INTRODUCTION

Microorganisms are subject to destruction in a variety of ways. Aside from the classical methods of steam, dry heat, and radiation, destructive sterilization may also occur by immersion in a chemical solution. This is termed liquid-phase sterilization (1). A number of chemical agents, such as aldehydes, acids, bases, and strong oxidants in solution, under the appropriate conditions, are capable of destroying bacteria and fungi, including both vegetative cells and spores in a quantitative fashion (2,3). Objects to be sterilized are immersed in the solution of the chemical agent, after which the agent must be removed in a manner that preserves the sterilized object from recontamination. Removal of the chemical sterilant from the exposed surfaces that have been sterilized must be accomplished in a manner that maintains the sterility of the item postprocessing. Recontamination falls outside the scope of usual consideration for sterilization processes. However, in liquid chemical sterilization it is customary to include the agent’s removal (whether this is accomplished by physical or chemical means) in the overall process, together with any needed additional steps to avoid recontamination.