What is chemical sterilization?
Sterilization is a way to ensure that the object or surface is completely without microbial life. Normally low level of microbial contamination is not a problem, but in some items such as surgical tools or parts of machines that produce injection drugs, this extreme level of purity is necessary to prevent infections. Chemical sterilization involves the use of a chemical, which is toxic to the microbes to sterilize objects.
To be sterile, all microbes must be dead on it. This is, unlike a pure object or object that has been treated with an antiseptic or disinfection agent, since in these cases some microbes may remain. Sterilization is often done using a machine that can expose objects to high temperatures and possibly high pressures. Examples include furnaces that produce dry heat and autoclaves that produce hot steam under high pressure.
Although these types of sterilization are most effective compared to another forMous, in some cases they are not practical. Objects that are made of metal or glass survive dry heat, but plastic melt and organic mass can burn. Plastics can pass the autoclave cycle undamaged, but other steam sterilizers can melt plastics. Sterilizers that use ultraviolet light can also be useful, although this technique only kills microbes that are directly exposed to ultraviolet light.
To do these disadvantages, sometimes chemical sterilization is the only option. Both chemicals in liquid form and chemicals in the form of gas may be suitable for this process. Before chemical sterilization, the device must be cleaned from dirt to prevent the survival of microbes behind the protective layer of dirt.
Liquid sterilants require time to work, and it can be much longer than time dry heat, ultraviolet or Needs steam sterilization. To can take several days to effectively, because some microbial species form structures called spores that are very hard and resist killing in a short period of time. Equipment such as surgical tools are usually immersed in a liquid sterilial. Examples of possible liquid chemicals include formaldehyde and glutaraldehydy.
Chemical gas sterilization include saturation of the surface or piece of gas with gas that is toxic to microbes. This also takes time to work. Examples of chemicals that can be used in gaseous form are formaldehyde and ethylenoxide. The risks of chemical sterilization are toxicity for humans through the skin and inhalation.
Chemical sterilization may also apply to the method of neutered animals. In this situation, the veterinarian injures chemicals into the testes of the male animal that sufficiently damages the testicles so that the animal does not produce sperm. Compared to surgical sterilization, however, chemical sterilization is unusual.