Open AccessChlorine and its importance in the inactivation of bacteria, can it inactivate viruses?
Author(s) -
Laila Nayzzel Muñoz-Castellanos,
Alejandra Borrego-Loya,
Cindy Viviana Villalba-Bejarano,
Román González-Escobedo,
Nuvia Orduño-Cruz,
Grisel Paloma Villezcas-Villegas,
María Janeth RodríguezRoque,
Graciela Dolores Ávila-Quezada,
Irasema VargasArispuro
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
revista mexicana de fitopatología(en línea)/revista mexicana de fitopatología
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2007-8080
pISSN - 0185-3309
DOI - 10.18781/r.mex.fit.2021-4
Subject(s) - chlorine , hypochlorous acid , bacteria , sodium hypochlorite , nucleic acid , chemistry , antimicrobial , biofilm , sulfur , biochemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , combinatorial chemistry , organic chemistry , biology , genetics
Sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) and its active ingredient, hypochlorous acid (HClO), are the most widely used chlorine-based disinfectants. HClO is a fast-acting antimicrobial that interacts with many biomolecules, including amino acids, lipids, nucleic acids, and sulfur containing membrane components, causing cell damage. In this review, we present examples of the effectiveness of chlorine in general disinfection procedures to inactivate bacteria and, under some conditions, bacteria in biofilms and viruses.