Evaluation of Efficacy about Disinfectants in Biological Containment Facilities

In healthcare facilities, research facilities, and biology laboratories that handlebiological agents, different types of disinfectants are used for sterilization anddisinfection. In order to use disinfectants to prevent biological contaminationand achieve the effective level of disinfection, accurate approaches should beconsidered such as selecting appropriate disinfectants and setting up effectivedisinfection conditions. This study performed an experiment by setting up abiologically contaminated surface in the facility such as the walls in order toexamine the disinfection effects followed by the disinfectant and disinfectionconditions. Geobacillus stearothermophilus, biological indicators, were used asa test organism of this study to verify the disinfection effects. Amongst whatis used in many biological containment facilities, common disinfectants likeDOCTOR SOLUTION, BruClean TBCTM, TexQTM, ethanol, and sterile waterwere used. In addition, various practiced cleaning methods like spraying andwiping were applied by combining the condition of treating with the disinfectantfor each condition and the disinfection level was verified synthetically. As a result of confirming the disinfection effects by combining differentcombinations of disinfectants and the disinfection sessions (1~5 times), thefindings suggest that disinfection was effective from the 1st disinfectionwiping with 70% ethanol. For the disinfection method, the condition of morethan 1 time of wiping for disinfection was effective for the inactivation ofinfectivity for G. stearothermophilus by displaying disinfection effects. However,it was identified that only spraying D OCTOR SOLUTION is not effective fordisinfection. We also carried out an additional experiment by investigatingthe impact of disinfectants (hydrogen peroxide, DOCTOR SOLUTION, BruCleanTBCTM, TexQTM, ethanol, and peracetic acid) on various surface materials(epoxy, stainless steel, urethane, and lab benches) in the facility. As a resultof identifying the changes in the surface material followed by the disinfectants,the experiment verified that it is safe in general concentration. Therefore, the findings of this study will provide much-needed informationfor the selection of appropriate disinfectants and disinfection methods whendecontaminating bio-containment facilities in each institution KCI Citation Count: 0