Disinfectant

Maria Troupkou <maria.troupkou [at] nationalarchives__gov__uk> writes

>In Conservation DistList Instance: 11:74 Friday, March 6, 1998,
>Cheryl Jackson <cherylj [at] aa__gov__au> writes
>
>>Can someone tell me the suitability of the disinfectant Alkyl
>>dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride (a quarternary ammonium compound)
>>for use with paper based materials. ...
>
>One of the commercial salvage companies here uses it in the cleaning
>and disinfecting process for flood/mud damaged records, and I have
>received a query about its suitability, ie any long term effects for
>the records. Further to the above query, has anybody used what is
>also called 'benzalconium chloride', described as a second
>generation quarternary ammonium compound (Quat) and/or a cationic
>disinfectant with high biocidal activity (the main active ingredient
>in the copper-free pool algicide Physan, and of Lysol(R) Brand
>disinfectant Deodorizing Cleaner) for decontaminating damp
>archival/library material? Or know of any mention of it in the
>literature?

I looked into this at one point, but basically in the U.S. if it is
not approved for that usage (the EPA approves pesticides, etc.), and
it isn't, it should not be done.  It would be interesting to see
research done on this topic, but to prove both that it kills mould
and doesn't harm paper is a multidisciplinary study that few are
equipped to undertake.


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 18:4
                  Distributed: Thursday, July 1, 2004
                        Message Id: cdl-18-4-006
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