when a disinfecting agent says it kills germs, by what method is it doing so? Does it dissolve the bacteria? Poison them?
In: 45
It depends on the disinfection agent.
Most chemical disenfectants react with and break down the chemistry of the cell well, usually through the process of oxidization. Its ok to think of this as dissolving them into their base chemicals. These are your chlorine chemicals like bleach, ozone, and your peroxides.
Alcohols and soaps bond with the proteins in the cell membranes and cytoplasms, weakening them. Kind of like poking a hole in the container, which makes them effective at killing simple cellular organisms like viruses and bacteria. Go for 70% over the 98% isopropyl as it has more water which gives it a greater reaction time and kill rate.
Pressure and temperature damage cells and essentially burn/boil microorganisms.
UV disenfection irradiates and damages the cellular DNA which prevents them from reproducing and functioning.
Certain agents are more effective than others depending on material you are trying to disinfect and it’s quantity.
All require specific amounts of time to work effectively.
Chemically, Oxidizers tend to work fastest, but can react with and damage the materials you are trying to disenfect and/or cause other harmful chemicals to be formed. Also, cyst and spore forming microorganisms are partially resistant.
Alcohols and soaps are less effective than oxidizers, but good enough, cheap, and ideal for everyday small scale use in the home.
Temperature and pressure are both also fairly quick and work best on things like equipment, dishes, etc. But it is energy and resources intensive and require machines like dishwashers, autoclaves, etc. They are extremely effective and killing all but the rarest of microorganisms if used properly.
UV is highly effective, but requires specialized equipment, a fair amount of contact time, and can be resisted by certain microorganisms.
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