Mankind has conquered many terrible diseases. But still, the danger in the form of pathogenic microorganisms lies in wait for a person at every step. Therefore, maintaining cleanliness is the key to health. As a cleaning and disinfecting aids, agents are often used whose active ingredient is quaternary ammonium compounds (HOURs).
Health disinfection
Few people are familiar with the extensive lists of disinfectant substances other than specialists. The townsfolk buy cleaning products in stores, paying little attention to their composition. Cleans, disinfects, smells good - these are the main indicators of such household products.
But public institutions, and especially such as medical, preventive institutions, swimming pools and the like, require a special approach to cleaning and disinfecting all surfaces.
Quaternary ammonium compounds are one of many disinfectants. Speaking of disinfection, people often mean drugs based on chlorine or alcohol. The fact that HOURs are also an active means of combating pathogenic organisms, few know. Although almost one fifth of the preparations used for disinfection contain these substances.
HOUR Availability
Disinfectants containing QAS - Quaternary ammonium compounds - have absolute, so to speak, practicality. They are available - this is an important factor for disinfectant manufacturers. After diluting the substance with additional components to a certain concentration, you can get an effective, in-demand cheap product for cleaning and disinfection.
On the other hand, quaternary ammonium compounds are low toxic substances for humans and animals. Usually, when using chlorine-containing preparations, abundant washing of treated surfaces with clean water is required to prevent their destruction under the influence of chlorine and its derivatives, as well as due to the release of toxic compounds into the atmosphere. So, HOURS do not have a corrosive effect on all processed surfaces and have minimal toxicity.
HOUR - what is it?
The abbreviation HOUR, which can be seen on packages with disinfectant preparations as the active substance, stands for Quaternary ammonium compounds. The mechanism of action of these tools allows you to process household items, medical instruments, surfaces in public places and medical institutions for disinfecting activities. Among disinfectant agents, HOURs occupy a fairly wide niche, due to their availability, almost harmlessness and the absence of a destructive effect on the treated surfaces.
Chemical formula
One of the available and effective substances used for disinfection in various public places, as well as in everyday life, is Quaternary ammonium compounds. Their formula is based on the combination of tetravalent nitrogen with other chemical organic substances. The general formula of such substances will be (RR'R``R '' 'N) + X - . Under natural conditions, quaternary ammonium compounds are crystals. However, they are found in many plants in the form of alkaloids. The quaternary ammonium compound, the chemical composition of which is read by the formula [(CH 3 ) 4 N] + X - , is found in marine anemones.
How does HR work?
Quaternary ammonium compounds are used as disinfectants to control many bacteria. This is due to their properties as surface-active antiseptic substances. By acting on microorganisms, quaternary ammonium compounds have an adverse effect on their cells. At low concentrations, HOURs affect the ability to divide and multiply pathogenic microorganisms, with a sufficient concentration of HOURs, they cause their death. When working with HOURs, it should be borne in mind that the studies performed showed a mandatory concentration of a working solution of 0.5-1%. If the concentration of the active substance is lower, then this is likely to cause bacteria to become addicted to the effects of HR, which is fraught with aggravation of the epidemiological situation in the place.
Working concentration
It turns out that not always people who decide to treat certain surfaces with disinfectants can accurately determine the need for a particular concentration of working solution with HOUR. This is due to the ambiguity of such concepts as the minimum inhibitory concentration and the minimum bactericidal concentration of the working substance.
Although the two terms are similar, they have completely different meanings in terms of surface disinfection. Inhibition means inhibition, inhibition of development, and bactericidal activity means the complete destruction of pathogenic bacteria. In addition, different types of bacteria are subject to different concentrations of HR.
Therefore, before purchasing and using one or another disinfectant, which includes quaternary ammonium compounds, an analysis of the presence of types of pathogenic microorganisms should be carried out. It should also be taken into account that HR does not adversely affect tuberculosis mycobacteria. Therefore, if available, other disinfectant substances should be used.
Features of using HOUR
One of the sought-after surface disinfectants is quaternary ammonium compounds. In medicine, these substances are actively used to disinfect work surfaces, medical instruments. With its availability and low cost, HOURs actively fight against pathogenic bacteria, preventing them from spreading and harming human health. The only feature of these disinfectants is their exposure to various organic substances. This requires pre-treatment of surfaces from contamination and rinsing with clean water.
It should also be remembered that ordinary soap, which is used to wash hands, is also a substance that destroys HOURs, depriving them of disinfecting qualities. Therefore, hands should also be rinsed with water. The algorithm of work during disinfecting activities is reduced to several basic actions:
- cleaning surfaces from visible impurities with cleaning products;
- removal of these products from treated surfaces with clean water;
- replacing rags with a clean one, washing and rinsing hands;
- surface treatment with quaternary ammonium compounds as an active disinfectant;
- exposure to the disinfectant at the time specified in the instructions;
- HR removal (if necessary).
Disinfection of rooms and surfaces should be carried out regularly, whether it concerns medical medical institutions, public premises, at home, for areas of veterinary medicine. Quaternary ammonium compounds for the pool are also actively used - the treatment of all surfaces in contact with the human body should be carried out daily in several stages. If necessary, bacterial analysis is carried out before and after treatment.
Strict observance of the rules of personal and public hygiene, regular competent treatment of various surfaces for the purpose of disinfection will prevent the spread of bacterial, viral and fungal infections.