WO2022079335A1

WO2022079335A1 - Sewerage-network inerting system for pest control

Info

Publication number: WO2022079335A1
Application number: PCT/ES2021/070749
Authority: WO
Inventors: Guillermo GARCÍA JIMÉNEZ; Lorenzo Eisman Ayuso
Original assignee: Garcia Jimenez Guillermo; Lorenzo Eisman Ayuso
Priority date: 2020-10-15
Filing date: 2021-10-14
Publication date: 2022-04-21
Also published as: ES1258716U; ES1258716Y

Abstract

Disclosed is an environmentally friendly sewerage-network inerting system for controlling rodent and insect pests, which produces an immediate effect that extends generally to the entire treated space and without generating resistance in the species to be treated. The system is formed by: a membrane nitrogen generator (4) that generates nitrogen from atmospheric air; a set of pumping elements (2) that pump the nitrogen gas through a valve (3) into the sewerage network (8) to be treated; and a series of inflatable balloon obturators (1) located in open connections (6) of the network, generating a confined space in which the nitrogen reduces the percentage of oxygen present, which is measured using sensors (5), the pest population present thereby dying by asphyxiation.

Description

INERTIZATION SYSTEM OF SANITATION NETWORKS FOR PEST CONTROL

TECHNICAL SECTOR

The present invention falls within the field of public health, specifically in the field of rodent and insect pest control systems.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The existence of mice and other rodents in environments inhabited by the human population poses a real danger to public health, since they act as vectors of pathogenic microorganisms that transmit diseases to humans and animals.

Among the diseases transmitted by these animals are bubonic plague and its variants, leptospirosis, rabies, taeniasis, cholera, salmonellosis, shigellosis, trichinosis, Ebola, hantavirus, hepatitis or tuberculosis.

The most frequent species in our environment are the gray rat (Rathus novégicus), the black rat (Rathus rathus) and the house mouse (Mus musculus). These species of rodents are perfectly adapted to the human environment and thrive especially in humid habitats such as those provided by sanitation networks. They are therefore capable of colonizing this type of urban infrastructure, being able to appear through these networks in private and public buildings, with the risks that this implies, especially in places related to food, such as markets, restaurants, hotels, etc. food industry etc

For this reason, the control of rodent pests is key to public health, and various systems have historically been developed to carry out said control.

On the one hand, there are mechanical devices, such as traps and traps, that bring down or they catch animals, sometimes lured by baits.

Currently, "smart" or intelligent systems have appeared, which include electronic sensors capable of detecting the presence of rodents through their movement or body heat, being killed by mechanical procedures or electrical discharges. They can also include wireless communications that alert that rodents have been trapped.

The main drawback of mechanical devices, whether traditional or intelligent, is that they perform a local action, and need a relatively long period of time for their effect to be felt extensively in a colony.

In order to carry out a more extensive deratization or action, chemical substances are used, called rodenticides, capable of eliminating rodents when inhaled or ingested by them. Rodenticides are normally contained in a bait, so that their effectiveness not only depends on their toxic action, but also on the rodents' acceptance of said bait.

There are two types of rodenticides depending on their speed of action: immediate action rodenticides and delayed action rodenticides.

Immediate action rodenticides can be gaseous, inoculated in the form of dust or gas in colonized spaces, or chemical, with various subtypes depending on the way they cause the death of the rodent, such as inhibitors of cellular respiration, vasoconstrictors, nervous system disorders, diabetogenic and others.

Those in gaseous form are highly toxic to humans and vertebrate animals, while the chemicals have strong flavors and often cause suspicion or alertness in the rodent population.

Delayed-action rodenticides work by the anticoagulant principle, inhibiting the synthesis of vitamin K, whose metabolism or functioning is altered, causing the blood not to coagulate, with which the rodent dies of strong internal bleeding. Due to its slow action, rodents do not associate symptoms with the ingestion of poisoned bait, which is why it represents an advantage over other types, and is therefore the most widely used today. There are two subtypes of anticoagulant rodenticides:

First generation rodenticides, which came into use during the early 1950s and revolutionized rodent control with excellent safety and efficacy. They are compounds such as warfarin, chlorophacinone, diphacinone and coumatetralyl. Rodents have been developing resistance to these compounds, so they have been losing effectiveness.

Second generation rodenticides, more acutely toxic than the first generation and developed to overcome the resistance developed against them. The three most potent anticoagulants developed are brodifacoum, flocoumafen, and difethialone.

Together with the resistance to their effectiveness that rodents develop over time, the main drawback of rodenticides is the contamination they cause in the environment due to their permanence.

And it is that due to the similar physiology between rodents and a large part of the animals including the human being, rodenticides represent a potential danger for wildlife, domestic animals and people who are in the place of application, existing danger of intoxication. The main route of entry of the toxicant is oral, although in some cases it can also be caused by accidental dermal contact.

In order to achieve greater effectiveness in pest control, rodenticides can also be used in combination with mechanical devices.

In the same environment as rodents in sanitation networks, there are also species of insects that have similar characteristics as carriers of disease transmission, such as cockroaches and other crawling insects, and can also be considered pests due to their risk to public health. For this reason, it is essential to control and eliminate them in the same way that has been described for rodents

In this case, biocidal or insecticidal substances are usually used that present similar drawbacks to those described in the case of rodenticides, and there are also "smart" or intelligent devices.

Although the two types of pest can coexist in the same environment, there are no combined elimination methods, since both mechanical devices and chemical substances are only directed at one type of species or another.

It is for all of the above that it is necessary in the market to develop rodent and insect pest control systems in sanitation networks that can act in combination against both pests and overcome the drawbacks described above, being totally respectful of the environment. environment, producing an immediate effect over time, not provoking resistance or adaptation in the species and whose effect extends generally to the entire treated space, including nests connected to sanitation.

EXPLANATION OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to obtain an inerting system for sanitation networks for pest control of both rodents and insects without using biocides or rodenticides and being respectful of the environment.

Another object of the present invention is to obtain an inertization system for sanitation networks for pest control of both rodents and insects that produces an effect that is practically immediate over time and that is generally extended to the entire treated space. , even to nests connected to sanitation.

Another object of the present invention is to obtain an inerting system for sanitation networks for pest control of both rodents and insects that does not cause resistance or adaptation in the species to be treated.

The inerting system for sanitation networks for pest control object of the present invention generates a confined space in the sanitation network to be treated and It performs an injection of nitrogen, previously extracting the air from the environment, with which the percentage of oxygen present in the confined space is reduced and thus causes the population present to die of suffocation.

The inerting system for sanitation networks for pest control object of the present invention is formed, at least, by a series of inflatable balloon shutters, a set of drive elements or fans, a valve and a nitrogen generator of membrane, and there may also be a series of sensors capable of measuring the oxygen content of the air.

The balloon shutters are placed in the open connections of the sanitation network, such as those existing in the manholes, as well as other connections with the sanitation such as the connections and the drains of the stormwater network (in the event that the network is unitary for sanitation and rainwater), placing it manually and inflating it to create the confined space.

The membrane nitrogen generator takes air from the atmosphere, dries it and separates the nitrogen contained in it. Its outlet is connected to a conduit where the delivery elements are installed, at the end of which is connected to the space to be injected the valve is located. The nitrogen gas stream coming out of the generator is injected into the confined space through the valve being driven by the drive elements.

Nitrogen injection ends when the percentage of oxygen desired and necessary for suffocation is reached, which is controlled throughout the process by sensors.

The treatment ends with a short waiting time, but sufficient to ensure the anoxia of the fauna, and once completed, remove the valve. Excess nitrogen in the ducting is removed naturally or forced with ventilation and, when going outside, diffuses with the amount of air in the atmosphere vastly higher in volume.

The system thus described is totally respectful with the environment, produces an immediate effect over time, does not cause resistance or adaptation in the species and its effect extends generally to the entire treated space, eliminating both rodent and insect pests in a combined way.

Throughout the description and claims, the word "comprise" and its vahants are not intended to exclude other technical characteristics, components, additives or steps. Other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in part from the invention and in part from the practice of the invention. The following examples and drawings are provided by way of illustration and are not intended to limit the present invention. Furthermore, the invention covers all possible combinations of particular and preferred embodiments indicated here.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To complement the description that is being made and in order to help a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, a set of drawings is attached as an integral part of said description, where for illustrative and non-limiting purposes, the following has been represented: Next:

Figure 1 shows a partially sectioned simplified diagram of a preferred embodiment of the sanitation network inerting system for pest control object of the present invention.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

Using the numbering adopted in Figure 1 of this document to identify the elements that make up the inerting system for sanitation networks for pest control object of the present invention, we proceed to the description of said elements for a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In a preferred embodiment, the inerting system for sanitation networks for pest control object of the present invention generates a confined space in the sanitation network (8) to be treated and performs an injection of nitrogen, previously extracting the air from the environment , with which the percentage of oxygen present in the confined space is reduced and thus causes the population present to die of suffocation. The inerting system for sanitation networks for pest control object of the present invention is formed in a preferred embodiment by a series of inflatable balloon shutters (1), a set of drive elements or fans (2), a shutter (3), a membrane nitrogen generator (4) and a series of sensors (5) capable of measuring the oxygen content of the air.

The balloon shutters (1) are placed in the connections (6) of the sanitation network, such as the connections with the manholes and the connections and the drains of the rainwater network (in the event that the network is unitary). for sanitation and rainwater), being placed manually and inflated to create the confined space.

The membrane nitrogen generator (4) takes air from the atmosphere, dries it and separates the nitrogen contained in it. Its outlet is connected to a conduit (7) where the delivery elements (2) are installed, at the end of which is connected to the space to be injected the valve (3) is located. The nitrogen gas stream coming out of the generator (4) is injected into the confined space through the valve (3) being driven by the drive elements (2).

Nitrogen injection ends when the percentage of oxygen desired and necessary for suffocation is reached, which is controlled throughout the process by sensors (5).

The treatment ends with a short waiting time, but sufficient to ensure the anoxia of the fauna, and once completed, proceed to the removal of the obturator (3). Excess nitrogen in the ducting is removed naturally or forced with ventilation and, when going outside, diffuses with the amount of air in the atmosphere vastly higher in volume.

Claims

1. Inerting system for sanitation networks to control rodent and insect pests, characterized in that it comprises at least one membrane nitrogen generator (4) that generates nitrogen from atmospheric air, a set of drive elements or fans (2) inside a conduit (7) that drive and inject the nitrogen gas coming from the generator into the sewage network (8) to be treated through a valve (3), and a series of inflatable balloon shutters (1) that are located in the open connections (6) of the sanitation network (8) that exist, closing said connections when inflated, so that a confined space is generated in said sanitation network (8) in which the injection of nitrogen reduces the percentage of oxygen present in said confined space and thereby causes the present population of the pest to die by suffocation.

2. Inerting system for sanitation networks for pest control according to claim 1, characterized in that there are a series of sensors (5) capable of measuring the oxygen content of the air inside the sanitation network (8), of so that the nitrogen injection ends when said sensors detect that the percentage of oxygen desired and necessary for suffocation has been reached.

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