STUDIES COMPARING THE SANITIZING EFFICIENCIES OF HYPOCHLORITES AND QUATERNARY AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS

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Abstract
The germicidal speed of four quaternary ammonium compounds has been compared with that of two hypochlorites against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus panis (vegetative cells and spores), Micrococcus candidus, cheese starter organisms, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, using the glass slide technique originally devised for comparing chlorine sterilizing agents. Against the Gram-positive species, the quaternary compounds were generally more effective than the hypochlorites; against the Gram-negative species, the reverse held true. Cheese starter organisms were an exception, being killed faster by the hypochlorites. Three of the four quaternary compounds were closely comparable in efficiency, while the fourth was definitely slower. The hypochlorites responded much more readily to favourable adjustments in pH and temperature than did the quaternary compounds. Some bacteriostatic effect was observed with higher concentrations of all four quaternary compounds, but it is not believed that the results were significantly affected thereby. The glass slide technique appears to offer many advantages in the evaluation of the germicidal efficiency of products designed for sanitizing metal or glass surfaces in food processing plants.

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