Quantitative determination of germs on wooden and plastic surfaces
Ruosch, W.
Schweizer Archiv für Tierheilkunde 123(2): 97-103
1981
ISSN/ISBN: 0036-7281 PMID: 7017926 Document Number: 180920
The bacteria count on 3 different surfaces was measured by use of 4 different techniques. Balsa wood was contaminated artificially with Serratia marcescens. Recovery was 100% (= best technique) with the stamping out method, 57.7% with a modified spray gun, 34.6% by the Thran device and 25.4% by cotton swabs used by dentists. On plastic naturally contaminated in a butchery, after cleaning, a similar ratio was found (the destructive method had to be omitted): 100% (= best method) for the spray gun, 15.8% for the Thran device and 15.7% for the swab method. The spray gun was more suitable than swabs, because strong jets of water dislodged bacteria from small grooves and fissures. On uncleaned boards recovery was best by cotton swabs (100%), less by the spray gun (42.8%) and least of all by the Thran device (11.4%). A thick covering of fat and meat was better removed by swabs than by jets of cold water.