Effect of disinfectants and manual wiping for processing the cell product changeover in a biosafety cabinet

INTRODUCTION: The process of cell product changeover poses a high risk of cross-contamination. Hence, it is essential to minimize cross-contamination while processing cell products. Following its use, the surface of a biosafety cabinet is commonly disinfected by ethanol spray and manual wiping methods. However, the effectiveness of this protocol and the optimal disinfectant have not yet been evaluated. Here, we assessed the effect of various disinfectants and manual wiping methods on bacterial removal during cell processing. METHODS: The hard surface carrier test was performed to evaluate the disinfectant efficacy of benzalkonium chloride with a corrosion inhibitor (BKC + I), ethanol (ETH), peracetic acid (PAA), and wiping against Bacillus subtilis endospores. Distilled water (DW) was used as the control. A pressure sensor was employed to investigate the differences in loading under dry and wet conditions. The pre-spray for wiping was monitored by eight operators using a paper that turns black when wet. Chemical properties, including residual floating proteins, and mechanical properties, such as viscosity and coefficient of friction, were examined. RESULTS: In total, 2.02 ± 0.21-Log and 3.00 ± 0.46-Log reductions from 6-Log CFU of B. subtilis endospores were observed for BKC + I and PAA, respectively, following treatment for 5 min. Meanwhile, wiping resulted in a 0.70 ± 0.12-Log reduction under dry conditions. Under wet conditions, DW and BKC + I showed 3.20 ± 0.17-Log and 3.92 ± 0.46-Log reductions, whereas ETH caused a 1.59 ± 0.26-Log reduction. Analysis of the pressure sensor suggested that the force was not transmitted under dry conditions. Evaluation of the amount of spray by eight operators showed differences and bias in the spraying area. While ETH had the lowest ratio in the protein floating and collection assays, it exhibited the highest viscosity. BKC + I had the highest friction coefficient under 4.0–6.3 mm/s; however, that of BKC + I decreased and became similar to the friction coefficient of ETH under 39.8–63.1 mm/s. CONCLUSIONS: DW and BKC + I are effective for inducing a 3-Log reduction in bacterial abundance. Moreover, the combination of optimal wet conditions and disinfectants is essential for effective wiping in specific environments containing high-protein human sera and tissues. Given that some raw materials processed in cell products contain high protein levels, our findings suggest that a complete changeover of biosafety cabinets is necessary in terms of both cleaning and disinfection.