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Disinfectants Defined
You don’t need to be a microbiologist to use disinfectants, but you do need to be an educated user.
by Staff
February 1, 20082 min to read
You don’t need to be a microbiologist to use disinfectants, but you do need to be an educated user. In order to create a common vocabulary for this important topic, we’ve listed some terms and their commonly accepted definitions. You won’t necessarily find all these words on every label, but they’re likely to show up and it’s important to understand what they mean.
Bactericidal: kills bacteria
Biofilm: a thin layer of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms that coats surfaces
Bloodborne pathogens: microorganisms present in human blood, or other potentially infectious body fluids, that can cause disease in humans
Broad-spectrum: works on a variety of pathogens
Chelating surfactant: a cleaner that works in hard water; when used properly, chelating surfactants act like “microscopic scrub brushes” and remove biofilm
Disinfectant: a substance used to destroy microorganisms on non-living surfaces, such as implements and surfaces
EPA-registered: the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reviewed and approved the supporting data submitted by the manufacturer to show the product’s efficacy as tested against the EPA standard
Fungicidal: kills fungi (molds and mildew)
Hepatitis B: a disease caused by a virus that attacks the liver; the virus, which is called hepatitis B virus (HBV), can cause lifelong infection, cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver, liver cancer, liver failure, and death
Hepatitis C: a liver disease caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV), which is found in the blood of persons who have the disease; spread by contact with the blood of an infected person
HIV-1: a more virulent strain of the virus that leads to AIDS; it is transmitted more easily and is the cause of the majority of HIV infections globally
Hospital-grade: effective in killing a wide range of germs, including many varied strains of bacteria, fungi, and viruses; the standard used in hospitals and medical facilities
Microorganisms: organisms of microscopic size such as bacteria, viruses or fungi
Pathogen: microorganism capable of producing an infection
Tuberculocidal: kills mycobacterium tuberculosis
Virucidal: kills viruses (look for the words: “effective against viruses such as Herpes Simplex 1 and 2, Hepatitis B and C, and HIV-1”)
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