Jan 11, 2011

New Test Methods Cover Time-Kill Procedure, Palmar Hand Contamination Method

Subcommittee E35.15 on Antimicrobial Agents, part of ASTM International Committee E35 on Pesticides and Alternative Control Agents, has recently approved two new standards that will primarily be used by manufacturers of hand soaps and contract testing laboratories.

The first of these standards, ASTM E2783, Test Method for Assessment of Antimicrobial Activity for Water Miscible Compounds Using a Time-Kill Procedure, measures the change in a microbial population at predetermined time points when testing against antimicrobial products. Use of the test method will facilitate the development of kinetic models.

Although a guide for a time kill procedure does exist (ASTM E2315, Guide for Assessment of Antimicrobial Activity Using a Time-Kill Procedure), E2783 is the first ASTM test method to cover the topic.

“By having a standardized, validated method, results between laboratories can be more easily compared,” says Andrea Waggoner, senior scientist, Henkel Consumer Goods Inc., and a member of E35.

The second approved standard is ASTM E2784, Test Method for Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Handwash Formulations Using the Paper Towel (Palmar) Method of Hand Contamination. Impetus for the development of ASTM E2784 came from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Nonprescription Drug Advisory Committee, which recommended that consumer antibacterial handwashing products should demonstrate a reduction in infection compared to non-antibacterial hand wash products.

“ASTM E2784 mimics real world hand contamination in which only the palms, fingers and fingerpads become contaminated with transient microorganisms,” says Waggoner. “These microorganisms can then be transferred to food or objects. ASTM E2784 can be used to simulate and enumerate the transfer of microorganisms to food or objects.”

To purchase ASTM standards, visit www.astm.org and search by the standard designation number, or contact ASTM Customer Relations (phone: 610-832-9585; https://www.astm.org/contact/).  ASTM International welcomes and encourages participation in the development of its standards. For more information on becoming an ASTM member, visit www.astm.org/JOIN.

ASTM Committee E35 Next Meeting: April 11-14, 2011, April Committee Week, Anaheim, Calif.
Technical Contact: Andrea Waggoner, Henkel Consumer Goods Inc., Scottsdale, Ariz., Phone: 480-754-6242; andrea.waggoner@us.henkel.com
ASTM Staff Contact: Jennifer Rodgers, Phone: 610-832-9694; jrodgers@astm.org
ASTM PR Contact: Barbara Schindler, Phone: 610-832-9603; bschindl@astm.org

Release #8769