Altro-Brochure-Biocides - fact or fiction? Transport edition

Designed for possibilities.

Made for people.

Separating fact from fiction: biocide claims Your guide to separating manufacturer myth from scientific fact

altro.co.uk

Separating fact from fiction: biocide claims “As antimicrobial drugs get stronger, and their use more widespread, bacteria’s resistance to antibiotics gets stronger and more widespread too, which can lead to untreatable bacteria, known as “superbugs”.”

World Health Organisation The World Health Organisation warns against excessive use of anti-microbial technologies, as they will contribute to the likelihood of antibiotic-resistant “superbugs” becoming more widespread.

That’s quite sobering, isn’t it?

There are indeed a lot of claims made around

Antimicrobial = an agent that kills

biocides, bacteria and viruses. Are you confused

microorganisms or stops their growth

and don’t know what to believe or who to trust?

Microorgannism = a microscopic organism,

Some manufacturers are deliberately using

especially bacteria or viruses

terminology to confuse, as they try to

Biocide = a chemical that destroys or inhibits

substantiate claims – don’t fall for it!

the growth or activity of living organisms

Let’s start by getting some things clear. What

Bacteriostat = a substance which kills bacteria

does it all mean? Know your definitions!

Antibiotic = antimicrobial substance active against bacteria Antibacterial = tending to prevent the growth or spread of bacteria Antiviral = compounds specifically made to inhibit the growth and spread of viruses

02 02

03 03

Know your bacteria from your viruses. They are NOT the same • Antimicrobial does not automatically mean antiviral • Fact = while the term “antimicrobial” includes

• “Antimicrobial” is being used as a marketing buzzword by some manufacturers. There are

viruses, products claiming to have antimicrobial

currently no antimicrobial technologies in

properties are not always antiviral. That means

floors that are proven to kill COVID-19.

they won’t automatically protect you against viruses

Misleading manufacturer marketing myths – Challenge! Challenge! Challenge!

• If a manufacturer claims that their products

• Some companies talk about the performance of the

include additives that can disable viruses,

chemicals or additives in their products which kill

specifically COVID-19, ask for proof: request

bacteria and share results from the supplier who

certified test results. These claims are often

makes those additives. Seems reasonable? No it’s

intentionally misleading and deceiving

not. These have often only been tested before they

• Some companies even use results for feline

are added to the PVC product mix. The suppliers

coronavirus, which only affects cats, to

even admit that there is no evidence at present that

imply protection against COVID-19

the chemicals or additives perform in the same way when added to products or surfaces. What you need to see is the performance of that additive in the product you are buying – don’t settle for anything less, you could be putting people at risk if you do!

04 04

05 05

06 06

It’s the 0.1% of all known germs you should worry about…

• We all remember the claims about 99.9% of known germs being killed by strong cleaning fluids.

• Bacteria are good at evolving to overcome biocides and the World Health Organisation

Scientists now say that it is the remaining

has identified antimicrobial resistance as a

0.1% of bacteria that is the long-term

major risk to human life as antibiotics fail to

risk factor

be effective

The rise of the “superbug” – it’s a mutant success story • Superbugs form where biocides do not entirely

Not convinced? Scientists at Harvard Medical School

destroy the more ‘competitive’ bacteria (often

demonstrate this very vividly in a two-minute video

those associated with serious health problems)

where they show how fast bacteria evolve to become

• If you don’t stringently follow hygiene processes,

resistant to even the strongest antibiotics…

they can remain in contact with the biocide

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plVk4NVIUh8&t=3s

over an extended period of time

They conclude: “Ultimately, in a dramatic demonstration

• This close contact between the bacteria and

of acquired drug resistance, bacteria spread to the

the chemical, designed to kill it, creates an ideal

highest drug concentration. In the span of 10 days,

environment in which the bacteria can mutate

bacteria produced mutant strains capable of surviving a

and develop antibiotic resistance, producing

dose of the antibiotic trimethoprim 1,000 times higher

more dangerous, antibiotic-resistant bacteria

than the one that killed their progenitors.”

Specifying bacteriostats? Superbugs will love you for it!

• You could be helping to accelerate the evolution and mutation of particular strains of bacteria if

• These in turn could accelerate the development of superbugs

you increase the use of antibacterial products such as antibiotics and bacteriostats

07 07

08 08

Why is it dangerous to rely on biocides?

• Relying on the infection control capabilities

• The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and

of products containing biocides can lead to

Prevention (CDC) say human health is best

complacency, in the mistaken belief that the

ensured through proper cleaning practices,

biocide will replace the need for effective

such as wiping down surfaces with soap and

cleaning, with the result that cleaning regimes

water before treating them with a disinfectant

are relaxed in areas where hygiene is critical • At the outset of COVID-19 the WHO advice was for people to wash their hands to prevent the spread of infection. This is not a new message.

The WHO have been promoting good hand hygiene as the most effective way to limit the spread of diseases such as MRSA and E Coli

So are biocides really needed in vinyl floors?

• Vinyl is naturally hygienic – no additives are

• Vinyl is suggested for use as a standard for the

required, compared to other materials such as carpet

transport industry because of its inherent hygienic

which give bacteria and viruses a safe haven

and safety properties, as well as a far more

• Vinyl is inert and does not encourage the growth of bacteria in the way some natural materials do

effective cleaning record compared to carpet • Used in floors, vinyl is highly durable, non-porous, non-shedding and has very high impact resistance; preventing the cracks and chipping that can trap bacteria

Listening to the scientists - why we avoid the use of biocides • As a responsible manufacturer, we base the

• We maintain that the hygienic design of our

decision to not use biocides on science and

materials, the ingredients from which they are

the health trends we see around the world

made, and the system they provide is sufficient in

• We strongly believe that the long-term overuse of these chemicals contributes to long-lasting health and environmental problems

combating viruses and other microorganisms when combined with proper cleaning and disinfecting • Antimicrobial technology should be used sparingly. Best practice has been to limit the use of these additives to high risk surfaces like grab rails and door and stop buttons

When was the last time you ran your hand over your floor or wall?

Recently? We thought not. We believe it’s unnecessary to

We are the inventors of safety flooring and the

include biocides in low risk surfaces like these and their

manufacturer with the most stringent safety

overuse can lead to an increase in the spread of resistant

information regarding our products. Altro have the

pathogens as well as the overall risk of infection.

knowledge and expertise to guide our customers through from specification to installation and beyond.

It is crucial that with every project you know the full facts from a trusted and experienced manufacturer.

09 09

How can I trust Altro products’ hygiene credentials?

Proven hygienic system. Guaranteed • Altro have been supplying the NHS for 35 years,

adding any chemicals to our products that

and we’re proud to extend this expertise in

replaces the recommended cleaning guidelines

creating hygienic spaces to all the industries

that can be found here www.altro.co.uk/Support/

we operate in, including transport

Technicaldocuments/Cleaning-and-maintenance

• Altro products are steam cleanable with high chemical resistance for disinfecting floors and walls (tested with up to 1,312 chemicals for proven performance)

10 10

• Our tests showed that there is no ‘short cut’ of

11 11

Samples If colour choice is critical, please request a sample of the material 01462 707600 samples@altro.co.uk

Altro Limited, Works Road, Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire SG6 1NW 01462 707600 ,

enquiries@altro.com

, Altro, Designed for possibilities. Made for people. are trademarks of Altro Limited.

Content correct at time of going to print. Altro reserves the right to change any detail. Š Copyright Altro 2020

altro.co.uk

BIOCIDES TRANS UK 08/20