title: Effectiveness of a novel ozone-based system for the rapid high-level disinfection of health care spaces and surfaces.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vapor-based fumigant systems for disinfection of health care surfaces and spaces is an evolving technology. A new system (AsepticSure) uses an ozone-based process to create a highly reactive oxidative vapor with broad and high-level antimicrobial properties.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ozone gas at 50-500 ppm was combined with 3% hydrogen peroxide vapor in a test chamber and upscaled in rooms measuring 82 m3 and 90 m3 in area. Test organisms included methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant enterococcus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Clostridium difficile, and Bacillus subtilis spores dried onto steel discs or cotton gauze pads.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The combination of 80-ppm ozone with 1% hydrogen peroxide vapor achieved a very high level of disinfection, with a ≥6 log10 reduction in the bacteria and spores tested on steel discs and MRSA tested on cotton gauze during a 30- to 90-minute exposure. The entire system was scalable such that it achieved the same high level of disinfection in both the 81-m3 and 90-m3 rooms in 60-90 minutes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ozone hydrogen peroxide vapor system provides a very high level of disinfection of steel and gauze surfaces against health care-associated bacterial pathogens. The system is an advanced oxidative process providing a rapid and effective means of disinfecting health care surfaces and spaces.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada. zoutmand@queensu.ca
authors.forename: Dick
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zoutman
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shannon
authors.forename: Arkady
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mandel
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D004202:Disinfectants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004203:Disinfection / Q000379:methods*; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D006268:Health Facilities; D006801:Humans; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000494:pharmacology; D050296:Microbial Viability / Q000187:drug effects; D010126:Ozone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D004202:Disinfectants; D010126:Ozone; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide