Types of Chemical Agents

highly reactive

• gas or inorganic/inorganic form
• Widely used in municipal water
• Very effective against gram positive bacteria, virus, fungi

more reactive and germicidal

• very active against Gram positives
• Reduced activity in presence of organic matter
• Cresol (Creosote)
• Hexylresorcinol – mouthwash
• Lysol

• very reactive with proteins by disrupting enzymes
• Not a sporicidal agent

• Mercuric chloride
• Mercurochrome
• Thimerosal

Copper sulfate – used in swimming pools, water supplies

Silver nitrate – 1% solution placed in eyes of newborns to kill

• usually in the form of 70% ethanol
• this concentration is the most effective
• Generally effective against bacteria, not spores

• Typically in the form of formalin (which is a 37% formaldehyde concentration)
• Kills bacteria and inactivates viruses

• Discovery and use allowed plastic Petri dishes and syringes to be sterilized without harm
• Excellent penetration and sporicidal activity
• Very toxic, but cheap way to use plastic

• Common agent for rinsing wounds, scrapes, and abrasions
• H₂O₂ + catalase =“superoxide” radicals

• hydrophobic
• Mixture of fatty acids combined with potassium or sodium hydroxideMechanically removes microorganisms

Generally refers to chemical substance that has been synthesized or result of modification of a pre-existing chemical

Substance that is anatural product of a microorganism (or some other animal source)