Evaluation of approaches to increase the effectiveness of various disinfectants against biofilm communities of different ages

Abstract

Disinfectants are used as the main agents against microorganisms circulating on the surfaces of food enterprises. However, the adaptive ability of microorganisms to form biofilms complicates the process of surface cleaning and reduces the effectiveness of disinfectants. Modern disinfectants act against freely circulating microflora, but it is known that they are not always effective against biofilms. The purpose of this study was to investigate effective disinfectant compositions with bactericidal effect on binary bacterial biofilms of different ages. The article describes the effects of disinfectants based on chlorine, peracetic acid and quaternary ammonium compounds with enzymes in concentrations recommended by the manufacturer and increased several times on Salmonella 38, Brochothrix thermosphacta 2726 and Staphylococcus equorum 2736 planktonic cultures and binary biofilms. Binary biofilms of different ages (2 and 9 days old) were exposed to disinfectants with various active ingredients in combination with adjuvants, i. e. hydrogen peroxide 6% and various concentrations of isopropyl alcohol (30%). All products in concentrations recommended by the manufacturer did not have a disinfectant effect against the studied biofilm cultures. As a result of the work, it was found that the most effective disinfectants against multispecies biofilms were quaternary ammonium compounds in combination with enzymes and chlorine in combination with isopropyl alcohol (30%). The results obtained allow to expand knowledge about effective methods for controlling biofilms.