English Abstract To obtain quantitative data on the microbidical
activity of ethanol, n-propanol and isopropanol under the conditions of the
European Suspension Test, comparative tests were carried out in the
concentration range of 20 to 80% v/v using the standard test organisms of
this test methods (4 bacteria and 1 yeast) as well as a strain of
Mycobacterium terrae and spores of Aspergillus niger. The results show that
all alcohols rested are rapidly cidal against bacteria and yeasts, inducing
the norm reduction of 5 log cycles within 2 minutes. Propanols, especially
n-propanol, are slightly more active than ethanol, reaching the above
reduction already at concentrations of 30% v/v. Spores of A.niger are less
susceptible. At the usual concentration of 70% v/v only ethanol causes
within 5 minutes the desired reduction of 5 log ; with n-propanol and
isopropanol the reduction is limited to approximately 4 and 2 log reduction
respectively.
