Comparative Efficacy of Some Commonly Used Disinfectants Against Bacteria Isolated from Toilet Floors of College of Natural and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Bayero University, Kano
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56919/usci.2651.011Keywords:
Disinfectant, susceptibility, toilets, microorganism, concentrationAbstract
Disinfectants are chemicals capable of destroying or inhibiting the growth of microorganisms on inanimate surfaces. Disinfecting toilet floors is a fundamental aspect of infection control in schools and communities. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of three disinfectants against bacteria isolated from toilet floors at the College of Natural and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Bayero University, Kano. Swabs were collected using sterile cotton swabs after treatment with disinfectants. Bacterial isolates were identified through standard microbiological methods, with biochemical tests used to confirm their presence. The effectiveness of three disinfectants, Chloroxylenol, isopropyl alcohol (X), Sodium hypochlorite (Y), and 32% Phenol (Z), was tested against the isolated bacteria. Three concentrations (100%, 75%, and 50%) of each disinfectant were tested on all organisms using the agar well diffusion method. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of each disinfectant were determined. The organisms were also tested against some standard antibiotics. The novelty of this study lies in isolating five environmentally important bacterial species directly from toilet floor surfaces. These include Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella sp, Bacillus sp and Pseudomonas sp. The ability of these organisms to survive and grow at graded concentrations (100%, 75%, and 50%) provides new insight into their differential tolerance and potential reduced susceptibility under real-world sanitation conditions. The results showed that X was the most active among the tested disinfectants. Bacillus sp resist all three disinfectants tested, while S. aureus is the most susceptible organism. At 50% and 25% Y and Z failed to kill the organisms. The susceptibility pattern showed that S. aureus, E. coli, and Pseudomonas sp. were more susceptible to Y at rates of 73%, 64%, and 57%, respectively. At 100% concentration, all organisms exhibit the highest zones of inhibition, 25-32mm. At 50% concentration, all isolates exhibited visible growth, indicating significant loss of disinfectant efficacy at sub-optimal concentrations. MICs of all disinfectants against all isolates ranged from 6.25 µg to 12.5 µg, except for Klebsiella sp. and Bacillus spp., which exhibited 12.5 µg. The study demonstrated that all disinfectants were active against the tested organisms, with the highest activity observed for Y. Regular surface disinfection is essential to reduce infectious diseases caused by contact with environmental pathogens.
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