Alternatives Analysis of

Disinfectants and Sanitizers

WSPPN Webinar, September 24, 2012

Chris Geiger, Ph.D.

Toxics Reduction Program
San Francisco Department of the Environment
Topics

 The problem
 Definitions
 Methods
 Findings &
recommendations
 Regulatory issues
 Take-home messages
Problems with disinfectants
Problems with disinfectants
Definitions

 Food contact surface sanitizers

99.999% in 1 minute

 Chlorine & iodine (halides)

 Efficacy against Salmonella typhi
 99.999% in 1 minute

 Other compounds (quats, non-halides)

 Efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus and E. coli
 99.999% in 30 seconds
Definitions

 Non food contact

surface sanitizers

 Staph
AND
Klebsiella pneumoniae OR Enterobacter aerogenes
 99.9% efficacy in 5 minutes
Definitions

 Disinfectants
 Hospital or Medical Environment Efficacy
 Staph, Salmonella AND Pseudomonas
99.999% in 10 minutes
 General (or Broad-Spectrum) Efficacy
 Staph AND Salmonella
99.999% kill in 10 minutes
 Limited Efficacy
 Salmonella OR Staph
99.999% kill in 10 minutes.
 Methods
 Comparison of active ingredients (AIs)
 Review of REDs, other sources of info on AI
 Review of sample CA-registered product labels/MSDSs
 Factors considered:
 Environmental and health factors
 Efficacy
 Dwell time (and need to rinse off)
 Cost
 Material compatibility
 Potential for exposure/package and dilution equipment
 Hard to kill

Tuberculosis

Norovirus

Athletes Foot

E. coli
Easy to kill
Influenza

Source: McDonnell & Russell, 1999

Active ingredients considered
 Chlorine “bleach”  Silver + citric acid
(sodium hypochlorite)  Thymol
 Hydrogen peroxide
(regular and AHP)
 Organic acids Other Cleaners
(citric/lactic/caprylic)  Electrolyzed water

 Ortho-phenylphenol  Microfiber

 Pine oil  Soap and water

 “Quats”  Steam
Option #1: Soap and water
Sodium hypochlorite
(chlorine bleach)
PROS
CHEAP, widely available
Kills wide variety of microbes, some
products kill Tb and/or Norovirus
Leaves no residue (does not always
need to be rinsed off)
Versatile (can be diluted differently
for different applications)
CONS
pH 11.5 = severe eye damage
Sodium hypochlorite = respiratory
sensitizer asthmagen (AOEC)
Reacts with organic molecules in
water –> environmental hazards
Typically available in open container,
which can increase worker exposure
and prevent accurate dilution
Not stable – loses potency
Reacts with other chemicals to form
toxic (chloramine) gas
Corrodes metals and floor polish
$1.79 (60 oz) $2.00 (10.1 oz)
Quaternary ammonium
compounds
PROS
Widely available, inexpensive
More stable than bleach
Broader efficacy claims than most
other products
Not as sensitive to organics
Surfactant – cleans also
Available in neutral pH
formulations (but still corrosive)
CONS
Respiratory sensitizer asthmagens
More effective in high pH
products; concentrates corrosive
Found in sewage outfalls; High
aquatic toxicity, “persistent*
Forms toxic chloramine gas when
mixed with bleach
Developmental & reproductive tox
observed (but not on Prop 65 list)
Residues toxic and cause sticky
build-up (needs rinsing)
Silver ion compounds

PROS CONS
Low acute toxicity; not a skin or Very high aquatic toxicity
respiratory sensitizer
Food contact surface sanitizer and Persistent, cumulative in
disinfectant – 1 minute dwell time herbivores and bivalves
Residual antimicrobial action (24 Usually formulated with citric acid:
hours; good candidate for Low pH (1.9) – eye hazard
“outbreaks”)
Effective against MRSA, Athletes Not registered for TB
Foot, Norovirus, E.coli
Not flammable; low scent Always RTU – Expensive!
Pine oil compounds
PROS CONS
Relatively inexpensive and Limited efficacy (only gram-neg bacteria,
widely available No TB, Norovirus, Hepatitis or HIV
registrations)
Not highly reactive Eye damage – DANGER label; corrosive
Some like (fresh) smell Often includes quats, alcohols
Reacts with ozone, forms formaldehyde
Some aquatic toxicity
Strong smell, flammable
10-minute dwell time
Skin sensitizing; possible asthmagen
Absorbs through skin
Neurotoxicity/Kidney effects
Peroxide compounds
PROS
Low human toxicity (not
respiratory or dermal sensitizer)
Low environmental hazard
Rapidly decomposes to
O2 + H2O
Some (AHP) formulations effective Some high efficacy products are
on full range of microbes
No residues/rinsing needed;
Whitens grout; removes stains
Shorter dwell time than quats,
pine oil (some 1-5 minutes)
Some concentrates versatile
cleaner/sanitizer/disinfectant
CONS
Eye hazard from concentrates -
corrosive
Irritating vapors from concentrates
Animal carcinogen & mutagen,
(but not on Prop 65 list)
expensive or only in RTU
No H202 only products registered
for food contact surface sanitizing
(only with PAA)
Some products have “hidden”
quats (on MSDS only)
AHP contains phosphorus
Thymol
PROS
Becoming more widely available
Low environmental hazard
Rapidly breaks down
Long shelf life
Not a respiratory sensitizer or
carcinogen
Some products registered as food
contact surface sanitizer
CONS
Strong smell
Eye hazard for concentrates
Skin sensitizer
Some aquatic toxicity
Possible reproductive effects
(but not on Prop 65 list)
10 minute dwell time typical
Limited efficacy
Electrolyzed water devices
Electrolyzed water devices
 Food Contact Surface Sanitizers
Active Ingredient Dwell Efficacy Health Envir

Thymol 30 B L L

B
H2O2 + PAA RTU 60 M L
B
B
H2O2 + PAA Conc 60
B
H L

Silver + Citric Acid 60 BBB L H

Quats 60 BBB M H

Chlorine Bleach 60 B M M
 Disinfectants
Active Ing. Dwell Efficacy (Bact, Virus, Fungi) Health Env

AHP ----------------- 1 BBB VVV FF M M

H2O2 only--------- 1 BB VVV FF M L
CAPRYLIC ACID --- 10 BBB VVV F L L
CITRIC ACID ------- 10 BB V 0 L L
SILVER/CITACID -- 1 BBB VVV F L H
LACTIC ACID ------ 10 BB VVV 0 L L
THYMOL ----------- 10 BB VV F H L
QUATS ------------- 10 BBB VVV FFF H M
CHLORINE --------- 1-10 BBB VVV FFF H H
PINE OIL ----------- 10 BB 0 F M H
H2O2 + PAA [ ] --- 10 BBB V FF H L
OPP ----------------- 10 BBB VVV F H H
 Recommendations
 Food contact surface sanitizer
 Sanidate RTU (H202 + PAA)
 Seventh Generation RTU (Thymol)
 Limited: Pure Hard Surface RTU (Silver + Citric Acid)
 Non food contact surface sanitizer
 Alpha HP @ 1:128 dilution (Accelerated H202)
 H2Orange 118 @ 1:12 dilution (H202)
 Comet Disinfecting Bathroom Cleaner @ 1:4 dilution (Citric acid)
 Windex Multi-Surface Antibacterial RTU; 10 second dwell (Lactic acid)
 Disinfectant
 Oxivir Five 16 @ 1:16 dilution (Accelerated H202)
 Blondie RTU (H202)
 Oxivir Tb RTU (Accelerated H202)
 Limited: Pure Hard Surface RTU (Silver + Citric Acid)
 Recommendations (specialized)
 Bloodborne pathogens HIV + HBV

 RTU
 30 sec: Clorox Blondie (1.4% H202)
 1 min: Oxivir Tb (0.5% AHP)
 10 min: Clean-Cide (0.6% Citric acid)
 10 min: Quantum Tb (0.138% Caprylic acid)
 Limited: 1 min: Pure Hard Surface (Silver + Citric Acid)

 Concentrate
 5 min: Oxivir Five 16 (4.25% AHP; 1:16)
 Recommendations (specialized)
 Locker Rooms (Athletes Foot Fungus)
 RTU
 5 min: H2Orange 120 One (1% H202)
 3 min: Blondie Clorox (1.4% H202)
 10 min: Oxivir Tb (0.5% AHP)
 10 min: Clean-Cide (0.6% Citric acid)
 10 min: Quantum Tb (0.138% Caprylic acid)
 5 min: Limited: Pure Hard Surface (Silver + Citric acid)
 Concentrate
 5 min: Oxivir Five 16 (4.25% AHP; 1:16) 5 min.
 10 min: Thymo-cide (13% Thymol) 10 min.
 Recommendations (specialized)
 Norovirus
 RTU
 1 min: Oxivir Tb (0.5% AHP)
 1 min: Clorox Blondie (1.4% H202)
 5 min: Clean-Cide (0.6% Citric acid)
 LIMITED: 1 min: Pure Hard Surface
(Silver + Citric Acid) 24-hr residual efficacy

 Concentrate
 5 min: Oxivir Five 16 (4.25% AHP @1:16)
 10 min: Ecolab 65 Disinfecting Heavy Duty
Bathroom Cleaner @ 1:10 (Caprylic acid)
 Microfiber
(an important part of an effective disinfection
program)
29
Regulatory confusion – an example

 Registered as a food contact sanitizer – by definition,

99.999% kill of E. coli and Staph in 30 seconds.

 Label language: “Kills 99.9% of bacteria that cause food-

borne illness.”
For more info:
www.sfapproved.org