Impact of artificial accelerated ageing of PVC surfaces and surface degradation on disinfectant efficacy

Wesgate, R., Bentley, K. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6619-2098, Stanton, R. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6799-1182, Maddalena, R. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6251-3782, Khosravi, C., Teska, P., Duggan, K. and Maillard, J-Y. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8617-9288 2024. Impact of artificial accelerated ageing of PVC surfaces and surface degradation on disinfectant efficacy. Journal of Hospital Infection 149 , pp. 1-13. 10.1016/j.jhin.2023.12.021

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Abstract

Background Standardized efficacy surface tests for disinfectants are performed on pristine surfaces. There is a growing interest in understanding the impact of surface ageing on disinfectant activity, owing for example to the increased usage of ultraviolet (UV) radiation and oxidative chemistries for surface decontamination. This acknowledges that general surface ‘wear and tear’ following UV radiation and oxidative biocide exposure may impact biocidal product efficacy. Methods PVC surfaces were aged through thermal and UV-A radiation (340 nm wavelength) following the use of standard ageing surface protocols to simulate natural surface degradation. Surface roughness, contact angle and scanning electron microscopy were performed to evaluate physical changes in PVC surfaces before and after artificial ageing. The efficacy of five pre-impregnated disinfectant wipes were evaluated using the ASTM E2967-15 on stainless-steel (control) and PVC surfaces (aged and non-aged). Results The type of formulation and the organism tested remained the most significant factors impacting disinfectant efficacy, compared with surface type. Both thermal ageing and UV-A exposure of PVC surfaces clearly showed signs of surface degradation, notably an increase in surface roughness. Physical changes were observed in the roughness of PVC after artificial ageing. A difference in disinfectant efficacy dependent on aged PVC surfaces was observed for some, but not all formulations. Conclusion We showed that surface type and surface ageing can affect biocidal product efficacy, although in a non-predictable manner. More research is needed in this field to ascertain whether surface types and aged surfaces should be used in standardized efficacy testing.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Engineering Medicine Pharmacy
Publisher:	Elsevier
ISSN:	0195-6701
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	31 May 2024
Date of Acceptance:	17 December 2023
Last Modified:	04 Jun 2024 08:30
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/169345

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