Disinfectant Overview

Disinfectant Overview
Introduction
Disinfection was first introduced by Lister who introduced "carbolic acid" (phenol), the first disinfectant. Today disinfectants are widely used in the health care, food and pharmaceutical sectors to prevent unwanted microorganisms from causing disease.
Disinfectant chemicals act to disrupt significant cellular structures or processes in order to kill or eliminate microorganisms. A number of different chemicals have been commercialized as disinfectants, as shown in Table 1.
Table 1. Classes of Disinfectant Chemicals
Chemical Class Examples
Chlorine Compounds sodium hypochlorite
chlorine dioxide
acidic chlorine sources "bleach"

Virkon S, AVS Virucidal Extra
Iodine and Iodophors tincture of iodine
povidone iodine
Aldehydes formaldehyde


glutaraldehydel formalin
paraformaldehyde1
Fumalyse II
Phenols synthetic phenols
cresol Multi-Phenolic Disinfectant
Quaternary Ammonium Compounds
Oxidizing Agents hydrogen peroxide
peracetic acid
ozone
Biguanidines chlorhexidine Hibitaine
1. No current approval for general disinfection in Canada.