Hydrogen Peroxide vs. Quaternary Ammonium Compounds

Executive Summary:

• The paper compares the efficacy of hydrogen peroxide-based formulations to quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) in hard-surface antimicrobial applications.
• The study used the AOAC Use Dilution test to evaluate microbiological efficacy, surface cleaning, metal corrosion, and environmental impact.
• Two hydrogen peroxide-based formulations, Stabilized Hydrogen Peroxide (SHP) and Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide (AHP), were compared to a quaternary ammonia disinfectant against two organisms: Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus.
• The test was conducted under increasingly difficult conditions: deionized water alone, deionized water plus 5% soil, and 400 ppm hard water.
• The Quaternary Ammonia Formulation tested was found to be more efficacious against Pseudomonas aeruginosa than the hydrogen peroxide solution.
• The H2O2 solution allowed significant growth of Staphylococcus aureus even at twice the recommended concentration under all test conditions.
• The AHP product with 7% hydrogen peroxide was found to be as efficacious as the Quaternary Ammonia Formulation S-21F but requires four times the amount of active product.
• Estimated time to read: 5-7 minutes.