for example, 5 minutes to 30 days, 120 minutes to 20 days, 300 minutes to 10 days, 200 minutes to 5 days, 400 minutes to 3 days, or 500 minutes to 2 days. The treatment agent of the present invention also has the effect of suppressing the malodor from the object to be treated for a long period of time.

In this embodiment, the treatment agent may further contain other components. Here, the other components include an antibacterial agent. Here, the antibacterial agent when the treatment agent further contains an antibacterial agent is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include inorganic antibacterial agents such as silver and copper, natural antibacterial agents such as chitin, chitosan, allyl isothiocyanate, hinokitiol, and limonene, and penicillin and macrolide antibacterial agents. When the treatment agent further contains an antibacterial agent, the amount of the antibacterial agent is not particularly limited, and can be appropriately selected depending on the desired effect of suppressing or inhibiting spore germination or proliferation.

Preparation of artificial waste liquid (control (i))
4 g of soy protein hydrolysate (hypopolypeptone), 0.8 g of garlic paste, and 0.2 g of urea were dissolved in 1 L of pure water. 1.0 g-wet of black soil was added to 25 mL of this solution to prepare the control (i).

<Preparation of controls (ii) and (iii)>
To control (i), one tablet (0.72 g) of control treatment 1 was added to prepare control (ii), and 0.72 g of control treatment 2 was added to prepare control (iii).

(Preparation of Control Treatment 1)
Control treatment agent 1 (average diameter: 15 mm, average thickness: 5 mm) was prepared by placing the following components in the mortar of a tabletop tablet press (manufactured by Kikusui Seisakusho Co., Ltd.) and compressing them under a pressure of 40 kN to obtain 70 tablets of the treatment agent. The punch used was a top and bottom flat type with a diameter of 15 mm.

(Preparation of Control Treatment 2)
The components constituting the treatment agent were mixed so as to have the composition shown in the table below, to prepare 100 g of the treatment agent.

<Addition of various chemicals>
To the control (ii) and control (iii), various drugs etc. shown in the table below were further added in the amounts and concentrations shown in the table below.

First, the odor intensity measurements for the experiment based on control (ii) are shown in Table 5.

The odor intensity was determined by the arithmetic mean of scores given by multiple individuals (3 people) who passed the odor panel selection test according to the following criteria.

Looking at the change in odor intensity in Table 5, the odor intensity of control (i) fluctuated around 3.5 from the first day to the 11th day. Control (ii) showed a large effect with an odor intensity of 2 on the first day, but the intensity gradually increased, reaching the same level as control (i) on the fifth day and the highest of all the systems on the eighth day.

In the system in which various chemicals were added to the control (ii), _CaO2 and iron oxide, which were added for the purpose of improving the reducing atmosphere in which malodorous substances are easily generated, were less effective, and were worse or equal to the control (ii). The system in which activated carbon was added had an odor intensity about 0.5 lower than that of the control (ii) until the 8th day, and was thought to have a certain effect, but on the 8th day, mold grew and emitted an unpleasant odor. Therefore, the test of the system in which activated carbon was added was stopped. In addition, there were also cases in which the quality of the odor changed due to the chemical itself or the growth of mold, which increased the unpleasant feeling. In the systems in which copper salts, silver salts, alum, chlorine agents, or disinfectants were added for the purpose of sterilization, all of them suppressed the fecal odor and putrefactive odor more than the control (ii), but in some cases, the odor intensity increased due to the strong odor of the chemicals, such as chlorine agents, and the results were not sufficient.

Regarding the quality of the odor, the odor of feces and the odor of the pit toilet began to be detected from around the fourth day in the control (i), and although the odor intensity in the control (ii) was lower, the odor of the pit toilet began to be detected from the same period.

The system with _CaO2 or silver salt added was not significantly different from the control (ii) in terms of the change in odor quality, while the system with iron oxide or alum added suppressed the toilet odor for a few days, but then emitted a similar odor. The system with activated carbon or copper salt added suppressed the toilet odor a little, but emitted a different odor or grew mold, so it was not considered to be very good. The system with dichloroisocyanuric acid added did not have much of a toilet odor, but had a relatively strong chlorine odor or burnt odor.

On the other hand, in terms of the state during use, in the control (ii), water started to come out on the top on the 4th day, and on the 6th day it was divided into three layers, with water being seen in the middle layer. In contrast, in the _CaO2 -added system, it was divided into three layers on the 4th day, and the water content was also high. This is thought to be because calcium was coordinated to the polymer water-absorbent resin (water-absorbent polymer), causing a decrease in the amount of water absorption. A similar phenomenon was also seen in the system to which copper salt was added. In the other systems, no significant difference was observed in the water retention area compared to the control.

The odor intensity measurement results for control treatment agent 2 are shown in Table 7.

Control treatment agent 2 (control (iii)) suppressed odors second only to activated carbon on the first day, but odor intensity increased considerably on the fourth and fifth days. Perhaps because it emitted a strong odor, it decreased slightly from the eighth day onwards, but it seemed that control treatment agent 2 (control (iii)) had a low long-term odor suppression effect.

In the control (iii) systems where various chemicals were added, the odor intensity was generally low, except for the systems where _CaO2 or zeolite was added. Among these, the silver salt-added system, the activated carbon-added system, or the cationic surfactant-added system (bactericide-added system) showed relatively good results.

However, in terms of odor quality, in the control (iii) a strong stool odor, a pit toilet odor, and irritation were felt on the fourth day, while in the systems to which zeolite, _CaO2 , iron oxide, activated carbon, copper salts, silver salts, or alum had been added, the pit toilet odor was felt from the same period, although the intensity varied.

In the system where dichloroisocyanuric acid was added, a chemical odor was felt continuously and at a constant intensity. In the system where benzalkonium chloride was added, the garlic odor lingered for a long time, the decomposition of organic matter was inhibited, and the generation of fecal odor was also inhibited, but by the 11th day, a toilet-related odor was emitted.

Regarding the state when used, the system to which _CaO2 was added had almost no water retention and was in a watery state. The other systems were not significantly different from the control (iii).

In the above test, the water absorption effect was weakened in the system to which _CaO2 was added, and there was no effect on odor, so further investigation was terminated. The system to which iron oxide was added also had a slight effect, so further investigation was terminated. The effect of copper salt was equivalent to that of silver, but it inhibited the water absorbent resin, so further investigation was terminated.

The above was the first test, and then, in the second test, the effects of silver salts, alum, dichloroisocyanuric acid, or benzalkonium chloride were confirmed by changing the concentration. In addition, CMC (sodium carboxymethylcellulose) glue, which is predicted to have the effect of increasing viscosity and suppressing mass transfer, sodium chloride, which is predicted to have the effect of increasing salt concentration and reducing microbial activity, soluble oxidizing iron salts, benzethonium chloride, a cationic surfactant similar to benzalkonium chloride, and sodium percarbonate, which generates hydrogen peroxide in water, were tested alone as agents to be added to the control (ii) (single system). Furthermore, the effects of combinations of benzalkonium chloride and activated carbon, sodium chloride and activated carbon, sodium percarbonate and activated carbon, sodium percarbonate and benzalkonium chloride, and sodium percarbonate and silver salts were confirmed as agents to be added to the control (ii) (combined system).

The conditions for these second odor suppression tests are shown in the table below.

The pleasantness/unpleasantness level was determined by the arithmetic mean of scores given by multiple people (3 people) who passed the odor panel selection test according to the following criteria.

In the control (ii), the odor from the septic toilet was strong from the third to the seventh day, and after that, the odor of rotting vegetables could be detected, possibly because some of the toilet-related odorous components had evaporated during that time.

In the systems where silver salt, alum, sodium chloride or ferric chloride was added, the odor resembling that of a septic toilet began to be detected around the third day, and the test was stopped around the seventh to eleventh day as mold began to grow and the odor changed.

In the system containing CMC glue, there was an odor reminiscent of plastic or rubber, but the smell was not very reminiscent of a pit toilet until about the eighth day, after which the smell of a pit toilet and putrefaction became stronger.

In the systems where benzalkonium chloride or benzethonium chloride was added, a chemical odor was always detectable, but the septic toilet odor was relatively suppressed, with the effect being greater in the system that contained benzethonium chloride. In the system that contained sodium percarbonate, a distinctive and unpleasant chemical odor was detectable, but the septic toilet odor itself was relatively suppressed for up to about two weeks.

In many cases, mold grew in the systems where the compounds were added in combination during the test, and no particular effect of combining compounds was found in this system.

Odor intensity is an index of the strength of an odor, and a strong odor may not be unpleasant, while a weak odor may be unpleasant. Therefore, further investigations were conducted with a focus on the pleasantness or unpleasantness of odors.

As for the control (ii), various natural agents were added, including tea (100% green tea leaves), perilla, chili pepper, black pepper, Houttuynia cordata, powdered mustard, and powdered wasabi, and the pleasantness or unpleasantness of the odor was evaluated in the same manner as above. The amount of each agent added to the control (ii) was 0.1 g.

As a result, the system containing pepper had the best pleasantness/unpleasantness rating, remaining at a level that was barely felt unpleasant for about 10 days. Looking at the odor quality, the system containing pepper, which did not experience a high unpleasantness rating, was perceived as mainly having a peppery smell. The composition of the system containing pepper is summarized below.

In addition, if the binder (KC200 (KC Flock)) is removed from the above table and the content ratio of each component is converted, it becomes as follows.

Next, further investigation was carried out to see if there was a system that was better than pepper. Specifically, because control (ii) contains hydrated lime (an alkaline component), it was examined whether adding more alkali would inhibit decay and thereby inhibit the foul odor, and whether potassium iodide could react with organic matter to exert a bactericidal effect as an iodine agent and inhibit the foul odor. Specifically, control (ii) was prepared with various chemicals, including sodium sesquicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate, and potassium iodide, and the pleasantness or unpleasantness of the odor was evaluated in the same manner as above. The amount of chemicals added to control (ii) was all 0.1 g.

As shown in Table 15, the pleasantness/unpleasantness scores for these were equal to or lower than those for the control (ii), and no effect was observed. There was also no significant difference in odor quality.

Next, an experiment was conducted in which a thickening agent with a thickening effect was added, aiming to reduce the amount of volatile odors by decreasing the mobility of odorous components in the liquid due to increased viscosity. Specifically, for the control (ii), various agents containing hi-metolose, PVA, and starch were prepared, and the pleasantness and unpleasantness of the odor was evaluated in the same manner as above. The amount of agent added to the control (ii) was 0.1 g for hi-metolose and starch, and 0.1 ml for PVA.

As such, I didn't get the results I expected.

Next, experiments were conducted with various surfactants, aiming at the odor suppression effect of a method such as surfactants that reduces the number of live bacteria. Specifically, for the control (ii), 0.1 g of Triton X100 (Kishida Chemical), a representative nonionic surfactant, 0.1 g of soap (a commercially available fatty acid ester soap shaved into powder), and two cationic surfactant samples (Cation G50: benzalkonium chloride solution, Osmolin DA-50: didecyldimethylammonium adipate) were used as various chemicals. The two cationic surfactant samples were used at the following various concentrations. Note that since various surfactants were added to 25 mL of artificial waste liquid, the actual amount added can be calculated from the above concentrations.

Looking at the test results in terms of comfort level, the system containing Triton X and DA-50 at 300 mg/L showed slightly better results than the control (ii). When comparing the systems containing G-50 or DA-50 at 100 mg/L, the system containing DA-50 was slightly better. Benzalkonium chloride solution is known to be used as a hand sterilizing solution and a disinfectant for contaminated environments.

Taking all of the above results together, we have concluded that pepper is the most effective at reducing odors.

The ingredients in the following composition, including pepper, were placed in the mortar of a tabletop tablet press (manufactured by Kikusui Seisakusho Co., Ltd.) and pressed with a pressure of 40 kN to obtain 50 g (70 tablets) of each of the block-shaped treatment agents KS-22-α1, KS-22-α2, and KS-22-α3. In addition, 50 g (70 tablets) of tab22, which does not contain pepper, were obtained (average diameter: 15 mm, average thickness: 5 mm). The pestle used was a top-bottom flat type with a diameter of 15 mm.

In addition, if the binder (KC200 (KC Flock)) is removed from Table 18 above and the content ratio of each component is converted, it becomes as follows.

In addition, if the binder (KC200 (KC Flock)) is removed from Table 20 above and the content ratio of each component is converted, it becomes as follows.

In addition, if the binder (KC200 (KC Flock)) is removed from Table 22 above and the content ratio of each component is converted, it becomes as follows.

And to the control (i), one tablet (0.72 g) of each of the above lump-shaped treatment agents was added.

As in previous experiments, the pleasantness and unpleasantness of these odors were measured by multiple people (3 people) who had passed the odor panel selection test.

<Creating mock feces>
Next, to prepare the simulated feces to be used in the test, fatty acids, indole, and skatole were added in amounts to the extent that each would contribute to a certain degree of odor to stone powder clay, which has a texture and specific gravity similar to feces, and mixed. The preparation concentrations are shown in the table below.

In the test, 65 g of simulated feces was placed in a plastic bag, and a specified amount (50 g) of each of Control Treatment Agent 1, KS-22-α1, and KS-22-α1 powder type + silver salt (0.5% by weight of silver nitrate added to the total weight of KS-22α1 powder type (not compressed)) was added, followed by addition of 200 mL of pure water and immediately placing the bag in a 17 L container. In this way, the control (no treatment agent added), Control Treatment Agent 1, KS-22-α1, and KS-22-α1 powder type + silver salt were evaluated.

<Test Results>
The measurement results of n-butyric acid, n-valeric acid, isovaleric acid, indole, and skatole concentrations, as well as the inhibition rates relative to the odorant control, are shown in the table below.

(n-butyric acid)
For n-butyric acid, the volatilization concentration of the control (200 mL of pure water added to simulated feces) was 0.34 ppm at the 4th hour, and remained around 0.7 ppm from the 3rd day onwards. In contrast, control treatment agent 1 showed 0.15 ppm at 4 hours, 0.07 ppm on the 3rd day, and about 0.04 ppm from one week onwards. In the KS-22-α1 and KS-22-α1 powder type + silver salt systems, the levels were low, at 0.03 ppm or less at the 4th hour, and generally 0.01 ppm or less from the first day onwards. In terms of inhibition rate, the KS-22-α1 powder type + silver salt system showed 98% or more from the first day onwards.

The control treatment agent 1 system had an inhibition rate of over 90% from the first day onwards, but the KS-22-α1 system showed an inhibition rate that was about 10% higher. This may only seem like a small 10%, but it means that the odor was reduced to 1/10 or 1/50 of the control odor, and considering that human response to odors is exponential and that the odor intensity and concentration guidelines of the Offensive Odor Prevention Act are followed, it is believed that an improvement was achieved in terms of n-butyric acid, lowering the sensory evaluation (odor intensity) by about one level.

(n-valeric acid)
For n-valeric acid, the control showed 0.4 ppm at 4 hours and around 1.3 ppm from the first day onwards. In contrast, control treatment 1 showed low levels of 0.08 ppm at 4 hours and 0.03 ppm or less from the first day onwards. KS-22-α1 and KS-22-α1 powder type + silver salt showed roughly 0.01 ppm or less from the fourth hour, showing even higher performance than control treatment 1. In terms of inhibition rate against the control, control treatment 1 was 80% at the fourth hour, while KS-22-α1 and KS-22-α1 powder type + silver salt showed 95% or more, and from the first day onwards, control treatment 1 showed an inhibition rate of 99% or more, while control treatment 1 was in the range of 97-99%.

(Isovaleric acid)
Isovaleric acid also showed a similar tendency to valeric acid, with the control showing 0.33 ppm at 4 hours and around 1.1 ppm from the first day onwards. Control treatment agent 1 showed 0.04 ppm at 4 hours and 0.01 ppm or less from the first day onwards, while KS-22-α1 and KS-22-α1 powder type + silver salt were 0.01 ppm or less from the fourth hour onwards. The inhibition rate also showed a similar tendency to n-valeric acid.

The results of the measurements of these three fatty acids showed that KS-22-α1 quickly suppressed the volatilization of gases that cause acidic stool odors in a short period of time. It also maintained higher levels of these components than conventional products, suppressing their volatilization over a two-week period.

(Indole, Skatole)
The properties of chemical substances differ, and for indole and skatole, which are typical fecal odor components, the volatilization concentration also tended to increase gradually in the control, with indole showing 0.017 ppm in the initial period and 0.090 ppm in the second week. Skatole also showed 0.005 ppm in the initial period and 0.029 ppm in the second week.

Although the concentration was lower with Control Treatment 1 than with the control, indole was 0.010-0.027 ppm and skatole was 0.004-0.016 ppm, showing a gradual trend of increasing concentration until the first or second week. With KS-22-α1 and KS-22-α1 powder type + silver salt, the volatile concentrations were clearly lower than with the control and Control Treatment 1, with indole at 0.002-0.010 ppm and skatole at 0.001-0.003 ppm.

Looking at the inhibition rate, indole showed 40% initially and 60-70% after the first day, while skatole showed a large fluctuation but remained between 10-50%, indicating a low inhibition effect. Skatole in particular is a substance that is considered to be representative of fecal odor, and the results showed that the volatilization inhibition rate for this substance was insufficient.

On the other hand, in the case of KS-22-α1 and KS-22-α1 powder type + silver salt, both indole and skatole showed about 75% at 4 hours, after which they increased slightly, showing 80-90% in KS-22-α1 and over 90% in KS-22-α1 powder type + silver salt.

Control treatment agent 1 had a low inhibitory effect on indole and skatole, and in some cases showed volatilization concentrations higher than the control, but KS-22-α1 was able to inhibit them at a high level, generally over 80%. This is thought to reduce the odor intensity caused by indole and skatole by about one level.

It was clear that Control Treatment Agent 1 was effective against fatty acids contained in stool odor, but was less effective against alkaline compounds such as ammonia, indole, and skatole, and it was shown that, depending on the circumstances, there was a possibility that the amount of odorous substances would increase compared to when Control Treatment Agent 1 was not used.

The results of measurements of n-butyric acid, n-valeric acid, isovaleric acid, indole, and skatole concentrations, as well as the inhibition rates relative to odorant controls after 24 hours and one week, are summarized below.

In summary, the basic performance of the treatment agent containing hydrated lime and pepper was such that it was possible to achieve a significant improvement in the volatile concentration of indole and skatole, which was the target, and further improvement was observed for fatty acids, which also performed well in the control treatment agent 1.

Next, we conducted an experiment by reducing the number of components to confirm the effect of combining hydrated lime and pepper.

Specifically, the components shown below were added to the control (i), and the comfort level was evaluated in the same manner as above.

As can be seen from the above results, the combination of hydrated lime and pepper shows a significant or heterogeneous effect.

Next, the antibacterial/bactericidal effects of samples A to C were evaluated.

<Antibacterial/bactericidal effect evaluation>
(Sample Preparation)
Samples A to C were prepared by uniformly mixing the components shown below.

(Bacteria species)
The following three species of bacteria were selected as the subjects for the measurement of antibacterial/bactericidal effects: Escherichia coli, Vibrio cholerae, and Clostridioides difficile. Escherichia coli is a facultative anaerobic gram-negative rod-shaped bacterium, and is the one most frequently detected in hospital laboratories. Vibrio cholerae is also a gram-negative rod-shaped bacterium like Escherichia coli, but is a species that is often feared to spread in low-sanitary environments during disasters. Clostridioides difficile is a gram-positive rod-shaped bacterium that is a representative opportunistic infection causative bacterium, forms spores, and is resistant to various sterilization and disinfection methods, and requires special attention in hospital infection control. The following five strains belonging to these three species were subjected to the measurement.

・Escherichia coli:
Standard strain ATCC25922
Clinical isolate (2022 1-1110, blood isolate)
・Vibrio cholerae:
Clinical isolate 1 (2009 7-1320, P. aeruginosa isolate)
Clinical isolate 2 (2010 8-1057, fecal isolate)
Spore-forming bacteria (Clostridioides difficile):
Clinical isolate (2021 8-68, fecal isolate)
The above clinical isolate was obtained from an unspecified patient and maintained at the MedTech Link Center of Chiba University Hospital. The above clinical isolate is not a novel microorganism. Therefore, it has not been deposited at a depository institution. However, the applicant is willing to sell the clinical isolate according to the present invention to a third party in the case where it falls under any of the items of Article 27-3 of the Enforcement Regulations of the Japanese Patent Act, provided that the relevant laws and regulations are observed.

(Bacteria sample preparation)
Spore-forming bacteria (Clostridioides difficile):
For spore-forming bacteria (Clostridioides difficile), sterilized saline was autoclaved, and a test bacterial solution with McFarland turbidimetric method (Mcf) of 0.5 was prepared using sterilized saline from which dissolved oxygen had been removed. Next, 30 mg of each of the samples A to C prepared above was placed in a 1.5 mL microtube, and then 1 mL of the test bacterial solution was added and mixed, and the test bacterial solution was left to stand at room temperature (25 ° C; the same applies below) for the action time (30 minutes or 24 hours) shown in Table 45 below to prepare a test bacterial solution. The McFarland turbidimetric method (Mcf) is a method for estimating the viable bacterial concentration of a bacterial solution from the turbidity, and McF 0.5 corresponds to 1 × 10 ⁸ CFU / mL for spore-forming bacteria. In this case, CFU (colony forming unit) is the number of colonies that arise when inoculated into a solid medium on which bacteria grow, and indicates the number of microbial cells that can grow contained in the inoculated microorganism.

After standing at room temperature for a predetermined time (30 minutes or 24 hours), the test bacteria liquid was mixed again, centrifuged at 3,000 rpm for 10 minutes, and the supernatant was separated. 10 μL of this supernatant was collected with a macropipette, inoculated into a medium by a semi-quantitative method using a platinum loop, and cultured (anaerobic culture) in an anaerobic atmosphere (H ₂ [10%]: N ₂ [10%]: CO ₂ [80%]) at 35 ° C for 48 hours. In addition, 10 μL of the control bacteria liquid to which no sample was added was collected with a macropipette immediately after the preparation of the test bacteria liquid, inoculated into a medium by a semi-quantitative method using a platinum loop, and cultured (anaerobic culture) in an anaerobic atmosphere (H ₂ [10%]: N ₂ [10%]: CO ₂ [80%]) at 35 ° C for 48 hours. The culture was performed on an AnelloColumbia RS blood agar medium (RS medium) (manufactured by Nippon Becton Dickinson Co., Ltd.). Each test was performed in duplicate.

When the test bacterial solution was incubated with Sample A for 30 minutes and compared with the control bacterial solution, a reduction in the number of bacteria was observed (see Figure 1). Therefore, in order to quantify the reduction in the number of bacteria, a separate incubation measurement was performed to calculate the number of bacteria using the method described below.

In the same manner as above, a control bacterial solution immediately after preparation, and a control bacterial solution and a test bacterial solution that had been left at room temperature for 30 minutes and 24 hours were prepared. After mixing these bacterial solutions again, the solution was centrifuged at 3,000 rpm for 10 minutes to separate the supernatant. A 10-fold dilution series (diluted bacterial solution) was prepared from this supernatant using sterilized saline that had been autoclaved in advance in the same manner as above, and 100 μL of each diluted bacterial solution was taken from 1 mL, inoculated into a medium (Nippon Becton Dickinson Co., Ltd., Anello Columbia RS blood agar medium (RS medium)), and cultured (anaerobic culture) at 35 ° C. for 4 days in an anaerobic atmosphere (H ₂ [10%]: N ₂ [10%]: CO ₂ [80%]). After 4 days of culture, the number of surviving bacteria in the sample was evaluated from the number of colonies visually observed on each medium. The results are shown in Table 45 below. In Table 45, the time of action of 0 minutes indicates the time immediately after preparation of the bacterial solution (neither the action of the sample nor centrifugation was performed). In addition, the numbers in parentheses indicate the ratio of the number of bacteria obtained after the action of each sample to the number of bacteria obtained from the control.

Escherichia coli and Vibrio cholerae:
For Escherichia coli and Vibrio cholerae, a test bacterial solution with McFarland turbidimetric method (Mcf) of 0.5 was prepared using sterile saline. Next, 30 mg of each of the samples A to C prepared above was placed in a 1.5 mL microtube, and then 1 mL of each test bacterial solution was added and mixed, and the mixture was left to stand at room temperature for the action time (30 minutes or 24 hours) shown in Table 45 below to prepare a test bacterial solution. The McFarland turbidimetric method (Mcf) is a method for estimating the viable cell concentration of a bacterial solution from turbidity, and McF of 0.5 corresponds to 1 x 10 ⁸ CFU/ml for Escherichia coli and 1 x 10 ⁷ CFU/ml for Vibrio cholerae, respectively. In this case, CFU (colony forming unit) is the number of colonies that form when bacteria are inoculated into a solid medium for growth, and indicates the number of proliferative microbial cells contained in the inoculated microorganisms.

After leaving the test bacteria liquid at room temperature for a specified time (30 minutes or 24 hours), the test bacteria liquid was mixed again and centrifuged at 3,000 rpm for 10 minutes to separate the supernatant. 10 μL of this supernatant was collected with a macropipette, inoculated into a medium by a semi-quantitative method using a platinum loop, and cultured (atmospheric culture) at 35°C in an air atmosphere for the period (1 day or 4 days) shown in Table A below. For the control bacteria liquid to which no sample was added, 10 μL was collected with a macropipette immediately after the preparation of the test bacteria liquid, inoculated into a medium, and cultured (atmospheric culture) at 35°C in an air atmosphere for 1 day or 4 days. Escherichia coli was cultured in Poremedia (registered trademark) Drigalski modified medium (BTB medium) (manufactured by Eiken Chemical Co., Ltd.), and Vibrio cholerae was cultured in Trypticase (TM) soy 5% sheep blood agar medium (BA medium) (manufactured by Nippon Becton Dickinson Co., Ltd.). Each test was performed in duplicate.

After culturing for the specified period (1 or 4 days), the number of colonies visually confirmed was examined. The results are shown in Table 46 below. In Table 46 below, "-" indicates that no growth was observed.

As shown in Table 46 above, for spore-forming bacteria, the reduction in the number of bacteria compared to the control was only 25% to 82% after 30 minutes of action for each sample, and a reduction of 68 to 99.94% was confirmed after 24 hours of action. This result is considered to have a higher antibacterial effect than the samples of the current product. In contrast, no bacterial growth was observed for E. coli and V. cholerae after 30 minutes of action of the reagent. Of these, in the case of E. coli, since Mcf 0.5 = 10 ⁸ CFU/mL, it is considered that the bacterial liquid at the start of the culture had decreased to 10 ⁶ CFU/mL, but since no bacterial growth was observed after the culture, it is considered that there is a control effect of at least 10 ⁶ CFU/mL (99.9999%) or more. In addition, since Mcf 0.5 = 10 ⁷ CFU/mL for Vibrio cholerae, it is believed that centrifugation would reduce the number to a maximum of 10 ⁵ CFU/mL, but since no growth was observed after cultivation, as with E. coli, it is believed that the control effect is 10 ⁵ CFU/mL (99.999%) or more. Since no growth was observed after 4 days of cultivation for either E. coli or Vibrio cholerae, it is believed that all of them were killed.

The difference in results between the spore-forming bacteria (C. difficile) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Vibrio cholerae (V. cholerae) is presumably due mainly to the influence of the spores possessed by the spore-forming bacteria. Considering that spores cannot be sterilized with disinfectants such as alcohol or benzalkonium chloride, and cannot be completely inactivated even by boiling at 100°C (i.e., it is difficult to completely kill them), sample A of the present invention is expected to be clinically useful.

In this study, the reagent was applied in the bacterial solution, so it was suspended in the sample. For this reason, the centrifuged supernatant was used for the culture measurement. This centrifugation operation reduced the bacterial count to approximately 1/100 for E. coli, approximately 1/10-1/100 for V. cholerae, and approximately 1/500 for spore-forming bacteria (C. difficile). Furthermore, leaving the bacterial solution undisturbed for 24 hours reduced the bacterial count to approximately 1/1-1/10 for E. coli, approximately 1/10-1/100 for V. cholerae, and approximately 1/10 for spore-forming bacteria (C. difficile).

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, it is clear that the same are illustrative and exemplary and are not limiting, and the scope of the present invention should be interpreted by the appended claims.

The present invention includes the following aspects and configurations:

1. A treatment agent for treating wastewater, the treatment agent comprising hydrated lime and pepper.

2. The treatment according to 1, wherein the pepper is not in the form of a piperine extract.

3. The treatment agent according to 1. or 2., which contains a water-absorbent polymer.

4. The treatment agent according to any one of 1. to 3., in which the content (mass%) of the slaked lime is 0.1 to 40 mass%, and the content (mass%) of the pepper is 0.05 to 30 mass%.

5. A treatment agent according to any one of 1. to 4., which contains zinc oxide.

6. The treatment agent according to any one of 1. to 5., which contains at least one selected from the group consisting of lignin, bentonite, and zeolite.

7. The treatment agent according to any one of 1. to 6., further comprising humic acid.

8. The treatment agent according to any one of 1. to 7., wherein the waste liquid includes excrement, blood, vomit, or bodily fluids discharged from humans or animals.

9. The treatment agent according to any one of 1. to 8., wherein the waste liquid contains at least one of indole and skatole as a malodorous component.

10. A treatment agent according to any one of 1. to 9., which is used to suppress or inhibit spore germination or proliferation of spore-forming bacteria.

11. The treatment agent according to 10, wherein the spore-forming bacterium is Clostridioides difficile.

12. A method for suppressing or inhibiting spore germination or proliferation of spore-forming bacteria, comprising contacting a waste liquid with a treatment agent according to any one of 1. to 11.

Claims (11)

A treatment agent for treating waste liquid, the treatment agent for suppressing malodor comprising slaked lime, pepper , and a water-absorbing polymer . An antibacterial/bactericidal treatment agent for treating wastewater containing spore-forming bacteria so as to suppress or inhibit spore germination or proliferation, the antibacterial/bactericidal treatment agent comprising hydrated lime, pepper , and a water-absorbent polymer . 3. The treatment of claim 1 or 2 , wherein the pepper is not in the form of a piperine extract. The treatment agent according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the content (mass%) of the slaked lime is 0.1 to 40% by mass, and the content (mass%) of the pepper is 0.05 to 30% by mass. The treatment according to claim 1 or 2 , which comprises zinc oxide. The treatment agent according to claim 5, which contains at least one selected from the group consisting of lignin, bentonite and zeolite. The treatment agent according to claim 6, further comprising humic acid. The treatment agent according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the waste liquid comprises excrement, blood, vomit or bodily fluid discharged from a human or animal. 3. The treatment agent according to claim 1 , wherein the waste liquid contains at least one malodorous component selected from the group consisting of n-butyric acid, n-valeric acid, isovaleric acid, indole and skatole . The treatment agent according to claim 2 , wherein the spore-forming bacterium is Clostridioides difficile. A method for suppressing or inhibiting spore germination or proliferation of spore-forming bacteria, comprising contacting a waste liquid with the treating agent according to claim 2 .