Studies on the Action of Wetting Agents on Microörganisms

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Abstract
A study was made of the effect of 2 anionic wetting agents, Na lauryl sulfonate and the dioctyl ester of Na sulfosuccinate, on the germicidal action of 2, 4, 6-trichlorophenol and 2, 4-dichlorophenol. Staphylococcus aureus (Insecticide board strain) was used as test organism, and a serial dilution-plate count method was used as index of germicidal action. Tests were made at pH 6. pH 7.7 and pH 9.7 in order to evaluate the relative effects on ionized and unionized halogenated phenols. The data obtained showed that the wetting agents enhanced the germicidal action of the phenols and that this enhancement could be ascribed to a synergistic action between the wetting agents and the undissociated phenols.[long dash]Discrepancies in reports on the action of wetting agents on phenols may be primarily due to failure to consider the alkalinity of the wetting agents employed.