title: Evaluation of the efficacy of electrochemically activated solutions against nosocomial pathogens and bacterial endospores.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Electrochemically activated solutions (ECAS) are generated from halide salt solutions via specially designed electrolytic cells. The active solutions are known to possess high biocidal activity against a wide range of target microbial species, however, literature revealing the kill-kinetics of these solutions is limited. The aim of the study was to identify the kill-rate and extent of population kill for a range of target species (including endospores) using ECAS generated at the anode (anolyte).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Standard suspensions of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus atrophaeus spores and Clostridium difficile spores were treated with anolyte in a quantitative suspension assay. For vegetative cells, all concentrations of anolyte tested reduced the viable population to below the detection limit within 10 s. At a concentration of 99%, anolyte produced a log(10) reduction factor of greater than five in viable B. atrophaeus endospores within 90 s and reduced numbers of C. difficile endospores to below the experimental detection limit within 20 s at concentrations of 5% or greater.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Anolyte was highly effective in killing test-bacteria and spores. The bactericidal efficacy was retained against vegetative cells at dilutions as low as 1% and against C. difficile spores as low as 5%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study demonstrate that ECAS are effective at lower concentrations and act more rapidly than previously reported. Potent bactericidal and sporicidal activity coupled with point-of-use generation, low production-costs and environmental compatibility suggest that acidic ECAS has the potential to be a useful addition to the current armoury of disinfectants.
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: S W-H
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Greenman
authors.forename: V C
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Salisbury
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Reynolds
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001407:Bacillus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D016360:Clostridioides difficile / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004202:Disinfectants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004566:Electrodes; D004572:Electrolysis; D057230:Limit of Detection; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D016877:Oxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D012996:Solutions; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004202:Disinfectants; D016877:Oxidants; D012996:Solutions