on 9/5/04 8:03 PM, Bert wrote: > Egged on by his remarks I have searched the Web for readily available > experimental information on the subject and can confirm that a 1:10 dilution > of > pool bleach will destroy virus in a fraction of a second, virtually on > contact.
Yes, while it is true that a 'naked' virus or other disease causing agent, meaning one that is not hidden in plant tissue, sap, resin, root tissue on the side of a pot, etc. can be killed virtually instantly, (your reference is to viruses of course) when you have any amount of dirt or plant matter, (meaning unclean pots or tools, even slightly dirty) it takes much longer or if the material is solid enough then disinfection could theoretically be impossible, considering the material. Physan which is of course not bleach, but is a strong sterilant used as an example that I think can translate to the practical use of bleach, states clearly on its label that organic material must be removed before attempting to use the chemical to sterilize the equipment, or else it will not work. So, my point is just to make sure that the instrument, pot, cutter or such be cleaned off to the best of your ability and then dipped for the labeled or indicated time for the particular nasty you want to kill. Just making a practical point for those that might think that the virus killing deed can be done whether or not the utensil is cleaned off before dipping. charles -- Charles Ufford Calen the Border Collie CGC - now in Heaven Oriskany, NY USA IPA, Central NY and Southern Tier Orchid Societies [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.paphiopedilum.net Http://www.geocities.com/charlesufford
_______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids
