Peracetic Acid serves as a potent high level disinfectant that finds application in various industries such as the food and beverage sector where food processing equipments are disinfected, in pasteurization of wineries, breweries, etc, in the disinfection of institutions such as hospitals, schools, medical facilities, etc.

1. Peracetic Acid
An efficient disinfectant

2. Chemtex Speciality Limited is a public limited organization involved
in the manufacturing of a various range of Cleaning and
Disinfectant Chemicals. Among these, Peracetic Acid stands out to
be an effective and most used product that Chemtex
manufactures.

3. Peracetic acid is highly appreciated for its antimicrobial
properties and it mainly acts as a disinfectant in many industrial
sectors such as medical and health care sectors, food industries,
beverages, breweries, wineries, sewage treatment plants cooling
towers, etc.

4. Let us first have a clear understanding about
disinfectants

5. Disinfectants
• Disinfectants serve as antimicrobial agents which when applied to
non-living items bring about the destruction of microorganisms that
are living on the objects.
• It is less powerful than sanitization, which is the most extreme
physical and/or synthetic process that executes a wide variety of life
forms.
• In addition to this, disinfectants are not the same as biocides which
are planned to destroy all types of life, not simply microorganisms.
Disinfectants work by obliterating their cell walls or interfering with
their metabolism.

6. Types of Disinfectants
• Disinfectants can be divided into the following depending on their level of
disinfection:
• Low level disinfectants:
– Phenols
– Quaternary Ammonium Compounds (QAC)
• Intermediate level disinfectants:
– Alcohols
– Hypochlorite
– Iodine and Iodophore
• High level disinfectants:
– Peracetic Acid
– Hydrogen Peroxide
– Glutaraldehyde
– Formaldehyde
– Ortho -pthalaldehyde

7. Peracetic Acid
• Being a disinfectant, Peracetic acid cause the oxidization of the
outer cell membranes of microorganisms.
• The oxidation mechanism involves the process of electron transfer.
When a stronger oxidant is performing, the electrons are
transferred to the microorganism much faster, bringing about the
rapid deactivation of the microorganism.
• It can be utilized for causing the deactivation of a wide variety of
pathogenic microorganisms. It also helps in deactivating viruses and
spores.
• The performance of the chemical is does not get influenced by any
organic compound dissolved in the water.

8. Peracetic Acid – Beneficial Antimicrobial
• Peracetic acid manifests to be an environmentally friendly product
as it degrades into oxygen and acetic acid which are in turn
environmentally harmless compounds.
• It performs as an operationally adjustable antimicrobial agent.
• The product receives much appreciation owing to its several
beneficial characteristics such as minimal pH dependence, long
shelf life, no quenching requirement, ease of implementation,
absence of persistent harmful and mutagenic by products, viable
and cost comparable alternative to sodium hypochlorite and
bisulphate, short contact time etc.
• It is employed as an alternate option to chlorination for last four
decades and is even efficacious against viruses and bacteria spores.

9. Applications of Peracetic Acid
• Peracetic Acid is widely used as a disinfectant for institutions like
hospitals, nursing homes, schools, etc, for agricultural premises,
home bathrooms, food establishments, etc.
• It is also registered for use on food processing equipments, during
pasteurization in wineries, breweries, beverage plants, and for use
in dairy/cheese processing plants.
• In the recent times, it has gained much appreciation as a water
purifier in waste water treatment. It also serves as a cooling tower
disinfectant.

10. Overall, as a disinfectant, Peracetic Acid is one of the favorable
choices available to be used in almost any sector