Re: Disinfectant information

From: George Chang (gwchang@uclink4.berkeley.edu)
Date: Fri Apr 20 2001 - 14:12:47 PDT

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    Mike Strang writes...

    >A member of upper management from our firm has given me a sample of product
    >to investigate.
    >The product is a "chemical free, 100% natural enzyme based EPA approved
    >product, the most efficient disinfectant in nature. Kills protozoans,
    >bacteria, viruses, molds, mildew, fungus and parasites".
    >
    >Active ingredients: n-Alkyl Dimethyl Benzyl Ammonium Chloride, and n-Alkyl
    >Ethylbenzyl Ammonium Chloride.

    Hi Mark,

            As others have said, the sanitizer is a mixture of cationic
    detergents. They can be pretty effective, but I don't think that
    they'd do anything to encysted parasites. They may also be bad for
    the health of your fish.

            Needless to say, those synthetic cationic detergents are
    neither natural products nor enzymes. They also shouldn't be
    combined with soaps or conventional anionic detergents. Otherwise
    they will be lose much of their antimicrobial activity. (This MUST
    be happening in the antimicrobial dishwashing and handwashing preps
    that combine anionic and cationic detergents.)

            Finally, the comic strip character "Dilbert" may have
    something to say about "upper management"!! 8-)

    Best regards,
    George Chang
    UC Berkeley



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