Disinfectant

Description

A chemical or physical treatment that inhibits or kills microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoans). By the mid-19th century, disinfectants, such as phenol (carbolic acid) and iodine, were recognized for their ability to reduce infractions. Currently the following major classes of chemical disinfecting compounds are used:

- Heavy metals and their compounds: copper, silver (silver sulfadiazing, nitrate silver nitrate), and mercury (merthiolate, chloride mercuric chloride)

- Halogens: iodine (betadine), and chlorine compounds (dioxide chlorine gas, sodium hypochlorite sodium hypochlorite, T chloramine, hexachlorophene, chlorhexidine)

- Alcohols: alcohol ethanol, alcohol isopropanol

- Coal tar compounds (cresol, oil (wood) creosote, phenol, phenolics) and oil pine oil

- Surfactants: both cationic and anionic detergents

- Gas phase disinfectants: ozone, oxide ethylene oxide, dioxide sulfur dioxide, formaldehyde, chlorine gas

- Ammonia: quaternary ammonia compounds kill gram positive bacteria

- Oxidizers: ozone, ethylene oxide; peroxide hydrogen peroxide

- Aldehydes and organic acids: formaldehyde, glutaraldehyde, acid sorbic acid, acid citric acid, acid benzoic acid Physical methods of disinfection include:

- Radiation: infrared (heat sterilization) and ultraviolet light (surface only)

- Moist heat: boiling or steam autoclaving

- Pasteurization: heating and cooling cycles

- Filtration: laminar flow fume hoods

- Low Temperature: stops growth but does not kill all spores

- Desiccation: prevents growth and replication but does not kill spores

- Osmotic pressure:

Synonyms and Related Terms

antiseptic; germicide; biocide

Hazards and Safety

Mercury compounds are poisonous. Many antiseptic cause skin irritation.

Authority

• G.S.Brady, G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971 Comment: p. 271

• Richard S. Lewis, Richard S. Lewis, Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 10th ed., 1993

• A Glossary of Paper Conservation Terms, Margaret Ellis (ed.), Conservation Center of the Institute of Fine Arts, New York City, 1998

• Encyclopedia Britannica, http://www.britannica.com Comment: "Disinfectant." Encyclopdia Britannica. 7 Sept. 2004 .

• Van Nostrand's Scientific Encyclopedia, Douglas M. Considine (ed.), Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 1976

• The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998

• Art and Architecture Thesaurus Online, http://www.getty.edu/research/tools/vocabulary/aat/, J. Paul Getty Trust, Los Angeles, 2000

• Website address 1, Website address 1 Comment: swyslwyg://76/htp://mindquest.net/biology/microbiology/outlines/u_cgrwth.html