Bactericidal properties of a new water disinfectant.

The N-chloramine compound 3-chloro-4,4-dimethyl-2-oxazolidinone (agent I) has been compared with calcium hypochlorite as to its efficacy as a bactericide for the treatment of water. The study included concentration, contact time, pH, temperature, and water quality as controlled variables. The species of bacteria tested were Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Shigella boydii. In general, for highly pure, demand-free water, calcium hypochlorite was the more rapid disinfectant at a given total chlorine concentration, although for water containing a controlled amount of organic load, agent I was the better disinfectant. The differences in efficacy of each of the two disinfectants can be attributed primarily to their different stabilities in water at various controlled conditions.     

Electrical properties of water: a new insight

New insight into the electrical properties of liquid water, from a standpoint of the physics of electrolytes, is proposed. The dielectric spectrum of water at frequencies 10⁴–10¹¹ Hz is described by a simple diffusional model taking into account the electrophoretic and relaxation effects inherent in electrolytes. The static dielectric permittivity and microwave absorption are derived from diffusion of Coulomb interacting H₃O⁺ and OH^? ions instead of orientational motion of H₂O molecules. The drift component of diffusion provides the proton dc-conductivity. Ion concentration is found to be 7 orders of magnitude higher than commonly accepted (～1% of the total concentration of H₂O molecules). The findings refer to the basic properties of water and therefore can be the key to solving the water-related problems.     

不同类型铜合金板的杀菌特性

【目的】微生物对可接触表面的污染给公共卫生带来了极大的威胁。利用具有杀菌特性的铜及铜合金代替不锈钢等制品,可以降低消毒剂的使用和细菌的传播。【方法】通过分析3株金黄色葡萄球菌和2株大肠杆菌在铜及铜合金平板上的存活时间,对不同类型铜合金的杀菌特性进行了探索。【结果】铜合金平板的杀菌能力与其铜含量成正比;铜合金对同属细菌的杀菌能力相近,对不同属细菌则有一定差异;铜合金的杀菌效率与细菌对Cu2+抗性没有直接联系;铜合金杀菌的效率与细菌的细胞壁结构可能有很大关联。【结论】铜及铜合金是较好的杀菌材料。     

Bactericidal and immunocorrective properties of plant extracts

Extract from oak cork, St. John's wort leaves and flowers and pine buds possess more pronounced bactericidal properties with respect to staphylococci, shigellae, Escherichia coli than decoctions from these medicinal plants. Such extracts may be included into complexes for the treatment of otorhinolaryngological diseases, enterocolitis in children and bacterial eczema. As a medicinal form, extract prepared from medicinal plants are more convenient for storage and permit more exact dosage.     

Virucidal activity of the new disinfectant monopercitric acid

AIMS: The virucidal efficacy of monopercitric acid (MPCA) was evaluated against the enveloped vaccinia virus as well as the nonenveloped adenovirus type 2 and poliovirus type 1. The results were compared with that obtained with peracetic acid (PAA). METHODS AND RESULTS: In the virucidal suspension test without and with protein burden, all viruses were inactivated by 0.5% MPCA within 0.5 min or by 0.1% MPCA within 5 min as measured by a >10(4)-fold reduction in virus titres. For MPCA, there was a better virucidal efficacy than for PAA which inactivated all viruses included in the test within 15-30 min at a concentration of 0.2%. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The high virucidal activity, short exposure times, and nontoxic by-products seem to make MPCA suitable as disinfectant for medical use and should warrant further investigation.     

A model of microbial survival curves in water treated with a volatile disinfectant

AIM: To develop a method to calculate microbial survival parameters in water treated with a dissipating disinfectant and predict the inactivation patterns under different agent concentrations and decay rate regimes. METHODS AND RESULTS: It has been assumed that the survival curves of the organism, under (hypothetical) constant agent concentration conditions, follow the power law model log [N(t)/N0] = -btn with a concentration independent exponent, n. The concentration dependence of the 'rate parameter', b, has been assumed to obey a log logistic relationship. Under changing disinfectant concentration, the survival curve is constructed so that its local slope, i.e. momentary logarithmic inactivation rate of the organism, is the slope of the momentary 'constant concentration' curve at the momentary agent concentration, at the time which corresponds to the momentary survival ratio. The resulting differential equation was used to retrieve the survival parameters by numerical minimization procedures. Once these are calculated, the equation is solved numerically to produce the survival curve for almost any conceivable agent concentration history. The predictive ability of the method is demonstrated by using the survival parameters, calculated from published data obtained under one concentration profile, to predict survival curves under very different decay patterns. CONCLUSIONS: It is possible to calculate microbial survival parameters from data obtained in treatments where the unstable or volatile disinfectant progressively dissipates and use them to predict the outcome of different treatments. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The proposed mathematical method will enable the prediction of microbial inactivation patterns in water treated with unstable and/or volatile chemical agents.     

Bactericidal properties of an organic N-chloramine formed in situ

Agent I (3-chloro-4,4-dimethyl-2-oxazolidinone) formed in situ was compared with pre-formed agent I as a disinfectant against Staphylococcus aureus. In situ formation involved combining the non-chlorinated oxazolidinone precursor with calcium hypochlorite to form 5 and 10 mg/l total chlorine concentrations of agent I. The variables included in the study were temperature, pH and concentration. Overall the bacteria were killed more rapidly at 22 degrees than at 4 degrees C. The in situ formation appeared to occur most rapidly at pH 7.0, slightly slower at pH 9.5, and very slowly at pH 4.5 as evidenced by the presence of residual free chlorine. In the in situ experimental runs the 5 and 10 mg/l concentrations were equally effective in obtaining a six log decline in cfu/ml. This study indicates the potential for using the organic N-chloramine as a general purpose disinfectant while omitting the laboratory synthesis of the final product.     

Bactericidal properties of an organic N-chloramine formed in situ

Agent I (3-chloro-4,4-dimethyl-2-oxazolidinone) formed in situ was compared with pre-formed agent I as a disinfectant against Staphylococcus aureus. In situ formation involved combining the non-chlorinated oxazolidinone precursor with calcium hypochlorite to form 5 and 10 mg/l total chlorine concentrations of agent I. The variables included in the study were temperature, pH and concentration. Overall the bacteria were killed more rapidly at 22° than at 4°C. The in situ formation appeared to occur most rapidly at pH 7˙0, slightly slower at pH 9˙5, and very slowly at pH 4˙5 as evidenced by the presence of residual free chlorine. In the in situ experimental runs the 5 and 10 mg/l concentrations were equally effective in obtaining a six log decline in cfu/ml. This study indicates the potential for using the organic N-chloramine as a general purpose disinfectant while omitting the laboratory synthesis of the final product.