When you want to get rid of pathogens and germs, the most powerful disinfectant is a must. Disinfectants are chemical solutions or agents that can kill germs, bacteria and other microorganisms on surfaces and in the air. They are used to prevent the spread of disease and to keep our homes, offices, and other public spaces clean and safe. A powerful disinfectant should be able to kill a wide variety of germs and harmful organisms quickly and effectively. It should also be safe to use around people, pets, and food.
There are many different types of disinfectants available, including chlorine-based products, hydrogen peroxide-based products, quaternary ammonium compounds, phenolic compounds, and alcohol-based products. Each type has different advantages and disadvantages depending on the application.
Medical practitioners can always have a clue on finding the most powerful disinfectant by looking at the components used in producing a disinfectant. What about an ordinary person with less or minimal knowledge of chemical formulation and scientific names of specific pathogens? Remember, most manufacturers will indicate the components used in their disinfectant. You can refer to the EPA list for the groups of particular pathogens a particular mentioned component can kill. Still, this can be hectic, especially if you don’t know the diseases or infections that specific pathogens cause.
Since we understand these dynamics, we have done in-depth research to help you determine the most powerful disinfectant. Read on to discover more about the most powerful disinfectant.
Disinfectant Efficacy
Disinfection efficacy is the process of performing disinfectant tests on different areas to ascertain the effectiveness of a disinfectant to inactivate micro-organism-causing diseases: eg, bacteria, yeast, molds, viruses, bacterial spores, and mycoplasma. Determining the disinfection efficacy is crucial in finding the most powerful disinfectant. Generally, the most powerful disinfectant is that one can get rid of pathogens despite the resistance of the pathogens or the underlying limitations to killing the pathogens.
Factors that Affect the Efficacy of Disinfection
1. Number and location of micro-organisms
If the number of microorganisms is high, you will probably need more time to destroy them. To reduce this time, you should clean the surface thoroughly using water and soap or vacuum the surface to remove the pathogen and reduce their numbers significantly. On the other hand, micro-organisms in the corners or the walls and other equipment may render the pathogens hard to be reached with a disinfectant.
2. Concentration and potency of disinfectants
Under normal conditions, more concentrated disinfectant has greater efficacy. Therefore, taking a shorter time to kill the micro-organism. For instance, quaternary ammonium compounds containing a concentration exponent of 1 will take much time to kill pathogens compared to phenol, which has a concentration exponent of 6. It is important to take note of this factor as it also determines the potency of a disinfectant.
3. Innate resistance of micro-organisms.
Pathogen resistance to disinfectants varies. For example, spores have a spore coat and cortex, while mycobacteria contain a waxy cell wall that acts as a resistance mechanism to disinfectants. It is crucial to determine the kind of specific pathogens a disinfectant can kill. It is also important to note the type of reaction of a disinfectant component on the pathogen.
4. Duration and exposure
This is the time a disinfectant will take to achieve a microbial kill. Most disinfection experts have found that low-level disinfectant is more effective in fighting against most germs. E.g., vegetative bacteria (such as E.coli, salmonella, and MRSA), viruses (such as poliovirus), mycobacteria(such as Mycobacteria tuberculosis), and yeasts (such as Candida).
5. Physical and chemical factors
Multiple physical and chemical factors influence the disinfectant action on pathogens. They include temperature, pH, water hardness as well as relative humidity. For instance, high temperatures speed up the effect of most disinfectants on germs. But due to practical considerations, most disinfectants are manufactured to work at ambient temperature.
An increase in pH can significantly improve the antimicrobial activity of a few disinfectants such as glutaraldehyde and quaternary ammonium compounds. An increase in pH can still decrease the antimicrobial activity of some of the other disinfectants, such as phenols, hypochlorite, and iodine.
When it comes to relative humidity, gaseous disinfectants are affected. These disinfectants include chlorine and formaldehyde. Another physical factor that you should consider when testing for efficacy is water hardness. When divalent cations have high concentrations, the killing rate reduces. This is because they interact with the disinfectant in use, forming insoluble precipitates.
6. Biofilms
These are microbial communities that attach tightly to the surfaces. As a result of their formation, pathogens engulfed in them become resistant to disinfectants. Although these biofilms can be hard to be broken through with ordinary disinfectants, it has been found that chlorine and monochloramines have the capability of inactivating the biofilm bacteria effectively.
Comparison of Various disinfectant components
Below are some standard components you should check in determining the most powerful disinfectant. In most cases, disinfectants will contain a few of the elements. Each compound reacts differently to pathogens to achieve a microbial kill. This explains the difference in kill time, target micro-organism you want to kill, preference of use considering physical characteristics (porous or non-porous surfaces), and the safety of use. The comparisons below contain general guidelines. It is recommended to follow instructions given by the manufacturer on every disinfectant.
- Quaternary ammonium compounds are primarily used in solutions that are used for floor cleaning. They work best in inactivating lipids that contain viruses, vegetative bacteria, and fungi. However, they cannot be used to kill Mycobacteria tuberculosis, bacterial spores, and most viruses such as HBV.
- This compound takes around 10 minutes of contact time to kill germs. They can effectively inactivate vegetative bacteria, Mycobacteria tuberculosis, lipids containing viruses, and fungi with little effect on HBV. They do not affect bacterial spores.
- These are iodine-containing compounds. They take around 10 minutes of contact time to get rid of germs. They can effectively inactivate vegetative bacteria, Mycobacteria tuberculosis, fungi as well as lipid-containing viruses. They also have little effect on HBV but cannot inactivate bacterial spores.
- When it comes to ethanol, most microorganisms can escape without being affected by this compound. These micro-organisms include HBV, bacterial spores, and Mycobacteria tuberculosis. On the other hand, ethanol can inactivate most vegetative bacteria, and lipids containing viruses and fungi.
- Paraformaldehyde and formaldehyde. These compounds are mostly used by professionals, especially in the hospital environment. They best disinfect laboratory equipment. They can be used ineffectively to inactivate vegetative bacteria, lipid as well as non-lipid viruses, Mycobacteria tuberculosis, HBV, Coxiella burnetii, fungi, and bacterial spores.
However, paraformaldehyde and formaldehyde have some usage instructions that have to be followed. Due to their toxic nature, they require to be used with a vented fume hood and PPE. You are also prohibited from using these compounds to decontaminate equipment in the lab. It is recommended to hire an approved biosafety cabinet contractor to disinfect your biosafety cabinet. They can use these compounds in disinfecting before changing the HEPA filters.
- Glutaraldehyde is yet another compound suitable for use in disinfecting hospital instruments. The mixture can inactivate vegetative bacteria, lipid and non-lipid viruses, HBV, Coxiella bunetii, Mycobacteria tuberculosis, fungi, and bacterial spores. Glutaraldehyde also requires a vented fume hood with PPE to counter its toxicity nature. It is recommended not to use these compounds in decontaminating equipment in the lab.
- Ethylene oxide. Just like glutaraldehyde, paraformaldehyde, and formaldehyde, ethylene oxide is capable of inactivating vegetative bacteria, lipid and non-lipid viruses, HBV, Coxiella bunetii, Mycobacteria tuberculosis, fungi, and bacterial spores. It is toxic, requiring ventilation that is mechanically generated and PPE.
- Chlorine compounds. If disinfectants were containing only one compound, the one with chlorine compound could be the best. This is because of the high level of effect on germs and its availability as well as low cost. Despite its relatively long contact time of around 30 minutes, chlorine compounds can be active on a wide range of micro-organisms. It can inactivate vegetative bacteria, lipid and non-lipid viruses, Coxiella bunetii, Mycobacteria tuberculosis, and fungi. The compounds also have some effect when used in inactivating bacterial spores.
Most Powerful Disinfectant
The most potent disinfectant will contain one of the following compounds as its main ingredient. Chlorine compounds, paraformaldehyde, formaldehyde, glutaraldehyde, or ethylene oxide. These compounds can break through various barriers to effectively get rid of most microorganisms, causing diseases. However, serious caution should be taken when using disinfectants with these compounds. These precautions include:
- Ensuring you are utilizing the disinfectant on recommended surfaces only. The disinfectants can be corrosive on some surfaces.
- You are wearing personal protective equipment at all times when applying these disinfectants. In case the solution gets in contact with your skin or eyes, do first aid, by running water continuously for around 15 to 20 minutes before contacting your doctor for further advice.
- It is ensuring to use the of disinfectants with accessible ventilation exhaust that is generated mechanically.
- Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions on the use of every disinfectant. Some contain crucial steps that should be followed to achieve a successful microbial kill.
In conclusion, the most potent disinfectant can prove to kill the most resistant pathogen. It only takes a little research and following the right procedures to avoid exposure to the most dangerous micro-organisms. With the correct information on determining the most powerful disinfectant, you will always be on the winning side of the war against germs.
