disinfectant

(noun)

A substance which kills germs and/or viruses.

Related Terms

Examples of disinfectant in the following topics:

  • Effective Disinfection

    • The choice of disinfectant depends on the particular situation.
    • One way to compare disinfectants is to compare how well they do against a known disinfectant and rate them accordingly.
    • Disinfectants that are more effective than phenol have a coefficient > 1.
    • Low-level disinfection kills some viruses and bacteria with a chemical germicide registered as a hospital disinfectant by the EPA.
    • Disinfection of a floor using disinfectant liquid applied using a mop

  • Types of Disinfectants

    • There are multiple types of disinfectants, including but not limited to air disinfectants, alcohols, and oxidizing agents.
    • Types of disinfectants include: Air disinfectants, Alcohols, Aldehydes, Oxidizing agents, Phenolics, Quaternary ammonium compounds, Silver, and Copper alloy surfaces.
    • Air disinfectants are typically chemical substances capable of disinfecting microorganisms suspended in the air.
    • A large number of disinfectants operate in this way.
    • Phenolics are active ingredients in some household disinfectants.

  • Purification of Drinking Water

    • Water is purified with filters to remove larger protozoans, and by chemical or UV disinfection to kill bacteria and other small pathogens.
    • Disinfection: Before water is considered potable, it must be disinfected to remove any pathogens that passed through the membrane filter.
    • Chlorination is the most common form of disinfection.
    • Water is purified for drinking through a system of filters and by chemical disinfectant.

  • Considerations in Microbial Control

    • Disinfectants are substances that are applied to non-living objects to destroy microorganisms that are living on them.
    • Disinfection does not necessarily kill all microorganisms, especially resistant bacterial spores, so it is less effective than sterilisation.
    • Disinfectants are different from other antimicrobial agents such as antibiotics, which destroy microorganisms within the body.
    • Disinfectants are also different from biocides, as these are intended to destroy all forms of life, not just microorganisms.
    • Disinfectants work by destroying the cell wall of microbes or interfering with their metabolism.

  • Factors that Affect Germicidal Activity of Chemicals

    • Antiseptics are generally distinguished from antibiotics by the latter's ability to be transported through the lymphatic system to destroy bacteria within the body, and from disinfectants, which destroy microorganisms found on non-living objects.
    • They are commonly referred to as "surgical alcohol. " They are used to disinfect the skin before injections are given, often along with iodine (tincture of iodine) or some cationic surfactants (benzalkonium chloride 0.05–0.5%, chlorhexidine 0.2–4.0%, or octenidine dihydrochloride 0.1–2.0%).
    • Benzalkonium chloride is used in some pre-operative skin disinfectants (conc. 0.05–0.5%) and antiseptic towels.
    • Related disinfectants include chlorhexidine and octenidine.
    • The great advantage of iodine antiseptics is their wide scope of antimicrobial activity, killing all principal pathogens and, given enough time, even spores, which are considered to be the most difficult form of microorganisms to be inactivated by disinfectants and antiseptics.

  • Biological Control of Microbes

    • Disinfectants are chemical agents used on inanimate objects to lower the level of microbes present on the object.
    • Disinfectants and antiseptics affect bacteria in many ways.

  • Wastewater and Sewage Treatment

    • Several methods can be used to further disinfect sewage beyond primary and secondary treatment.
    • Sludge can also be incinerated, or condensed, heated to disinfect it, and reused as fertilizer.

  • Cryptosporidiosis

    • The oocyst allows for survival against harsh chemicals including harsh disinfectants such as chlorine.

  • Damage to Proteins and Nucleic Acids

    • Depending on their application, bacteriostatic antibiotics, disinfectants, antiseptics, and preservatives can be distinguished.

  • Cholera

    • ., should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected with chlorinated water or other effective antimicrobial agents.
    • All water used for drinking, washing, or cooking should be sterilized by either boiling, chlorination, ozone water treatment, ultraviolet light sterilization (e.g. by solar water disinfection), or antimicrobial filtration in any area where cholera may be present.