DISINFECTION AND DISINFECTANT

**DISINFECTION---This is that process of use of disinfectant by which  specific  bacteria  of infectious diseases are destroyed by using enough disinfectants and in sufficient quantity and power. Disinfection should be done during  diseases period and at the end of disease that is at the both time.When person is affected, then his excrements should be disinfected immediately. Such disinfection are called concurrent disinfection. When the patient  becomes disease free,thenhis room and other material should be disinfected necessarily. Such disinfection is  called terminal disinfection.

**Disinfectants--------disinfectants are those elements which have strength to destroy microbes with root.Disinfectants may be divided in three  groups:---------

**NATURAL  DISINFECTANTS
**PHYSICAL  DISINFECTANTS
**CHEMICAL  DISINFECTANTS

These three  sorts of groups of disinfectants are being  discussed  below with disinfectant elements in each group separately:-----

**NATURAL  DISINFECTANTS-------In natural disinfectants, fresh air and sunlight are very much important. These  both provide too much help in preventing infectious diseases and to banish infection. Increase of micro organisms can be checked by drying. Along with, they can help be made strengthless.Oxygen of air helps too much in killing microbes. The light of sun is powerful germicide because ActinicRays are  available in it.Mainly this is done by Ultraviolet Rays.In atmosphere, Actinic Rays,through its action make oxide on ozone and hydrogen. These two work as main source for making  oxygen. Microbes of diphtheria die out in an hour in direct sunlight. In the same way ,tubercle microbes also die out in sunlight  very  soon.

**PHYSICAL  DISINFECTANTS---------These disinfectants may be divided in two  parts-----
**DRY HEAT
**MOIST  HEAT

**DRY HEAT----Under this come two disinfectants---

**BURNING
**HOT DRY AIR

**BURNING-----This is the best method of disinfection.This method should be used for cheap things. Act of burning should be done in hearth but  this hearth should be in open  place. Huts affected by infectious diseases like plague or other cheap residential places should be burnt. Excrements of patients of cholera and enteric fever should necessarily be burnt.

**HOT DRY AIR-----In this method, there is less power of destroying microbes rather than burning. Due to this reason,this method is not used more.It is appropriate method for disinfecting things of leather, books, rubber articles etc.This is also appropriate for killing insects.

**MOST HEAT--‐----Under this come two disinfectants-------

**BOILING
**STEAM

**BOILING---This is skilled and effective method. For destroying germs 10 minutes boiling is enough. But for spore boiling it is needed at least half an hour. Clothes smeared in blood or excrements should be washed first with  soap, after that they should be  boiled. Woolen clothes should not be boiled for disinfecting. By this method, bed sheets,bed pan urine potand utensils  of cooking etc.may be disinfected.

**STEAM----This is the best method for using moist heat with the purpose of disinfection.It can be used in three forms-‐----

**CURRENT STEAM
**SATURATED STEAM
**SUPERHEATED STEAM

**CURRENT STEAM--------It is also  called "Low pressure  steam".It has got the power of disinfecting like boiling water. This disinfectant is cheap in the beginning. But,in long period, it becomes costly, because more fuel is used in it.

**SATURATED  STEAM--‐-‐-When,the steam is prepared in some closed vessels, then its pressure increases  more. In this way made steam is called saturated  steam. It is more appropriate for disinfection.

SUPERHEATED  STEAM--------It can be  prepared by two  methods-----

**When the steam is heated without  increasing pressure, then the  temperature of steam increases. Such steam is called superheated steam.

**It can also be made by boiling solution of salt, because salt solution boils at high  rate of temperature rather than ordinary water. Inthis steam, the qualities of dry gas are  found. But there is no use of it as disinfectants, because its physical quality  destroys.It can not intensify or solidify.

**CHEMICAL DISINFECTANTS--‐----The disinfectants can be divided in the following parts---------

**SOLIDS
**LIQUIDS
**GASES
**AEROSOLS