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BS EN 17272: 2020 – Determining the biocidal activity of Automated Airborne Room Disinfection Process
The EN 17272 standard provides a comprehensive method for assessing the efficacy of automated airborne disinfection processes. It focuses on disinfecting non-porous surfaces in enclosed spaces by dispersing chemical disinfectants in gaseous, vapor, or aerosol form. This standard applies to various sectors, including medical, veterinary, food, industrial and domestic areas. The efficacy test ensures disinfectants achieve high log reductions in microorganisms such as bacteria, mycobacteria, spores, yeasts, fungi, viruses and bacteriophages. Adherence to EN 17272 guarantees the efficacy of disinfectants under field conditions, ensuring optimal sanitation and safety.
Scope of Products Tested
EN 17272 standard applies to various types of chemical disinfectants used in automated airborne disinfection processes. Here are the specific areas that can be tested using this standard.
- Medical area
- Veterinary area
- Food industry
- Industrial area
- Domestic area
- Institutional area
Test microorganisms
The standard specifies the evaluation of disinfectant activity against the following groups of microorganisms
- Vegetative bacteria: Including specific strains like Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus hirae, Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter baumannii and Proteus hauseri
- Mycobacteria: Mycobacterium avium and Mycobacterium terrae for tuberculocidal activity
- Bacterial spores: Bacillus subtilis spores
- Yeasts: Candida albicans
- Fungal spores: Aspergillus brasiliensis
- Viruses: Murine norovirus and Adenovirus type 5
- Bacteriophages: Lactococcus lactis P001 and Lactococcus lactis P008
Types of disinfection processes covered
Airborne distribution
Automated processes distributing disinfectants in gaseous, vapor or aerosol form.
Surface disinfection
Focusing on the disinfection of non-porous surfaces within an enclosed area, including external surfaces of equipment contained within such rooms.
Test Conditions and Requirements (In the given table R designates log reduction values)
Test microorganisms | Intended areas of application | |||||
Medical area | R | Veterinary area | R | Food, industrial, institutional, domestic area | R | |
Bacteria | Staphylococcus aureus Enterococcus hirae Escherichia coli Acinetobacter baumannii | 5 | Pseudomonas aeruginosa Staphylococcus aureus Enterococcus hirae Proteus hauseri | 5 | Pseudomonas aeruginosa Staphylococcus aureus Enterococcus hirae Escherichia coli | 5 |
Bacterial spores | Bacillus subtilis | 4 | Bacillus subtilis | 3 | Bacillus subtilis | 3 |
Fungi and yeast | Candida albicans Aspergillus brasiliensis | 4 | Candida albicans Aspergillus brasiliensis | 4 | Candida albicans Aspergillus brasiliensis | 4 |
Mycobacteria | Mycobacterium avium Mycobacterium terrae | 4 | Mycobacterium avium | 4 | Mycobacterium avium Mycobacterium terrae | 4 |
Virus | Murine norovirus Human adenovirus | 4 | – | – | Murine norovirus Human adenovirus | 4 |
Bacteriophages | – | – | – | – | Lactobacillus lactis P001 Lactobacillus lactis P008 | 4 |
Test method
EN 17272 method consists of two parts –
Efficacy test
- The test microbial suspension containing interfering substances is seeded onto a test carrier (stainless steel) and allowed to air dry.
- The dried test carriers are then exposed to an automated airborne disinfection process under the conditions described in the standard.
- After the airborne disinfection contact time (ADC), the test carriers are transferred into a recovery solution to determine the surviving microorganisms. Mechanical action such as scraping or sonication can be done to effectively separate microbes from the test carriers.
- For bacteria, mycobacteria, bacterial spores, fungal spores and yeasts, the recovery solution is diluted and plated onto agar media. Microbial efficacy is expressed in terms of log reduction.
- For viruses and bacteriophages, the diluted recovery solution is plated onto cell lines and the cytopathic effect is determined and expressed as log reduction.
Distribution test
The procedure for the distribution test is similar to that of the efficacy test. The main difference is that the distribution test is conducted specifically for Staphylococcus aureus. In this method, the carriers are placed at the corners of the room at specified positions for the specified airborne disinfection contact times (ADC). The disinfectant solution passes the test if it demonstrates at least 5 log reduction in pathogen count.
Importance of EN 17272 test
The concentration of pathogens tends to increase in closed, poorly ventilated spaces due to limited air circulation. This elevated accumulation of microorganisms can result in the transmission of infections. These issues are overcome by the use of automated airborne room disinfection processes which are implemented in susceptible areas like healthcare settings, public spaces and other similar environments to eliminate airborne pathogens. However, the efficacy of these systems must be evaluated before they can be used. EN 17272 sets standard guidelines for evaluating the efficacy of these automated airborne room disinfection processes. It intends to evaluate the disinfection processes under practical conditions by simulating real-world conditions within laboratory settings.
Applications
- Healthcare facilities: Ensuring that operating rooms, patient rooms and other critical areas are free from harmful pathogens.
- Public transportation: Disinfecting buses, trains, airplanes and other public transport to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
- Food processing plants: Maintaining hygiene standards in food processing and packaging areas to prevent contamination.
- Laboratories and cleanrooms: Ensuring sterile conditions in laboratories, research facilities and cleanrooms.
- Commercial and public buildings: Disinfecting offices, schools, gyms and other public spaces to maintain hygiene and safety.
Pros and cons of performing the test
Pros
- Comprehensive evaluation of disinfectant efficacy.
- Ensures regulatory compliance.
- Validates product claims, enhancing market trust.
Cons
- Expensive and time-consuming.
- Requires specialized equipment and expertise.
MIS offers an extensive range of microbiology testing services that adhere to international standards. With our cutting-edge facilities and highly skilled professionals, we design and execute EN 17272 tests based on product specifications and claims. Our expert team is ready to assess and help you optimize the performance of your automated airborne disinfection systems, ensuring it meets the highest standards of effectiveness.
To get EN 17272 testing services, talk to our experts today.
FAQs
EN 17272 is a widely used standard to evaluate the biocidal action of automated airborne disinfection systems. It determines the efficacy of systems against a wide range of microorganisms including bacteria, mycobacteria, bacterial spores, fungi, yeast, viruses and bacteriophages. Compliance with this standard requires test results to achieve log reduction values given in the above table.
This test is applicable for automated airborne disinfection systems implemented in medical, veterinary, food, industrial, domestic and institutional areas.
This test method can take 3-4 weeks to complete.
At Microbe Investigations, we perform this test using the following microbial strains: Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 15442), Escherichia coli (ATCC 8739), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6538P), Enterococcus hirae (ATCC 10541), Candida albicans (MTCC 3017), Aspergillus niger (ATCC 16888), Human adenovirus type 5 (ATCC VR-5), Murine norovirus (FLI S99). Additional strains can be added at the customer’s request.
This test is designed to determine the efficacy of automated airborne disinfection processes that disperse chemical disinfectants in the form of gas, vapor or aerosol. It differs from other tests for disinfectant efficacy, which may be concerned with manual application, direct spraying, wiping or immersing surfaces.
A disinfectant must achieve a specific log reduction in the number of viable microorganisms on test carriers to pass the test. The log reduction criteria vary based on the type of microorganism: >= 5 log reduction for bactericidal activity and >= 4 log reduction for mycobactericidal, sporicidal, fungicidal, virucidal and phagocidal activity.
Manufacturers should prioritize EN 17272 compliance to ensure their products are effective in real-world conditions where automated airborne disinfection processes are used. Compliance demonstrates that the disinfectant can achieve the required efficacy across various microorganisms, which is critical for applications in medical, veterinary, food and industrial settings. It also helps in cross-comparing different disinfection processes under standardized conditions.
No, this test is specifically designed for chemical disinfectants used in automated airborne disinfection processes and is not applicable to methods where the disinfectant is directly applied to surfaces through spraying, wiping, or immersion.
The standard does not specify the frequency of the tests. However, it is advisable to conduct the test in the initial phase of product development, when changes are made to the formulation or the method of manufacturing, to prove that the products remain compliant and effective.
Common reasons for failure in this test include insufficient log reduction in the number of viable microorganisms, poor distribution of the disinfectant throughout the enclosure and the presence of residual inhibitory effects that affect the results of the efficacy test.
This test assumes critical significance in public health and hygiene as it ensures that automated airborne disinfection renders a high degree of microbial inhibition action in various conditions. This is particularly important in healthcare institutions, food production units and other environments where high standards of hygiene need to be maintained.
Preparing your product for successful testing involves several steps including optimizing the formulation for airborne distribution, conducting preliminary tests to remove inhibitory effects and using analytical grade materials to ensure that the materials are free from toxins or inhibitory substances.
EN 17272 certification proves effectiveness against a wide range of microorganisms, enhancing the credibility of the product and aiding firms to meet European standards for wider market acceptance.
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