Factors affecting the efficacy of disinfectants

The efficacy of disinfectants is affected by various factors, such as the target microorganisms, the environment of the microorganisms, the contaminated object, the microbicidal ingredients, and the mode of application. Three of these five factors - the microorganisms, the environment, and the object - are given by the disinfection task. The other two factors - the microbidde, the mode of application - depend on the disinfection method itself (Spicher, 1996). 

Other factors, which affect the efficacy of the disinfectants, are  

The evaluation and listing of the effective disinfectants and disinfection procedures were performed till now by appropriate national institutions, e.g. AOAC (AOAC, 2002), DGHM (Gebel et al, 2001), AFNOR (AFNOR, 1997), and the BSI (BSI, 1991). 

In 1990, the CEN created the Technical Committee TC 216 for the standardization of methods of testing the activity of chemical disinfectants and antiseptics. The CEN test program for chemical disinfectants and antiseptics includes 3 phases  

The microbicide effectiveness is thus determined in quantitative tests. This is the only procedure which allows determining the killing kinetics of biocides. 

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