Decontamination

In biology, decontamination is the removal of microbial life forms. When an item is removed from all microbial life forms it is said to be sterilized.

Sterilization The purpose of sterilization is to get rid of every microbial life form in inanimate items. It is done using means that are deadly to all known life, such as deadly chemicals, deadly radiation and deadly heat.

Pasteurization In pasteurization, food is being heated for a few tens of minutes to temperatures around 60-70 deg celzius. The higher the temperature, the less time it takes to kill the pathogens. Most harmful microorganisms are sensitive to heat. This means that after pasteurization, the system does not have harmful microorganisms.

Filterization Unlike sterilization and pasteurization, filterization's purpose is not to kill microorganisms. Filterization removes microorganisms from a solution by passing the solution through a filter with pores smaller than the organisms meant to be filtered out of the solution. (the smallest bacteria are about 1e-7 meters) Filterization usually does not filters viruses out of the solution as they are considerably smaller than bacteria.

Bactericides are a group of chemicals that kills all bacterias, except for those in endospore stage. This group of chemicals focus on bacteria, so they may or may not be harmful to other kinds of microbes.

Fungicides are a group of chemicals made to destroy fungal spores, hyphae, and yeast.

virucides are a group of chemicals made to inactivate viruses, especially on living tissue, where their metabolism takes place.

sporicides are a group of chemicals made to destroy bacterial endospores. Bacteria in their endospore stage are the hardened Spartans of the microbial world. The chemicals that kill endospores will surely kill all other microbes. That's why sporicides can also be regarded as sterilants.

Gamma radiation Used as a sterilant. Breaks chromosomes.

pro can be applied in the factory as a part of the automated production line. The ratio of number of items sterilized above cost of purchasing and handling of the radioactive sterilant is larger than the ratio of other sterilants.

con radioactives aren't cheap and are very hazardous to handle. Are not to be used on small quantities and on large