DISINFECTION &

ANTISEPTIC
JERRY XOLA SOSU
What is Disinfectant?

A disinfectant can be defined

• as an antimicrobial agent that can be applied
• on the surface of some objects in order
• to destroy the microorganisms residing on it.
How does it destroy the micro-organisms?

• A disinfectant is an antimicrobial agent.

• It is not necessary that a disinfectant will kill all the microorganisms.
• It is not as effective as sterilization.
• The process of sterilization kills all types of living forms but a
disinfectant kills only certain types of microbes.
• It is generally applied to a floor or a drainage system.
• Most of the popularly used cleaning products used in homes and
offices are either disinfectants or disinfectant agents are incorporated
in the cleaning products.
Types of Disinfectants
Some common types of disinfectants include:
• Air disinfectants: It is defined as the chemical substances which are
used to kill the microorganisms that are suspended in the air. It can
also be called as a disinfectant spray.
• Alcohol: It is seen that alcohols are used as disinfectants. Ethanol and
Isopropyl Alcohol are the most common example in this case. Some
other examples of disinfectants are, chlorine when it is in the
concentration of 0.2 to 0.4 in aqueous solution and sulphur dioxide,
which acts as a disinfectant in small concentrations.
What is an Antiseptic?
Antiseptics can be defined:
• as antimicrobial agents
• which can be applied on the body of living organisms
• to inhibit the action of microbes.
• They are not injected or ingested into the body like the antibiotics,
rather they are applied on the surface of the skin to heal the living
tissues or to prevent infection or reinfection in case of wounds and
cuts.
Types of Antiseptics
• Some antiseptics are germicidal in nature, implying that they have the ability to
completely destroy microbes. These types of antiseptics are referred to as bacteriocidal
antiseptics.
• Other antiseptics only inhibit the growth of microbes (or prevent the growth of
microbes altogether).  Such substances are commonly referred to as bacteriostatic
antiseptics.
This ability to kill or inhibit depends on:
• The concentration of the antiseptic: the same antiseptic can be either a bacteriocidal or bacteriostatic
depending on the concentrations
• The chemical nature of the antiseptic
• The pH of the antiseptic
• Site of application
Types of Antiseptics
• Ethanol & Isopropyl Alcohol have been the most common chemicals in Hand sanitizers.
Benzalkonium and Cetalkonium (preservative agents) are used in preaparin Sanitizers
(Non-alcohol sanitizer) but are not effective against viruses. There are mixture of alcohol
and any of the preservative agents which are used as disinfectants for sanitary wares.
• Chlorohexidine is the most commonly used antiseptic especially in mouthwash. In other
leading brands such as Dettol, Camel, TCP (NCP), Betadine, Savlon in Ghana.
• Dettol is a mixture of chloroxylenol (phenol derivatives) and terpineol. 
• TCP /NCP is a mixture of phenols and halogenated phenols
• Betadine has povidone iodine as the antiseptic base
• Savlon are Cetrimide and Chlorhexidine gluconate 
• Iodoform is also used as an antiseptic for wounds.
The Difference between Disinfectants and Antiseptics

Disinfectants and antiseptics are both used for killing the microbes but still, there is a
difference between them.
• An antiseptic is used for killing the microbes on the living tissues whereas a
disinfectant is applied on a non-living object.
• Secondly, the concentration of both differ. We can use the same chemical as a
disinfectant and an antiseptic by varying its concentration.
• For example, phenol can be used as an antiseptic if its concentration is 0.2 per cent but
to use it as a disinfectant the concentration should be 1 per cent.
• We can broadly conclude that the cleaning products contain disinfectants and the
healing products (for curing the living tissues) contain antiseptics.
• Both are similar in nature but vary in their concentration. Lysol is a disinfectant
whereas Dettol is an antiseptic.
Correlation Between Preservatives and
Disinfectants as well as Antiseptic
• A disinfectant can be defined as an antimicrobial agent that can be applied on
the surface of some objects in order to destroy the microorganisms residing on it.
• Antiseptics can be defined as antimicrobial agents which can be applied on the body of
living organisms to inhibit the action of microbes.
• Preservatives are chemical substances used to improve or amplify the shelf life of
products ( objects such as drugs, food, inanimate object or part of living organisms such
as tissues, organs) by
 reducing microbial growth or production(disinfectants and antiseptics)
decreasing or lowering the chemical reaction such as oxidation etc of the products

Hence not all preservatives are antimicrobial agents.

Correlation Between Preservatives and Disinfectants as well as Antiseptic