| Alcohol Disinfectants |
 | ALCOHOLS AS DISINFECTANTS
Background
Alcohols have long been recognised for their disinfection properties. For the purposes of disinfection in cleanroom environments only ethanol and isopropyl alcohol (IPA) are routinely used. Alcohols have desirable properties for the pharmaceutical and NHS aseptic manufacturing environments – evaporate quickly leaving surfaces dry, leave very low levels of residue, and have relatively low levels of toxicity, exhibit stability over time, broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity.
In order to maximise the microbial efficiency of alcohol, some water is required to be present. Concentrations of alcohol in the region of 60 – 70% in water (v/v) have been found to be most effective.
Ethanol is required by law to be denatured for tax purposes and also in order to render it inedible. This is to be achieved either by the addition of 1 part wood naphtha (largely methanol) to 19 parts ethanol (known as Industrial Methylated Spirits, or IMS) or by the addition of other denaturants such as Bitrex (denatonium benzoate) at levels of about 10ppm.
ClearKlens DE is denatured Ethanol with Bitrex which means it is less toxic than using methanol and there is no variability in the formulation as is the case when using wood naphtha.
Sterility
Both ClearKlens IPA, for Pharmaceutical Manufacturers, and ClearKlens DE, for NHS are:
- Manufactured in an ISO Class 5 (Class A) environment within an ISO Class 7 (Class C) background
- Made with Water For Injection (WFI)
- 0.2 micron filtered
- Double Bagged
- Gamma Irradiated
- Detex irradiation indicated
- Fully batch tracable
- Sterility tested
- Endotoxin tested
Antimicrobial activity
Alcohols are broad spectrum disinfectants, effective against bacteria, fungi and viruses. They are also tuberculocidal. In common with many other disinfectant types, they are Sporicidal, however it is believed the mode of bacterial action is by denaturation of proteins. There may also be an interference with metabolism, inhibiting the production of metabolites required for rapid cell division. In addition it has been reported that alcohols can cause cell lysis.
Diversey Sterile Alcohol disinfectants have a broad spectrum of kill leaving no residues, and Water for Injection is used to manage the endotoxin risk. Both ClearKlens IPA and ClearKlens DE pass the following tests:
For more information, click on the following link to download the ClearKlens Sterile Alcohol Brochure
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