Abstract
Biocides are widely used in healthcare and industry to control infections and microbial contamination. Ineffectual disinfection of surfaces and inappropriate use of biocides can result in the survival of microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses on inanimate surfaces, often contributing to the transmission of infectious agents. Biocidal disinfectants employ varying modes of action to kill microorganisms, ranging from oxidization to solubilizing lipids. This review considers the main biocides used within healthcare and industry environments and highlights their modes of action, efficacy and relevance to disinfection of pathogenic bacteria. This information is vital for rational use and development of biocides in an era where microorganisms are becoming resistant to chemical antimicrobial agents.
Highlights
Biocides are antimicrobial chemical agents that are used heavily within domestic, industry and healthcare environments for disinfection purposes [1]
This review provides a summary of common biocides used in disinfection of bacteria, and scientific evidence of the emergence of bacterial resistance against critical biocides
Guidelines recommend 1000 ppm or 5000 ppm active chlorine for 10 min to be used for disinfection of surfaces laden with C. difficile spores; recent data suggest that C. difficile spores can survive exposure to Sodium dichloroisocyanurate at 1000 ppm, and the utility of Chlorine-releasing agents (CRAs) at this concentration has been called into question [40,41]
Summary
Biocides are antimicrobial chemical agents that are used heavily within domestic, industry and healthcare environments for disinfection purposes [1]. QACs are biocidal agents commonly used within domestic and industry environments (Figure 1) They are bactericidal across a range of microorganisms, including fungi, bacteria, parasites and lipophilic viruses [10]. QACs, such as benzalkonium chloride, act upon microbial membranes irrespective of their species They are active against the collection of ESKAPE pathogens, including Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacter species, which demonstrate increased levels of antimicrobial resistance [14,15,16]. Unlike oxidizing biocides, such as those containing hydrogen peroxide, QACs do not produce free radicals; they are not carcinogenic or genotoxic [1] They are useful as biocides within the home: cetylpyridinium chloride and dodecyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride can be found within common cleaning fluids because they are active against a variety of bacteria at a low cost [7]. It is clear that the application methods of QACs to surfaces to reduce bioburden, alongside the time of contact, are important for biocide efficacy and bacterial control
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