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Disinfection and sterilization are two different methods of destroying the growth of microorganisms. Disinfecting and Sterilization both of these are a type of decontamination, it is a process that makes something safe for touching. As we all know it is essential for all of us to clean our living space but disinfecting is different from cleaning. In today's world, COVID-19 is spreading worldwide to a large extent. They both are very useful for the current situation. In the disinfection process, all the pathogenic organisms are removed. Disinfection and sterilization are different from each other but both of these are antimicrobial processes, which are used in killing germs to the same degree. Both are better than sanitizing. Let’s discuss the difference between disinfection and sterilization in depth along with some important questions.
| Table of Content |
Keywords: Disinfection, Sterilization, Microorganisms, Disinfectants, Pathogenic organisms, Antimicrobial process, Pathogens, Infectious disease, Bacteria, Temperature
Also Read: Reproductive Health
What is Disinfecting?
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Disinfection is a process that is used to eliminate the growth of bacteria. Some pathogens cause infectious diseases in humans and animals, Disinfection is a process of removing all, those bacteria and pathogens. But it is not useful in removing all the microorganisms and their pores. It is done by using some disinfecting chemicals, these chemicals are called Disinfectants. These disinfectants are the chemical solution that makes the substances infection-free. The disinfection process is done by applying chemical sprays and wipes to public places to clean them and make them safe to touch.
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| Related Articles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Human Health and Diseases | Malaria | Filariasis |
| Dengue | Ascariasis | Typhoid |
Methods of Disinfection
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We can divide the methods of disinfection into two parts;
Physical Methods
There are some methods of disinfection which doesn’t include any chemicals. Disinfection is done through different methods without using any chemicals.
- Boiling and pasteurization
Boiling is a method used in water disinfection. By heating water at a high temperature, we can easily kill almost all microorganisms from it. The boiling method is very simple to use just need to boil water at 100° C for 20 minutes. Pasteurization is a method of disinfection to save milk from disease-causing pathogens and it increases milk safety for consumers.
- UV radiation
It is a method of disinfection that uses short-wavelength ultraviolet lights to inactivate the microorganism. It destroys nucleic acids by disrupting their DNA.
Chemical Methods
These are some chemical methods of dissection.
- Alcohols
Alcohols are the most effective and widely used as disinfection. It is done by soaking a small instrument and the clinical thermometer in alcohol like Ethyl or isopropyl for about 15 minutes.
- Aldehydes
Some aldehydes like formaldehyde, Glutaraldehyde are used as chemical sterilants.
- Halogens
Halogens like chlorine are used for municipal water supplies, swimming pools, food industries, etc. Iodine when prepared with alcohol and coupled with a neutral polymer.
- Phenols
Phenols are a common laboratory that is used as a disinfectant amphyl. It is used as a cleaner & disinfectant at the same time.
- Surfactants
Surfactants are used for disinfecting. They are surface-active compounds and there are some anionic detergents such as soaps that are highly effective cleansers.
- Heavy metals
Some heavy metals like mercury, silver, copper and zinc are heavily used for disinfection and preservation.
What is Sterilization?
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Sterilization is a process in which all the germs, bacteria and including persistent microorganisms are destroyed. It is a long process without decay. Sterilization has both physical and chemical methods. It is different from disinfections it removes all the present microorganisms and bacteria including spores. It kills bacteria and all vegetative spores. Sterilization is used in the decontamination of medicine, food and surgical instruments as well. Sterilization is way better than disinfection. It can be defined as the detection of all forms of microbial life.
Methods of Sterilization
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Both physical and chemical methods are used in sterilization.
Physical methods
These are some physical methods of sterilization.
- Dry heat ovens
Dry heat ovens are largely used to sterilize all the items that are unable to sterilize by moist heat. These items are powders, petroleum products and instruments too sharp.
- Gamma irradiation
The Gamma irradiation sterilization method is executed by exposing a product to a radiation source.
- Filtration
It is one of the most interesting sterilization methods which are used in laboratories. In this method, force is used to separate pores.
- Plasma Sterilization
The low-temperature plasma method is used for destroying microorganisms. This method comes into use because conventional methods have so many drawbacks.
- Moist-heat in autoclaves
An autoclave is a pressurized chamber that is used to perform a moist-heat sterilization process. For this process, the autoclave is filled with pressurized steam at a temperature of 121° C.
Chemical Methods
Apart from several physical methods, there are some chemical methods also that are used in sterilization.
- Ethylene oxide
Ethylene oxide is a gas that is used for the sterilization process. This gas is used to sterilize heat and moisture from sensitive devices. These devices can be damaged by pure steam or liquid chemicals.
- Glutaraldehyde
Glutaraldehyde is an oily liquid that has a pungent color. It is used as a cold sterilant to clean heat-sensitive equipment.
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Difference Between Disinfection and Sterilization
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| Particulars | Disinfection | Sterilization |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Disinfection is a process that kills most microbial forms. | Sterilization removes the life of microbial forms. |
| Definition | Disinfection can be defined as a process that destroys harmful pathogens. | Sterilization can be defined as a process that is used to kill all microorganisms including spores. |
| Methods | Boiling, UV Radiation, Heavy metals, phenols, Alcohols, Halogens, etc. | Heat(dry, moist), Irradiation, Filtration, plasma, chemicals, etc. |
| Protocols | Disinfection is an easy process there are no strict protocols. | Sterilization is not easy like disinfection, there are strict protocols to follow. |
| Application | Disinfection is mostly used for decontaminating surfaces & air. | Sterilization is used for decontaminating medicine, food & surgical instruments. |
| Destruction of pores | Disinfection can’t remove spores. | Sterilization removes all spores. |
| Cleanliness | Disinfection gives an adequate level of cleanliness | Sterilization gives an extreme level of cleanliness. |
| Destruction of microbial life forms | Disinfection does not destruct microbial life forms. | Sterilization destruct all microbial life forms. |
| Spreading of infections | There is no guarantee that disinfection can spread infections. | Sterilization can spread infections because it is absolute. |
| Better method | Disinfection is not as good as sterilization. | Sterilization is a better method than disinfection. |
| Uses | Disinfection is used for safety purposes in daily life. | Sterilization is used in laboratories & surgical operations. |
| Required time | Disinfection requires only 10 minutes of contact time. | Sterilization requires only 1 minute of contact time. |
| Examples | Pasteurization of milk, water treatment, disinfection of swimming pools, etc. | Medical equipment sterilization, culture, media, etc. |
Things to Remember
- Steam-Sterilization is done at two common temperatures of 121° C and 132° C.
- Sterilization and disinfection and sterilization are two different processes that are used to maintain a healthy and secure life.
- An effective disinfection process is safe and energy-sufficient.
- Disinfection is used for cleaning surfaces and air.
- The chemicals that are used to disinfect are called disinfectants.
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Sample Questions
Ques: Create a table of methods of Disinfection and Sterilization. (5 marks)
Ans:
| Disinfection | Physical methods | Chemical methods |
|---|---|---|
| Boiling & pasteurization | Alcohols | |
| UV Radiation | Aldehydes | |
| Halogens | ||
| Phenols | ||
| Surfactants | ||
| Heavy metals | ||
| Dyes | ||
| Oxidants | ||
| Concentration | Dry heat in ovens | Ethylene oxide |
| Gamma irradiation | Glutaraldehyde (high concentration | |
| Filtration | ||
| Plasma sterilization | ||
| Moist-heat in autoclaves |
Ques: What are affects the efficacy of Disinfection and Sterilization? (5 marks)
Ans: Factors that affect the efficacy of Disinfection and Sterilization are given below:
- The number of microorganisms.
- The inherent resistance of microorganisms.
- concentration & potency of the disinfectants
- Physical & chemical methods in the process.
- Organic & inorganic consequences.
- duration of the exposure.
Ques: Explain the pasteurizing process of disinfection by using a diagram. (4 marks)
Ans:
Ques: Explain physical Disinfection. (3 marks)
Ans: Disinfection is a process of inactivating microorganisms. disinfection means physical methods of disinfection. The method in which no chemical or chemical solutions were used is called physical disinfection. They are non-chemical methods but they disrupt microbial functions. Physical disinfection may cause structural damage to pathogens. There are so many methods of physical disinfection but an effective physical infection process is consistently effective, energy-efficient, safe, and cost-effective.
Ques: Why heat is used for Sterilization? (3 marks)
Ans: Heat is largely used for sterilization. There are so many methods of sterilization that are done by heat. By heat, it is easy to kill microbes by altering their membranes. Some parameters are fixed. These parameters are used to describe the procedure of sterilization. It is one of the quickest forms of sterilization. There are two main methods of heating- moist heat and dry heat. The best heating process is moist heating due to its extreme qualities. Steam is a good conductor of heat that’s why it is the best method of heat sterilization.
Ques: How often should you sanitize for disinfection? (3 marks)
Ans: In this pandemic situation of the world, it is now essential to clean your surfaces. As we all know COVID-19 is spreading all over the world. We need to clean our surfaces and we should maintain regular hygiene. So we need to be extra careful. We should wash our hands timely in fact every hour to protect ourselves. Buy a good quality sanitizer and regularly sanitize your hands. Avoid touching your face and body many often. Use sanitizer at your home for sanitizing at least 20 times a day and also don’t forget to keep a sanitizer with you when you are going out.
Ques: Write 5 similarities between Sterilization and Disinfection. (4 marks)
Ans: Sterilization and Disinfection both are different processes but there are some similarities between them.
Here are the top 5 similarities between Sterilization and Disinfection:
- Sterilization and Disinfection both are used to decontaminate articles.
- Sterilization and Disinfection both of the processes help kill harmful microbes.
- Both help destroy bacteria and protozoa.
- Sterilization and Disinfection help in annihilating the viruses.
- Both of these methods are used to secure human life.
Ques: What is Filtration? (2 marks)
Ans: Filtration is a method of sterilization in which no heat is involved. It is different from the heating process. Filtration is the most popular and quickest way of sterilization. In this method, filtering is done with a small pore size for microbes to pass through it. A filter with 0.2um is used for the removal of the bacteria. The most commonly used filters are the membrane filters. This method is not used when the viruses and phages are smaller than the bacteria.
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