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Review
. 2019 Nov;29(6):880-894.
doi: 10.1111/ina.12596. Epub 2019 Sep 6.

From one species to another: A review on the interaction between chemistry and microbiology in relation to cleaning in the built environment

Samantha Velazquez  1 , Willem Griffiths  1 , Leslie Dietz  1 , Patrick Horve  1 , Susie Nunez  1 , Jinglin Hu  2 , Jiaxian Shen  2 , Mark Fretz  3 , Chenyang Bi  4 , Ying Xu  5 , Kevin G Van Den Wymelenberg  1   3 , Erica M Hartmann  2 , Suzanne L Ishaq  1
Affiliations
Review

From one species to another: A review on the interaction between chemistry and microbiology in relation to cleaning in the built environment

Samantha Velazquez et al. Indoor Air. 2019 Nov.

Abstract

Since the advent of soap, personal hygiene practices have revolved around removal, sterilization, and disinfection-both of visible soil and microscopic organisms-for a myriad of cultural, aesthetic, or health-related reasons. Cleaning methods and products vary widely in their recommended use, effectiveness, risk to users or building occupants, environmental sustainability, and ecological impact. Advancements in science and technology have facilitated in-depth analyses of the indoor microbiome, and studies in this field suggest that the traditional "scorched-earth cleaning" mentality-that surfaces must be completely sterilized and prevent microbial establishment-may contribute to long-term human health consequences. Moreover, the materials, products, activities, and microbial communities indoors all contribute to, or remove, chemical species to the indoor environment. This review examines the effects of cleaning with respect to the interaction of chemistry, indoor microbiology, and human health.

Keywords: antimicrobial resistance genes; chemical intervention; indoor microbiology; occupant health; surface microbiology; urface chemistry.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Chemical species indoors are sourced from building materials, material goods, cleaning and hygiene products, human or other biological occupant activities, microbial activities, and a variety of chemical reactions. The interaction between microorganisms, chemicals, and human occupants is complex and often affected by architectural or environmental factors. Airflow through a building (indicated by arrows) can affect dispersal and mixing of chemical and microbial species indoors
Figure 2
Figure 2
Chemical‐based cleaning acts on various cellular components which may be specific to a particular domain or cell type or generalizable across many types. (A) Anionic detergents disrupt lipopolysaccharides in the cell membrane of Gram‐negative bacteria. (B) Vinegars, ammonia, and alcohols disrupt the osmolarity of a cell. (c) The cell wall of a Gram‐negative bacterium is complex, including outer cell membrane, periplasmic space, peptidoglycan, and inner cell membrane. (D) Cationic detergents disrupt the normal activities of peptidoglycan in cell walls and lipopolysaccharides in cell membranes. (E) Detergents (eg, sodium laureth sulfate) disrupt the attachment of cells to surfaces and disrupt lipid membranes through hydrophobic interactions with glycopolysaccharides
Figure 3
Figure 3
The action of a chemical against a particular domain of life or cell type informs its effectiveness at killing or preventing the growth and division of target microorganisms
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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