Destruction of microorganisms

To destroy microbes (bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa) on various objects and materials used in medicine, in the food industry and in everyday life, two methods are used: sterilization and disinfection.

Sterilization

Sterilization involves the complete inactivation of microbes in the objects being processed.

There are three main methods of sterilization: thermal, radiation, chemical.

Disinfection

Disinfection is a procedure involving the treatment of an object contaminated with microbes in order to destroy them to such an extent that they cannot cause infection when using this object. As a rule, disinfection kills most of the microbes (including all pathogens), but spores and some resistant viruses may remain in a viable state.

There are three main methods of disinfection: thermal, chemical, UV irradiation. The choice of one method or another also depends on the material to be disinfected.