Peracetic Acid is a BPR Approved biocidal and industrial disinfectant registered under Article 95. It is one of the most environmentally friendly antimicrobial agents in the marketplace.
What is Peracetic Acid?
Soluble in water, it is completely biodegradable. It can be applied in the deactivation of large varieties of pathogenic microorganisms whilst also deactivating viruses and spores. Peracetic Acid activity is hardly influenced by organic compounds that are present in the water.
How does it work?
Peracetic Acid as a disinfectant oxidises the outer cell membranes of microorganisms. When a stronger oxidant is used, the electrons are transferred to the microorganism much faster, causing the microorganism to be deactivated rapidly. Peracetic Acid irreversibly disrupts the enzyme system, which in turn leads to destruction of the microorganism.
All biocidal products that are placed on the market are regulated by the Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR). The BPRs objective is to improve the functionality of the biocidal products market in the EU, to ensure a high level of protection for humans and the environment. Products are classified into 22 biocidal product types which are then grouped into four main areas.
|Group 1 - Disinfectants|
|PT 1||Human Hygiene|
|PT 2||Disinfectants and algaecides not intended for direct application to humans or animals|
|PT 3||Veterinary hygiene|
|PT 4||Food and feed area|
|PT 5||Drinking water|
|Group 2 - Preservatives|
|PT 6||Preservatives for products during storage|
|PT 7||Film preservatives|
|PT 8||Wood preservatives|
|PT 9||Fibre, leather, rubber and polymerised materials preservatives|
|PT 10||Construction material preservatives|
|PT 11||Preservatives for liquid-cooling and processing systems|
|PT 13||Working or cutting fluid preservatives|
|Group 3 – Pest Control|
|PT 16||Molluscicides. Vermicides and products to control other invertebrates|
|PT 18||Insecticides, acaricides and products to control other arthropods|
|PT 19||Repellents and attractants|
|PT 20||Control of other vertebrates|
|Group 4 – Other Biocidal Products|
|PT 21||Antifouling products|
|PT 22||Embalming and taxidermist fluids|
Airedale Chemical Peracetic Acid is approved for use under three product types: PT 2, PT 3 and PT 4.* https://echa.europa.eu/regulations/biocidal-products-regulation/product-types
PT 2 – Disinfectants and algaecides not intended for direct application to humans or animals
PT 3 – Veterinary Hygiene
PT 4 – Food and Feed Area
What is Peracetic Acid used for?
Peracetic Acid holds applications in a wide range of industries including agrochemicals, detergents and water treatment. You can find more detailed application information below.
Agrochemicals – Used as a sanitizer in agricultural or poultry premises. Also as a disinfectant to treat animal diseases by controlling pathogenic microorganisms.
Cleaning and Detergents – It is a viable alternative in sanitization to Sodium Hypochlorite as it does not react with proteins to produce toxic or carcinogenic compounds. The industry is worth over £24bn a year to the country’s economy (http://britishcleaningcouncil.org/)
Animal Care – It is used as a disinfectant in dairy/cheese processing plants and pasteurisers. – A report from the House of Commons Library shows that the UK is the third-largest milk producer in the EU after Germany and France and the tenth-largest producer in the world. In 2014 14.6 billion litres of milk was produced. (https://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/SN02721)
Water Treatment – Suitable for use in cooling tower water disinfection. Algae and bacteria can grow in cooling circuits and produce slime. Adding Peracetic Acid to the intake water stream prevents the growth of microorganisms.
Other Applications – Due to its high potency at low concentrations and temperatures, Peracetic Acid is widely used in liquid sterilisation processes of immiscible medical devices. It can be used to guarantee a long shelf life for drinks packaged in plastic bottles made from PET.
What other benefits does it have?
Peracetic Acid is now widely recognised as an alternative to chlorine based products for disinfection. It contains no trace of chlorine and decomposes to hydrogen peroxide and acetic acid, which are easily dissolved in water. Unlike chlorine Peracetic Acid does not require quenching. Compared to other chemical solutions Peracetic Acid has a long shelf life and minimum pH dependency.
Find out more about Peracetic Acid here. Alternatively, contact a member of our sales team on 01535 637876 or email firstname.lastname@example.org for more information.
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