The Activity of Peracetic Acid on Sewage Indicator Bacteria and Viruses

The increasing use of products containing peracetic acid for the disinfection of sewage and effluents has produced a demand for information about the activity of PAA against relevant microorganisms. Studies have therefore taken place to establish the comparative effects of peracetic acid and chlorine on both bacteria and viruses. Peracetic acid has previously been shown to be active against faecal indicator bacteria Recent laboratory studies have established that peracetic acid is also an effective agent against viruses typical of those found in sewage. This activity is maintained even in experimental systems containing high levels of organic matter such as yeast extract. In contrast, although sodium hypochlorite is an effective virucide in clean experimental systems, the presence of organic matter greatly increases the level of added available chlorine necessary to achieve a given level of viral inactivation.