Peroxycarboxylic acid compositions and methods of use against microbial spores

A concentrate composition having antimicrobial activity, the composition comprising:

• (a) hydrogen peroxide in an amount of between about 0.2 weight percent and about 6 weight percent;
• (b) a carboxylic acid of the formula:
• R(COOH)n, wherein R comprises hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alicyclic group, aryl, heteroaryl, or heterocyclic group, and n is 1, 2, or 3, the carboxylic acid being present in an amount of between about 0.5 weight percent and about 80 weight percent;
• (c) a peroxycarboxylic acid of the formula:
• R(COOOH)n, wherein R comprises hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alicyclic group, aryl, heteroaryl, or heterocyclic group, and n is 1, 2, or 3, the peroxycarboxylic acid being present in an amount of between about 0.2 weight percent and about 30 weight percent;
• and
• (d) about 0.15 wt-% to 4 wt-% quaternary ammonium compound comprising N-alkyl dimethyl ethyl benzyl ammonium, di-n-alkyl dimethyl ammonium, di-n-alkyl methyl benzyl ammonium salt, or a mixture thereof;
• wherein the composition, employed at a concentration of about 150 ppm peroxycarboxylic acid, causes greater than 5-log reduction in spores of a microorganism of Bacillus cereus group in about 10 min at 40° C.

A method of reducing the population of spore forming vegetative bacteria and related bacterial spores, the method comprising:

• contacting a surface of a substance contaminated by said vegetative bacteria and bacterial spores with an antimicrobial composition;
• the surface comprising a surface in a health care environment, in a food environment, in a hospitality environment, in an education environment, or a combination thereof;
• the antimicrobial composition comprising an effective antimicrobial amount of a mixture of:
• (a) hydrogen peroxide;
• (b) carboxylic acid of the formula:
• R(COOH)n, wherein R comprises hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alicyclic group, aryl, heteroaryl, or heterocyclic group, and n is 1,2, or 3;
• and
• (c) peroxycarboxylic acid of the formula:
• R(COOOH)n, wherein R comprises hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alicyclic group, aryl, heteroaryl, or heterocyclic group, and n is 1, 2, or 3;
• and 0.15 wt-% to 4 wt-% quaternary ammonium compound comprising N-alkyl dimethyl ethyl benzyl ammonium, di-n-alkyl dimethyl ammonium, di-n-alkyl methyl benzyl ammonium salt, or a mixture thereof;
• the composition comprising 5 to 18 parts by weight of the peroxycarboxylic acid for each part of hydrogen peroxide;
• and
• reducing the population of spores on the surface of the substance by one log or more after about 10 or fewer minutes of contact.

A method of reducing the population of vegetative bacteria and bacterial spores on a textile, the method comprising:

• contacting the textile with an antimicrobial composition;
• the textile comprising cotton, wool, silk, synthetic fabric, or mixture thereof;
• the antimicrobial composition comprising an effective antimicrobial amount of a mixture of:
• (a) hydrogen peroxide;
• (b) carboxylic acid of the formula:
• R(COOH)n, wherein R comprises hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alicyclic group, aryl, heteroaryl, or heterocyclic group, and n is 1, 2, or 3;
• and
• (c) peroxycarboxylic acid of the formula:
• R(COOOH)n, wherein R comprises hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alicyclic group, aryl, heteroaryl, or heterocyclic group, and n is 1, 2, or 3;
• and
• (d) about 0. 15 wt-% to 4 wt-% quaternary ammonium compound comprising N-alkyl dimethyl ethyl benzyl ammonium, di-n-alkyl dimethyl ammonium, di-n-alkyl methyl benzyl ammonium salt, or a mixture thereof;
• the composition comprising 5 to 18 parts by weight of the peroxycarboxylic acid for each part of hydrogen peroxide;
• and
• reducing the population of spores on the surface of the substance by one log or more after about 10 or fewer minutes of contact.

A composition comprising:

• about 0.2 to about 6 wt-% hydrogen peroxide;
• about 0.5 to about 70 wt-% acetic acid, propionic acid, heptanoic acid, octanoic acid, nonanoic acid, lactic acid, or mixture thereof;
• about 2.5 to about 25 wt-% peroxyacetic acid, peroxypropionic acid, peroxyheptanoic acid, peroxyoctanoic acid, peroxynonanoic acid, peroxylactic acid, or mixture thereof, and about 0.15 to about 4 wt-% of N-alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium salt, N-alkyl methyl ethyl benzyl ammonium salt, di-n-alkyl dimethyl ammonium salt, di-n-alkyl methyl benzyl ammonium salt, or mixture thereof, in which each alkyl independently contains from 1 to 20 carbon atoms or is an oxyalkyl having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms;
• the composition comprising 5 to 18 parts by weight of the peroxycarboxylic acid for each part of hydrogen peroxide;
• wherein the composition, employed at a concentration of about 150 ppm peroxycarboxylic acid, causes greater than 5-log reduction in spores of a microorganism of Bacillus cereus group in about 10 min at 40° C.

A composition comprising:

• about 3 to about 1850 ppm hydrogen peroxide;
• about 100 to about 21,000 ppm acetic acid, propionic acid, heptanoic acid, octanoic acid, nonanoic acid, lactic acid, or mixture thereof;
• about 100 to about 21000 ppm peroxyacetic acid, peroxypropionic acid, peroxyheptanoic acid, peroxyoctanoic acid, peroxynonanoic acid, peroxylactic acid, or mixture thereof;
• and
• about 10 to about 50 ppm of N-alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium salt, N-alkyl methyl ethyl benzyl ammonium salt, di-n-alkyl dimethyl ammonium salt, di-n-alkyl methyl benzyl ammonium salt, or mixture thereof, in which each alkyl independently contains from 1 to 20 carbon atoms or is an oxyalkyl having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms;
• the composition comprising 5 to 18 parts by weight of the peroxycarboxylic acid for each part of hydrogen peroxide;
• wherein the composition causes greater than 5-log reduction in spores of a microorganism of Bacillus cereus group in about 10 min at 40° C.

A composition having antimicrobial activity, the composition comprising an effective antimicrobial amount of a mixture of:

• (a) up to about 2500 ppm hydrogen peroxide;
• (b) about 2 ppm to about 27000 ppm carboxylic acid of the formula:
• R(COOH)n, wherein R comprises hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alicyclic group, aryl, heteroaryl, or heterocyclic group, and n is 1, 2, or 3;
• (c) about 1 ppm to about 10000 ppm peroxycarboxylic acid of the formula:
• R(COOOH)n, wherein R comprises hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alicyclic group, aryl, heteroaryl, or heterocyclic group, and n is 1, 2, or 3;
• and
• (d) about 4 ppm to about 100 ppm quaternary ammonium compound comprising N-alkyl dimethyl ethyl benzyl ammonium, di-n-alkyl dimethyl ammonium, di-n-alkyl methyl benzyl ammonium salt, or a mixture thereof,
• the composition comprising 5 to 18 parts by weight of the peroxycarboxylic acid for each part of hydrogen peroxide;
• wherein the composition, employed at a concentration of about 150 ppm peroxycarboxylic acid, causes greater than 5-log reduction in spores of a microorganism of Bacillus cereus group in about 10 min at 40° C.