Final answer:
Chemical sanitizers include chlorine-based compounds, quats, and iodophors, which are compared to phenol for effectiveness. Sanitization does not achieve sterility, and soaps are not disinfectants despite their cleaning properties. The phenol coefficient indicates the relative efficacy of disinfectants compared to phenol.
Step-by-step explanation:
The three most common chemical sanitizers used for disinfection are chlorine-based compounds, quaternary ammonium compounds (quats), and iodophors. When evaluating these sanitizers, one must consider their effectiveness as disinfectants, which is historically compared to that of phenol. Chlorine bleach and products containing chlorine are used extensively for disinfecting nonliving surfaces. Quats, such as benzylalkonium chloride and cetylpyrimidine chloride, disrupt the phospholipid plasma membranes of bacterial cells, leading to cell death. Iodophors, like povidone-iodine, work by releasing iodine to oxidize cellular components, which destabilizes macromolecules.
It's important to note that sanitization does not leave an object completely free of microbes, as it's not equivalent to sterilization. For instance, endospores can survive typical disinfection processes. Moreover, soaps, while effective in mechanically carrying away microbes through emulsification, are not considered disinfectants due to their mode of action.Regarding chemical disinfectants, if a compound is more efficacious than phenol, its phenol coefficient would be greater than 1.0. However, sanitizers like soaps are not classified as disinfectants, and mercury-based compounds are no longer favored as preservatives or antiseptics due to toxicity concerns.