Disinfection, Sterilization, Part Two: What are disinfectants?

[etumukutenyak]

Disinfectants are
- Classified according to kind of micro-organisms killed, how long it takes, how much disinfectant required.
•High – “sterilant”
•Intermediate – “tuberculocide”
•Low – “disinfectant”
- EPA-regulated: http://www.epa.gov/oppad001/chemregindex.htm [The EPA regulates anything related to chemical safety.]
- FDA-approved: http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/ode/germlab.html [The FDA approves anything used in a medical setting.]
- Kill Microorganisms:
•Bacteria,
•Viruses,
•Fungi,
•Parasites,
•Protozoans,
•Spores
- Bactericidal versus Bacteriostatic [Bacteriocidal means to kill bacteria; bacteriostatic means to stop the growth of bacterial colonies, which does not mean they are dead.]

They are chemical agents which are affected by
•Concentration
•pH
•Organic debris
•Time
•Temperature