Appl. Environ. Microbiol., Apr 1995, 1658-1660, Vol 61, No. 4
Copyright © 1995, American Society for Microbiology

Identification of Possible Artifacts in the Association of Official Analytical Chemists Sporicidal Test

NA Miner, GK Mulberry, AN Starks, A Powers-Prather, M Entrup, M Armstrong and B Maida
MicroChem Laboratory, Fort Worth, Texas 76118, and Hill Top Biolabs, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio 45242

Two laboratories tested four different brands of alkaline 2% glutaraldehyde sterilants by the Association of Official Analytical Chemists sporicidal test. Each laboratory found survival of Clostridium sporogenes spores on spore-labeled unglazed porcelain penicylinders (cylinders) to vary from test to test, and survival did not always correlate with increasing sterilant exposure time. These results were consistent with a theory that there may be random conditions within the test that prevent the sterilant from contacting all spores. Further studies indicated that the prior history of the unglazed porcelain cylinders and whether the C. sporogenes culture grown in egg-meat media had been processed (homogenized) to eliminate visible pieces of egg-meat media were important factors affecting the results and repeatability of this test.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Sagripanti, J.-L., Bonifacino, A. (1999). Bacterial Spores Survive Treatment with Commercial Sterilants and Disinfectants. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65: 4255-4260 [Abstract] [Full Text]