Disinfectant Efficacy Testing

Disinfectant Efficacy Testing
for Critical Environments

Marc Rogers Ph.D.
Technical Service
Specialist
Life Sciences
Formulated Chemistries
PDA SE Chapter
Greenville, NC
April 18, 2013
Copyright 2013 STERIS Corporation. All Rights Reserved. CONFIDENTIAL and PROPRIETARY to STERIS Corporation.
AGENDA
Disinfectant Regulation & EPA Registration
Vendor Label Claims and Testing
Disinfectant Validation Study
Why run?
3 components
Test Types & Methods

In vitro Testing Considerations
Examples/Data
Copyright 2013 STERIS Corporations. All Rights Reserved. CONFIDENTIAL and PROPRIETARY to STERIS Corporation.
Disinfectant Regulation
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act
(FIFRA) (Title 7 of the US Code) - Pesticides
All germicidal cleaners fall under FIFRA as amended
(1977), administered by EPA (OPPTS)
FDA regulation as medical device if used to reprocess
other medical devices or used as a sterilant for medical
devices
Per Food Quality Protection Act (1996)
21 CFR 880.6890 General Purpose Disinfectants
noncritical
21 CFR 880.6885 critical and semicritical HLD &
sterilants
Disinfectant Regulation
EPA approves and registers all label claims for
antimicrobial pesticides
Safety
Directions for Use
Directions for Disposal
Efficacy (AOAC INTERNATIONAL)
EPA Guidance Document

(1998) for Vendors
Intended to meet test requirements of
FIFRA (Title 7 U.S.C. 136)
Sporicides/sterilants
Germicidal Spray Products
Disinfectants
Limited efficacy
General efficacy (broad spectrum)
Hospital or med environment efficacy
Fungicide, Tuberculocide
Virucide (modified AOAC)
EPA Requirements - Vendors

Sterilant (60 carriers each on two surfaces); spores of B. subtilis
ATCC 19659 and C. sporogenes ATCC 3584; 3 lots (720 carriers)
Disinfectant (60 carriers representing 3 lots) against 3 bacteria; S.
enterica ATCC 10708, S. aureus ATCC 6538, P. aeruginosa ATCC
15442
Fungicide (10 carriers rep. 2 lots killing all spores of T.
mentagrophytes ATCC 9533)
Tuberculocide (2 lots killing all M. tuberculosis var. bovis (BCG) on
all carriers) or 4 LRV in quantitative test
Virucide (2 lots at 4 replicates per each dilution showing inactivation
at all dilutions if no cytotoxicity) 4 LRV (3 LRV if cytotoxicity)
Sanitizer-N-FC (3 LRV on surfaces within 5 min against S. aureus
ATCC 6538 and K. pneumoniae ATCC 4352 or E. aerogenes ATCC
13048
Disinfectant Effectiveness Tests

AOAC International analyses include carrier
tests & use-dilution tests for bactericidal,
mycobactericidal, sporicidal, fungicidal, and
virucidal activity
In EU, efficacy can be demonstrated:
Kelsey-Sykes Capacity test
European Committee for Normalization (CEN)
TC 216 work program Chemical Disinfectants and
Antiseptics
Common AOAC
INTERNATIONAL Tests
Use-Dilution Method Tests for Liquids
955.14 S. enterica
955.15 S. aureus
964.02 P. aeruginosa
Germicidal Spray Products Test

Confirmatory Tuberculocidal Activity Test
Fungicidal Activity of Test Substances
Sporicidal Activity of Disinfectants (966.04)
Testing / Validation Protocols

Regulatory
United States
Methods typically taken from
AOAC INTL.
Primarily qualitative
Primarily use ring carriers
Pass/Fail Criteria differ for

bacteria, TB, fungi and spores
Europe
Methods divided into 3 tiers
Phase 1
Basic suspension tests
Phase 2
Simulation studies
Use hard surfaces
Phase 3
Tests under practical conditions
Vendor Label
Example
30 min contact as a
sporicide on hard
non-porous surfaces
AGENDA
Why run?
3 components

Examples/Data
Why Do End-Users Validate

Disinfectants/ Biocides?
Context is non-product contact cleanroom
surfaces
FDA Aseptic Processing Guide (Sep, 2004)
Each manufacturer must have a formal program
governing the qualification, use and disposal of
disinfectants (p 34)
USP <1072> Disinfectants and Antiseptics

FDA Form 483s and Warning Letters
FDA 483/ WL Categories

Inadequate Sanitizer and Disinfectant Study:
No data to support the appropriateness of the
disinfectants used
Did not include efficacy studies for solutions currently
used
Did not use materials found in the aseptic processing
area (APA) floors, walls, work surfaces
No data to support the expiration date
No data to support the contact time
Recent Warning Letter

The coupons used in the Disinfectant Efficacy Verification
for Hard Surfaces. were not representative of the
surfaces found in the tissue processing laboratories (TPL)
and BioAdhesive laboratories. For example, ___ was used
in the study to represent biological safety cabinets, laminar
flow hoods, and tables in the processing and
manufacturing areas. However, the equipment is
comprised of ___
All surfaces that are used in critical processing and
manufacturing areas were not evaluated
Warning Letter Jan 29, 2013

Your Disinfectant qualification for___and___bi-spore
disinfectants documented that the log reduction criteria
(Bacteria >4, Fungi >3) was not met when challenged with
multiple organisms in variety of surfaces. After disinfection
you recovered Micrococcus luteus on vinyl,____, stainless
steel, glass and wall laminate and Enterobacter cloacae,
Rhodococcus sp, Burkholderia cepacia, Pseudomonas
aeruginosa on glass. However your procedures for routine
cleaning of the aseptic manufacturing area continue to
require the use of unqualified disinfectants ..
Warning Letter October 7, 2011

The materials that were tested in the
Disinfectant Efficacy study were not
representative of all the surfaces
present in the Aseptic Processing
Area. The stainless steel coupon
tested did not represent these
damaged surfaces May 25, 2011
Older Warning Letter

There is no assurance that the disinfectant
____ is effective against mold, since it did
not meet your established recovery rate
acceptance criterion in the December 2001
Disinfectant Validation and Efficacy Study
of ___ by the Surface Test Method study.
May 24, 2007
What do you know?

What the Vendor tells you
Chemical makeup
Label lists actives/concentration, MSDS
lists only hazardous ingredients
Recommended prep method (use-dilution)

Efficacy using AOAC
Tested against ATCC organisms
Usually 10 minute contact time
What you need to know

How the disinfectant performs:
in YOUR facility
prepped by YOUR procedures
applied by YOUR methods
with YOUR contact time
on YOUR surfaces
against YOUR resident microbes
Qualification and Validation

Qualification could involve assessing vendor data
against ATCC microbes, i.e. disinfectant is
qualified for use
May be verified with a suspension test against
ATCC recommended microbes
Validation typically involves coupon studies with
in-house environmental isolates from the facility
To FDA, validation typically refers to a process
In-house isolates should include yeast, bacteria,
spore forming bacteria and mold, and possibly
viruses
End-User Disinfectant Validation

Components
In vitro testing
Suspension testing (also called Time Kill Study)
Carrier Testing (also called Coupon Testing)
In situ testing
Environmental monitoring
Data trending (6-12 months, reviewed monthly*)
Identification of organisms (mold, yeast, and bacteria);
i.d. to species level and bank them (recommended)
See USP <1116> for incident rate review/recalculation
Disinfectant Validation Procedure

Recommendations
USP <1072> Disinfectants and Antiseptics
Use-dilution tests
Surface Challenge tests
ASTM E2614-08 Guide for evaluation of Cleanroom
Disinfectants
ISO 14698 (parts1-3)
Surface evaluation, focus on cleaning
PDA Technical Report on Cleaning and Disinfection

(Draft Document)
In Vitro Options for Testing

AOAC
Use-dilution Test Methods (955.14, 955.15, 964.02)
Sporicidal Activity of Disinfectants (966.04)
Germicidal Spray Products as Disinfectants
ASTM
Time Kill Method
Spray Slide
Sanitizer method (E1153)
Wipe method
Quantitative Carrier Method (E2111 & E2197)
Biofilm Method (E1427)
Viral Testing (Suspension E1052)
Viral Testing (Carrier E1053)
Variations of all of the above
More In Vitro Options for Testing

EN
1276 (bacterial suspension test)
1040 (bacterial suspension test)
1650 (fungal suspension test)
13704 (sporicidal suspension test)
13697 (Carrier test)
14476 (Viral Testing)
14348 (TB Testing)
AFNOR (France)
NFT 72-150 Suspension
NFT 72-190 Carrier Test
DGHM (GER; Carrier & Suspension Tests)
TGA (Australia)

Variables
The cost of a study can vary widely depending on:
Who is conducting the study (In-house or outside microbiology lab)
Number/type of organisms tested
Number of Contact times tested (many companies test more than
one time point)
Number of substrates tested
Number of disinfectants or sporicides tested
Age of product tested (i.e., 7 day use-dilution)
The different test methods (i.e., suspension and coupon?)
Any other variables they may want to consider in their testing
(soiled vs. clean conditions, water quality, etc.)
Range from $50K 1M +
Key Considerations for In Vitro

Testing
Use-dilution
Temperature (hot WFI drops, use in cold room?)
Technique
Suspension vs. carrier
Substrates
Neutralization/dilution
Subculture techniques
Microorganisms
Efficacy requirements
Substrates for Carrier Testing

Traditional methods (AOAC and ASTM)
Stainless steel disks, penicylinders or coupons

Watch glasses or glass slides
Porcelain penicylinders and silk suture loops
Cleanroom disinfectant validations representative materials, large

surface areas
Stainless steel (416, 316, 316L, 306, 304)

Various plastics and elastomers
Lexan curtains
Kydex (thermoplastic alloy used for ceilings and walls)
Bodycote aluminum wall
Epoxy-coated flooring
Polymeric flooring
MMA Flooring
Vinyl Flooring
Terrazo Flooring
Acyrlic and Grout
Paints & Sealants
Gaskets (EPDM, Teflon)
Rubber or Nitrile gloves
Neutralization Methods
Elimination of inhibitory residual disinfectant activity
Chemical neutralization of the active
Dilution - generally not effective alone (alcohols)
Filtration + Rinsing separating the active from the
organism
Issues
Antimicrobial activity of neutralizer (toxicity)
Thioglycollate and sodium sulfite can be toxic
Mechanical separation causing damage to cells
Validation of neutralization is required
<1227> Common Neutralizers

Neutralizer
Bisulfate
Lecithin
Biocide Class
Glutaraldehyde, Mercurials
Phenolics, Alcohol, Aldehydes,
Sorbate
Aldehydes
Quaternary Ammonium Compounds
(QACs), Parabens, Bis-biguanides
Mg+2 or Ca+2 ions

Polysorbate (Tween)*
Thioglycollate
Sodium thiosulfate
EDTA
QACS, Iodine, Parabens
Mercurials
Mercurials, Halogens, Aldehydes
Dilution
Glycine
*Tween 20 or 80, & Lubrol (Brij 58) are nonionic detergents

Catalase for H2O2
Neutralizing Broths
Sutton, SVW et al. 2002. Validation of Microbial Recovery From Disinfectants.

PDA J Pharma. Sci. Technol. 56(5):255-266.
Microorganisms
Environmental isolates must be considered
Broad spectrum
Most frequently occurring
High levels in the Environment
Demonstrated decontamination difficulty at
the facility
Worst Case
USP (ATCC or USDA) challenge organisms may
also be considered but environmental isolates
are the most critical
Microorganism Selection
B. cereus / B.
sphaericus
B. subtilis / G.
stearothermophilus
Clostridium spp.
From McDonnell, Antisepsis, Disinfection, and Sterilization: Types, Action, and Resistance 2007, ASM Press
Virus Efficacy Testing Trends

Most requests still from Vendors seeking EPA
registration of virucidal claims; occasional
requests from end-users for validation on
cleanroom surfaces
Rate of requests from end-users is increasing
Kelleen Gutzmann, ATS Laboratories, Eagan, MN
S. Steve Zhou, Dir. Virology & Molecular Biology,
Microbiotest Laboratories, Sterling VA

Efficacy requirements for EPA (3 LRV beyond
cytotox level), FDA no requirements
EPA requires GLP studies (40 CFR Part 160);
FDA will accept GLP or cGMP
Most influenza tests now done with TC-adapted
strains, almost never use eggs*
Neutralization typically E1482 or gel-filtration
columns (i.e. Sephadex); toxicity of neutralizer
has occasionally been an issue and requires
higher titer
*Unless higher titers needed, then use eggs

Most fastidious/difficult viruses for testing include
porcine circovirus (PCV) and bovine
polyomavirus (BPyV)
Most common cause of failure is surface
roughness/porosity
Expense driven by virus type and host cell
feeding schedules/technician time e.g. duck
hepatitis B virus (DHBV) primary cells
Pricing generally fixed per solution per contact
time per surface per virus
General Industry Efficacy

Recommendations (non-virus)
Suspension acceptance criteria
4-5 log reduction
Carrier acceptance criteria <1072>
2 log reduction bacterial spores
3 log reduction vegetative bacteria,
yeast, mold spores
In Situ Testing
a statistical comparison of the frequency of isolation and
the numbers of microorganisms isolated prior to and after
the implementation of a new disinfectant. USP General
Informational Chapter <1072>
The effectiveness of these sanitization procedures should
be measured by their ability to ensure that potential
contaminants are adequately removed from surfaces (i.e.,
via obtaining samples before and after sanitization).
Sterile Drug Products Produced by Aseptic Processing
September, 2004 FDA
Cleaning Efficacy In Situ

Time 0
Red = Spore formers
Green = Other
After 1X cleaning-NO Sporicide
After 2X Cleaning NO Sporicide
After 3X cleaning-No Sporicide
After Sporicide
In Situ Protocols
Use actual cleaning procedure SOPs (update prior to Validation
study)
Worst case conditions
Compare environmental data before and after procedures
Should include data from more than one cleaning event
Preparation and storage of disinfectants
Dilution accuracy is critical
SOP development before validation
Monitor and control storage of dilution
Expiry dating
Filter to remove microorganisms if necessary (ISO Class 5)
Filter validation (Compatibility and Bubble Point Testing)
In Situ Testing Frequency
New Cleanroom
At Shut Down
After Construction
After a Power Failure
After a Worst Case Event (Natural Disaster)
Part 3: Environmental Monitoring &

Data Trending (recalculate monthly)
AGENDA
Why run?
3 components

Examples/Data
In Vitro Testing Considerations

Contributors to Test Failures
Recovery issues post-drying (P. aeruginosa)

Inoculum prep (e.g. fungal spores)
Coupon prep (autoclaving peeling Saniflex)
Improper dilution of Concentrate
Inappropriate biocide for spores
Insufficient contact time should match SOP
US vs. EU requirements
Hard Surface Test Results

Hard Surface Comparison
H2O2/PAA RTU
Bacillus subtilis ATCC 19659
7.00
Average Log Reduction
6.00
5.00
4.00
1 min
3.00
5 min
2.00
1.00
0.00
-1.00
Glass
Stainless
Steel
Enamel
Epoxy
Miplan
Vinyl
Acrylic
Surface
= error bar
Case Study on Substrates

Efficacy (log reduction) of Low pH phenolic: (1:256 ) against test microorganisms on representative surfaces
Staphylococcus
epidermidis
Pseudomonas
aeruginosa
Corynebacterium
glutamicum
Candida albicans
Aspergillus
brasiliensis
Penicillium
chrysogenum
Stainless Steel
6.62
>6.10 b
4.18
>4.31 b
<3.00c
4.95
Glass
6.85
6.42
5.26
>5.80 b
2.98
5.11
Aluminum
6.35
5.69
5.14
>3.93 b
<3.00c
3.48
Epoxy
4.36
4.45
4.48
3.19
<3.00c
<3.00c
Enamel
>6.05b
>5.72 b
5.45
>3.92 b
<3.00c
2.83
Acrylic
4.53
6.06
4.49
2.92
<3.00c
<3.0 c
Mipolam
4.36
3.87
4.29
4.37
<3.00c
3.25
Vinyl
4.08
3.68
3.93
2.61
<3.00c
2.1
Hardwood
5.18
>4.54 b
5.26
3.2
<3.00c
2.59
Melamine Covered
Wood
>5.38 b
>5.64 b
>5.09 b
>5.12 b
3.65
3.95
Plastic
>5.73 b
>5.32 b
>5.05 b
>4.04 b
<3.00c
2.44
Plexiglas
>5.90 b
5.62
4.83
>4.40 b
<3.00c
3.85
6.55
5.95
6.63
4.08
<3.00c
2.61
Surface
Chromium
a
Disinfectant Efficacy = (Log MSP(positive control) - Log MSP(test coupons)), where MSP(Positive Control)= Mean surviving population on positive control coupons;
MSP(test coupon) = Mean surviving population on test coupons after disinfectant treatment; b Each of triplicate coupons showed no growth after disinfectant
treatment; c Each of triplicate coupons showed TNTC growth
Inoculum Preparation -Viability

Prepare inoculum
suspensions from 1824 hr cultures
Titer (cfu/mL) and
viability must be
verified at the end of
every test day
Inoculum Preparation - Fungal

Spores
Use fungal spore
suspensions for
testing
Hyphae/mycelia can
prevent disinfectant
from contacting and
penetrating spore
Inoculum PreparationFungal
Spores
Cultures need to be
incubated for a sufficient
length of time before
harvesting spores
Testing Against Fungal Spores

Trichophyton mentagrophytes is US EPA Standard (easily killed)
Cleanroom users test Aspergillus brasiliensis (typically the most
difficult to kill mold)
Disinfectant Time Kill
Ave. Log Reduction
Phenolic Disinfectant
7.00
6.00
5.00
4.00
3.00
2.00
1.00
0.00
3 min.
5 min.
10 min.
15 min.
A. niger
T. mentag.
C. albicans
Microorganism
Inoculum PreparationBacterial
Endospores
May need to use media
additives to enhance
sporulation (MnSO4)
Use a microscope and/or
staining technique to verify
spore concentration; FDA
may ask for confirmation,
especially when testing a
sporicide
Surface/Coupon Issues
Surface type and condition can have a huge impact on
efficacy
Preparation of surfaces prior to testing
Autoclaving may not be acceptable for some surfaces
Residues must be removed
Some surfaces pose a challenge during qualification
studies:
Peeling after sterilization
Surface tension
Surface Type and Condition

Visually smooth
surfaces can be
irregular
Older or damaged
surfaces can be more
challenging
Glass and stainless
steel typically the least
challenging
Surface Preparation
Autoclaving may not be acceptable for some
surfaces (Saniflex)
Surface Tension Issue
Recovery Method Issues

Typical surface recovery methods
Contact plates (rarely used)
Swabs
Direct inoculation of coupons into neutralizing media
Requires sterile coupons
May include manual or automated dislodging
Stomacher bags
Recovery method must be validated
Final plates must be countable to calculate log reduction
Disinfectant Validation Study Tips

AOAC methods are inappropriate for this testing (but some
procedures such as inoculum prep, etc. can be of value)
EN-13697 offers valuable insight into quantitative surface testing
Up-front planning is extremely important
Combining physical removal and chemical kill in one study is not
recommended
Consistency is crucial to a positive outcome
Reading the product labels to understand product claims and
limitations is necessary
Incorporate expiry dating specified in internal SOPs into the study
Using a contract lab to perform testing sounds easy but still requires
time, effort, and vigilance
Working with Contract Labs

Percentage of business related to disinfectant effectiveness testing
for pharma/ med device customers
Audit the lab. Are SOPs in place regarding culture storage and
maintenance, basic laboratory procedures? Employee training
documents?
Ask to observe testing
Make sure all acceptance criteria is spelled out in the protocol
(inoculum concentrations, spore concentrations, preparation of
diluents, neutralization and recovery, final log reduction, etc.)
Policy for repeating studies if acceptance criteria is not met due to
lab error
Understand that not all contract labs have the expertise and some
may use temporary employees with little experience to perform the
testing
Keys to a successful validation

Antimicrobial agent
Choosing the proper disinfectant for the job
Testing protocol (practical, achievable & verifiable)
Choose the method that best fits your situation
Sanitization procedures
Set up the proper rotation of disinfectants to
control all organisms
Change control
Have all processes organized
THANK YOU!
Questions & Answers
marc_rogers@steris.com

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What are the main regulations around disinfectants?

What are the main regulations around disinfectants?

What are the EPA requirements for vendors testing disinfectants?

What are the EPA requirements for vendors testing disinfectants?

Disinfectant Efficacy Testing

for Critical Environments

Test Types & Methods

EPA Guidance Document

EPA Requirements - Vendors

Disinfectant Effectiveness Tests

Germicidal Spray Products Test

Testing / Validation Protocols

Pass/Fail Criteria differ for

Test Types & Methods

Why Do End-Users Validate

USP <1072> Disinfectants and Antiseptics

FDA 483/ WL Categories

Recent Warning Letter

Recent Warning Letter

Recent Warning Letter

Older Warning Letter

What do you know?

Recommended prep method (use-dilution)

What you need to know

Qualification and Validation

End-User Disinfectant Validation

Disinfectant Validation Procedure

PDA Technical Report on Cleaning and Disinfection

In Vitro Options for Testing

More In Vitro Options for Testing

Disinfectant Validation Study

Key Considerations for In Vitro

Substrates for Carrier Testing

Stainless steel disks, penicylinders or coupons

Cleanroom disinfectant validations representative materials, large

Stainless steel (416, 316, 316L, 306, 304)

<1227> Common Neutralizers

Mg+2 or Ca+2 ions

*Tween 20 or 80, & Lubrol (Brij 58) are nonionic detergents

Sutton, SVW et al. 2002. Validation of Microbial Recovery From Disinfectants.

Virus Efficacy Testing Trends

Virus Efficacy Testing Trends

Virus Efficacy Testing Trends

General Industry Efficacy

Cleaning Efficacy In Situ

After 1X cleaning-NO Sporicide

After 2X Cleaning NO Sporicide

After 3X cleaning-No Sporicide

In Situ Testing Frequency

Part 3: Environmental Monitoring &

Test Types & Methods

In Vitro Testing Considerations

Recovery issues post-drying (P. aeruginosa)

Hard Surface Test Results

Average Log Reduction

Case Study on Substrates

Inoculum Preparation -Viability

Inoculum Preparation - Fungal

Testing Against Fungal Spores

Disinfectant Time Kill