What is the difference between sterilization and decontamination

These are the areas that can harbor germs — and the best way to disinfect them according to experts. Food poisoning causes millions of illnesses and thousands of deaths in the U.

Learn about some of the worst foodborne outbreaks in…. Homemade disinfectant wipes are not only easy to make with common household products, but they're also effective at killing the new coronavirus and….

Learn whether you can safely microwave a sponge, get other sponge-cleaning tips, and learn some alternatives that may be more sanitary than a sponge. Looking for an eco-friendly, multi-purpose cleaning solution for your home? An aqueous ozone cleaner may be just the thing. These products help make every room in your home feel a little more tranquil. Alum blocks are crystallized blocks of potassium alum that can be used to help eliminate minor bleeding, inflammation, and razor bumps.

Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. The Difference Between Disinfecting and Sterilizing. What it means to disinfect vs. Best practices for disinfecting. Read this next. Medically reviewed by Debra Rose Wilson, Ph. Good vs. Bad Germs. Decontamination of cultures and objects contaminated by biological agents is routinely performed in microbiological laboratories. Decontamination is a vital component of microbiological safety practice and serves to protect laboratory personnel as well as others from infection and the release of infectious organisms to the outside environment primarily through person-to-person transmission.

Decontamination of media, work surfaces, and equipment is also necessary to prevent contamination of cultured organisms. The three main categories of physical and chemical decontamination are heat, liquid disinfection, and vapors and gases. Heat : Wet heat is the most dependable method of sterilization. Liquid disinfection : A liquid disinfectant e. Each disinfectant requires varying amounts of contact time.

Gas and vapor: Potentially contaminated articles are exposed to a sterilizing gas e. Because of the hazardous nature of the gases and vapors used, this requires specially designed equipment and facilities. Autoclaving can be used to destroy vegetative bacteria, bacterial spores, and viruses.

The total processing time required to meet these conditions depends on several loading factors see below ; however, it is recommended that a minimum autoclave cycle of one hour be used when decontaminating waste. Please note that only EHS-approved autoclaves can be used to decontaminate biological waste, and that all decontaminated waste will still be packaged and shipped off-site for destruction as regulated biological wastes.

Autoclaving of these materials simply makes them safer for handling and transport, it does not affect the disposal endpoint. However, the total processing time required to achieve decontamination depends on several loading factors, including:. For increased loads, an increased cycle time will be required to ensure effective decontamination. Steam saturation is essential for maximum heat transfer. Steam must contact all areas of the load. Autoclave bags and other containers should be left partially open or otherwise permit entry of steam to ensure adequate contact.

Requiring higher temperature and longer contact time, dry heat is less effective than moist heat autoclaving. Nevertheless, dry heat is preferable to moist heat for decontamination of anhydrous materials and closed containers because the moisture component of the steam used in an autoclave will not effectively penetrate anhydrous materials and closed containers. The highest temperature that material will reach in a dry heat oven will be the actual temperature inside the oven.

Chemical Disinfection Disinfection is the decontamination of work surfaces, equipment, biological safety cabinets, and other inanimate objects using antimicrobial agents. Several chemical agents are used as disinfectants. Laboratory workers should remember that there are hazards associated with all of these chemical disinfectants.

Pertinent information for some of the common chemical disinfectants is summarized in table format at the end of this chapter. Cleaning — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention define cleaning as removing visible soil from surfaces and objects and usually involves the manual or mechanical use of water with enzymatic or detergent products. Soil does not necessarily refer to dirt, but rather any visible contaminant that can be left on a surface. This means that a surface may technically be clean to the naked eye but still contaminated by bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens.

Because dirt and other organic matter can reduce the efficiency of sterilization and disinfection, cleaning is often used as a pre-treatment to these processes to make them more effective. Sanitization — Sanitization, as defined by the Environmental Protection Agency is the use of a device or chemical product to reduce the number of germs on objects and surfaces to a level that is considered safe by public health requirements and standards.

This process is similar to cleaning in that it renders an area safer, but not necessarily safe. It is also often used as a pre-treatment for additional processing. Disinfection — This term is defined by the FDA as the destruction of microorganisms and other pathogens by chemical or physical means. It is a less-lethal process than sterilization because it destroys most, but not necessarily all, microbial forms.