Yukon Kuskokwim Nushagak science

I heard one this afternoon. But no Kolea yet.

These guidelines are a draft localized version which can be used by ordinary people at camp, field, or at home. These guidelines have been taken from technical documents produced by the World Health Organization, Reckitt Benckiser Inc., Clorox.com, and other technical sources (listing at end).

Unlike the “masks” and “hand sanitizer” guidelines, “disinfection” turned out to be surprisingly more difficult to track down. This is because in the USA, chemicals which act as “disinfectants” must not only comply with scientific standards but also EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) regulatory standards.

Disinfectant — A chemical agent that destroys pathogenic microorganisms (not spores). The term is generally used for an agent that destroys organisms on inanimate objects (surfaces) rather than on people or animals.

Sanitizer — An agent that reduces (through killing) the number of bacteria to a safe level. This means a 99.9% kill as set by public health requirements. This term is also applied to agents used to control the microbial population in food service, food preparation and food processing areas. These are called food-contact surface sanitizers and require a 99.999% kill.

Disinfectants and sanitizers, therefore, are considered pesticides because they destroy microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi that are found in the environment (excluding microorganisms on or in humans and animals). All claims, and changes in claims, on disinfectants and sanitizers must be made with the EPA’s registration and acceptance.

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