Abstract
Chlorine dioxide (ClO2) has been used as a safe disinfectant for a long time, but detailed data of its antimicrobial effects have not been reported. The antimicrobial and bacteriostatic effects of ClO2 were investigated. The number organisms was reduced below the detection limit following incubation in ClO2 solution (600ppm) for Salmonella enteritidis in five minutes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli in ten minutes, Serratia marcescens in fifteen minutes, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans in thirty minutes, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in sixty minutes. ClO2 is known to be extremely safe, and has no pungent smell. The present confirmation of its efficacy suggests that ClO2 is suitable as a disinfectant for hospital or health service center use.
