Ecolab Receives First EPA Approval for Biofilm Disinfection in Drains

ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ecolab Inc., the global leader in water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions and services, is the first to receive EPA product approval for disinfection of biofilmsⁱ in wastewater drains for its Virasept™ product – an important part of a comprehensive environmental hygiene program designed to help effectively combat bacterial growth in hospitals.

Virasept (EPA Reg. No. 1677-226) is a patented, peracid mixture, ready-to-use cleaner, deodorizer and hospital disinfectant.

“Effective drain biofilm disinfection reduces the risk of environmental transmission of pathogens found in biofilms,” explains Linda Homan, RN, BSN, CIC, and senior manager of Clinical Affairs for Ecolab Healthcare. “We are excited about this first-to-market foaming application solution and believe it will be unique for some time.”

Because they are wet, drains are a high-risk environment for biofilm growth and a vector for hospital-associated infectionsⁱⁱ, and recently published studies have identified sink drains as potentially important reservoirs for antibiotic-resistant organisms.^iii,iv Other published clinical studies have shown that foaming is a more effective way to apply product to drains compared to liquids as it ensures contact time compliance.^v,vi,vii

Bringing decades of expertise in infection prevention, the Ecolab team worked together with the EPA to refine the test methods required to show foaming efficacy against these pathogens in drain biofilms.

In addition to this foaming application for drain biofilms, Virasept has broad claims on more than 30 organisms of concern including C. diff, TB, and norovirus.^viii It is included on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) List N: Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2.^ix As part of this submission, Virasept also received EPA approval for claims against C. auris, Legionella pneumophila, and Listeria monocytogenes, further enhancing its applications.

For more information about Virasept and Ecolab’s line of Healthcare cleaners and disinfection programs, products, equipment and services, please visit:

www.ecolab.com/solutions/cleaners-and-disinfectants-for-hospitals

About Ecolab
A trusted partner at nearly three million commercial customer locations, Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) is the global leader in water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions and services. With annual sales of $13 billion and more than 45,000 associates, Ecolab delivers comprehensive solutions, data-driven insights and personalized service to advance food safety, maintain clean and safe environments, optimize water and energy use, and improve operational efficiencies and sustainability for customers in the food, healthcare, hospitality and industrial markets in more than 170 countries around the world. www.ecolab.com

Follow us on Twitter @ecolab, Facebook at facebook.com/ecolab, LinkedIn at Ecolab or Instagram at Ecolab Inc.

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ⁱ Efficacy studies for disinfection of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms were submitted to the EPA to achieve this claim
ⁱⁱ Carling PC. Wastewater drains: epidemiology and interventions in 23 carbapenem-resistant organism outbreaks. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2018 Aug;39(8):972-979. doi: 10.1017/ice.2018.138. Epub 2018 Jun 28. Review. PubMed PMID: 29950189.
ⁱⁱⁱ BW, Graham MB, Lindmair-Snell J, et al. The relevance of sink proximity to toilets on the detection of Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase

inside sink drains. Am J Infect Control 2019;47:98–100.
^iv Kizny Gordon AE, Mathers AJ, Cheong EYL, et al. The hospital water environment as a reservoir for carbapenem-resistant organisms causing hospital-acquired infections—a systematic review of the literature. Clin Infect Dis 2017;64:1435–1444.
^v Buchan BW, Arvan JA, Graham MB, Tarima S, Faron ML, Nanchal R, Munoz-Price LS. Effectiveness of a hydrogen peroxide foam against bleach for the disinfection of sink drains. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2019 Jun;40(6):724-726. doi:10.1017/ice.2019.72. Epub 2019 Apr 17. PubMed PMID: 30992089.
^vi Buchan, Blake & Arvan, Jennifer & Graham, Mary & Tarima, Sergey & Faron, Matthew & Nanchal, Rahul & Munoz-Price, L. Silvia. (2019). Effectiveness of a hydrogen peroxide foam against bleach for the disinfection of sink drains. Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology. 40. 1-3. 10.1017/ice.2019.72.
^vii Jones, L., Mana, T., Cadnum, J., Jencson, A., Silva, S., Wilson, B., & Donskey, C. (n.d.). Effectiveness of foam disinfectants in reducing sink-drain gram-negative bacterial colonization. Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, 1-6. doi:10.1017/ice.2019.32
^viii Claims valid when used in accordance with directions for use on hard, non-porous surfaces
^ix Virasept meets criteria for claims against emerging viral pathogens and therefore can be used against COVID-19 when used in accordance with the directions for use against the listed supporting virus on hard, non-porous surfaces.