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Quaternary Ammonium Compounds as Sterilizing Agents for Bacterial Spores

Bureau of Dairy Industry, Agricultural Research Administration, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Washington 25, D. C.

ABSTRACT

Eight quaternary ammonium compounds and two quaternary-containing detergents were studied in respect to their spore-killing activity in buffer or distilled water solutions.

The sporocidal activity increased with temperatures at 30, 60, 80 and 95° C. The sporocidal activity increased with the degree of alkalinity at pH 6.4, 8.0 and 9.6.

Traces of skim milk and the protection afforded by milk films, in general, decreased the sporocidal activity of the quaternaries.

At the highest observed temperature (95° C.) and most favorable pH (9.6), concentrations of quaternaries up to 1–20 did not kill all the spores of all test samples within 30 min.

Quaternaries were highly sporostatic in nutrient broth and had relatively low sporostatic activity in skim milk.

Discrepancies in the reported sporocidal activity of quaternary ammonium compounds are discussed.