One of the most important concepts to grasp in healthcare is the idea of log reductions. Tecomak Environmental Services offer iHP (ionised hydrogen peroxide) six-log reductions in a variety of environments, examine the various levels which can be achieved – and why it is so important to strive for an extremely high log number in medicine and scientific research.

What is Log Reduction?

Here, ‘log’ means ‘logarithm’ (it operates on a logarithmic scale) and it is expressed by a number. The figure quantifies how much a disinfection process or product diminishes the number of microorganisms (like bacteria, viruses, and fungi) on a surface. Each log signifies a tenfold reduction in micro-organisms.

So, a one-log reduction means that 90% of the potentially harmful pathogens have been eradicated; a two-log reduction to 99% (of the original total); a three-log 99.9%; a four-log to 99.99%; a five log to 99.999%; and a six-log to 99.9999%.

Why is Six-Log So Important?

Achieving a six-log reduction is important in healthcare for a number of reasons. For instance, it means that the environment – which can include operating theatres, cleanrooms, isolation units and ICUs – has been effectively sterilised. A two-log reduction brings sanitisation, which makes the area and the objects within it clean; a five-log reduction results in disinfection, eliminating most pathogenic organisms, either completely killing them or making them harmless.

A six-log reduction, however, sees the microbial population reduced to virtually zero. This, in turn, offers several benefits:

It Offers Greater Protection to the Patient – the elimination of all harmful pathogens means that patients – who may be vulnerable, infirm or unwell.

It Offers Greater Protection to Staff – this is important for medical staff working in the above environments who don’t want to be exposed to anything harmful; it also applies to workers in research laboratories.

It Offers Greater Product Protection– a six-log reduction is also essential in commercial environments, such as pharmaceutical manufacturing. Unwanted contamination of medicines could have damaging side effects for consumers and patients if the problem is not detected and the item is made available to the public.

It Offers Greater Protection to the Research – many research laboratories require the environment to be effectively sterile as the presence of any potentially harmful micro-organisms can contaminate the results, rendering potentially months of work useless.

It Offers Greater Protection to the Equipment – individual items of medical and scientific equipment need to undergo biological decontamination. Fume cupboards and safety cabinets, for example, function more safely and accurately if they have undergone a six-log reduction during the decontamination process.

iHP Six-Log Reductions with the Devea Phileas® Range

At Tecomak Environmental Services, we supply the Devea Phileas® range of ionised Hydrogen Peroxide (iHP) biological decontamination devices. These diffuse a fine spray or mist around the target area, after which the only leftovers are harmless oxygen molecules and water. They also have fast operating cycles, so your lab, hospital or production facility won’t be out of action for long.

Depending on your requirements, the units can be programmed to produce either a four-, five- or six-log reduction in harmful micro-organisms and all of the so-called ‘superbugs’ which sometimes break out in hospitals (for a full list of what the devices can eliminate, check out our previous article here).

Some laboratories may be happy with four- or five-log reductions, but to avoid doubt our default iHP service is six-log, which we can guarantee with the Phileas® technology.

Specifically, we can supply the Phileas® 15, the Phileas® Genius, the Phileas® 25, the Phileas® 75, the Phileas® One, the Phileas® 250 and the Phileas® 285. They can decontaminate areas as small as 0.5m3 and as large as 1,665m3. For more information on any of the devices, you can also call us on 01732 852250.

We can either decontaminate your area for you, or we can train your staff how to use any of these devices. They are all simple to operate and can be pre-programmed to be used remotely, so there will be no risks to any of your employees.