# Experimental Comparative Analysis of the Effectiveness and Cleaning Performance of Conventional and Eco-Friendly Disinfectants Available in Romania

## TL;DR

This study compares eco-friendly and conventional disinfectants used in dental offices in Romania, finding that eco-friendly options are just as effective and sustainable.

## Contribution

The study experimentally evaluates eco-friendly disinfectants in Romania, showing they meet performance standards while being environmentally friendly.

## Key findings

- All tested disinfectants, including eco-friendly ones, were effective against bacterial strains at manufacturer-recommended concentrations.
- Protein removal efficiency after disinfection ranged from 96.04% to 99.03%, meeting ISO standards.
- Sekusept Aktiv showed highest effectiveness in MIC/MBC tests, while Gigazyme and IDactiv had highest protein removal efficiency.

## Abstract

Background/Objectives: To make a dental office more environmentally conscious, it is essential to use eco-friendly disinfectants without compromising patient safety. Our aim was to examine and compare the effectiveness of the commonly used conventional disinfectants in Romania with the effectiveness of available eco-friendly disinfectants. Methods: Two traditional (Gigasept, Zeta 1 Ultra), and two eco-friendly (IDactiv, Sekusept Aktiv) disinfectants and an eco-friendly (gigazyme) cleaning agent were compared. For a thorough evaluation, minimal inhibitory and bactericidal concentration (MIC/MBC) tests were conducted, along with a Bradford assay to measure the concentration of residual proteins on instruments contaminated by controlled contamination and dental office use after disinfection. Results: During the MIC test, with the exception of Gigazyme®, which is an enzymatic cleaner, all of the tested disinfectants were effective in the case of the bacterial reference strains used at the concentration prescribed by the manufacturers. After disinfection, the amount of protein remaining on the dental instruments did not exceed the maximum concentration according to the ISO 15883-5:2005 protocol, and the protein removal efficiency was between 96.04% and 99.03% for all disinfectants. In the MIC/MBC test, the peracetic acid-based Sekusept Aktiv was the most effective, while Gigazyme® and BossKlein IDactiv® showed the highest protein removal efficiency. Conclusions: The tested eco-friendly disinfectants meet the necessary performance criteria and thus offer a sustainable alternative to traditional disinfectants.