Sterilization level

This means that the time t is equal to 12D (often called the 12D concept). This time in Eq. (9.12-10) to reduce the number by 10 is called the thermal death time. Usually, the sterility level N is a number much less than one organism. These times do not represent complete sterilization but a mathematical concept which has been found empirically to give effective sterilization. 

Sterility Level of Fermentation Medium. The aqueous medium in a fermentor is being sterilized and the time-temperature data obtained are as follows. 

Commercial Sterility Level of sterility in which only one out of every 10,000 products of a certain kind can be expected to contain bacteria or other microorganisms. 

Some scientific studies indicate that the gam in performance obtained through the use of anabolic steroids is small This may be a case though in which the anecdotal evidence of the athletes may be closer to the mark than the scientific studies The scientific studies are done under ethical conditions in which patients are treated with prescription level doses of steroids A 240 pound offensive tackle ( too small by todays standards) may take several ana bolic steroids at a time at 10-20 times their pre scribed doses in order to weigh the 280 pounds he (or his coach) feels is necessary The price athletes pay for gams in size and strength can be enormous This price includes emotional costs (friendships lost because of heightened aggressiveness) sterility testicular atro phy (the testes cease to function once the body starts to obtain a sufficient supply of testosterone like steroids from outside) and increased risk of prema ture death from liver cancer or heart disease... 

Medical and health-care related appHcations consume about 21,000 t of polycarbonate aimuaHy. Polycarbonate is popular because of its clarity, impact strength, and low level of extractable impurities. Special grades have been developed to maintain clarity and resistance to yeHowing upon gamma radiation sterilization (qv) processes. Leisure and safety appHcations are many and varied, accounting for about 22,000 t of consumption aimuaHy. The... 

It is necessary to estabUsh a criterion for microbial death when considering a sterilization process. With respect to the individual cell, the irreversible cessation of all vital functions such as growth, reproduction, and in the case of vimses, inabiUty to attach and infect, is a most suitable criterion. On a practical level, it is necessary to estabUsh test criteria that permit a conclusion without having to observe individual microbial cells. The failure to reproduce in a suitable medium after incubation at optimum conditions for some acceptable time period is traditionally accepted as satisfactory proof of microbial death and, consequentiy, stetihty. The appHcation of such a testing method is, for practical purposes, however, not considered possible. The cultured article caimot be retrieved for subsequent use and the size of many items totally precludes practical culturing techniques. In order to design acceptable test procedures, the kinetics and thermodynamics of the sterilization process must be understood. 

The term steam quaUty refers to the amount of dry steam present relative to Hquid water in the form of droplets. The steam deUvered from the boiler usually contains some water. Excessive amounts can result in air entrapment, drying problems following exposure, and unacceptable steam levels (>3% water or <97% quaUty steam). Excessive amounts of water deposits dissolve boiler chemicals onto the load to be sterilized. Boiler chemicals are used to prevent corrosion in the lines. Inappropriate boiler chemicals, also called boiler amines, may introduce toxicity problems (see CORROSION AND CORROSION control). 

Sanitization is a cleaning procedure that reduces microbial contaminants on certain surfaces to safe or relatively safe levels, as defined by the EPA or pubHc health authorities. The article is usually cleaned with hot water and various germicidal detergents. Sanitization can be safe for a product in contact with intact skin or for food utensils, but it is not considered safe for articles to be inserted in the human body. Effective sanitization is a requirement in the processing of reusable medical suppHes before packaging and sterilization. It is also a requirement in the maintenance of utensils and containers used for food preparation. 

For food and pharmaceutical applications, the microbial count must be reduced to less than 10,000 viable cells per g exopolysaccharide. Treatment with propylene oxide gas has been used for reducing the number of viable cells in xanthan powders. The patented process involves propylene oxide treatment for 3 h in a tumbling reactor. There is an initial evacuation step before propylene oxide exposure. After treatment, evacuation and tumbling are alternated and if necessary the reactor is flushed with sterile nitrogen gas to reduce the residual propylene oxide level below the Food and Drug Administration permitted maximum (300 mg kg 1). The treated polysaccharide is then packaged aseptically. 

The threshold odor concentration of amines in air is typically 10 to 40 ppb. These levels are considerable less than any regulatory limit but offer potential for triggering complaints in laundries, kitchens, and sterilizing equipment rooms. 

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