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Updated: May 12, 2026

Determining Viral Disinfection Efficacy of Hot Water Laundering

Determining Viral Disinfection Efficacy of Hot Water Laundering

Published on: June 21, 2022

Subtle differences in virus composition affect disinfection kinetics and mechanisms.

Thérèse Sigstam¹, Greg Gannon, Michele Cascella

¹Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology

|April 2, 2013

Summary

Understanding viral disinfection requires examining molecular inactivation mechanisms. Differences in viral genome and protein composition significantly impact how viruses like bacteriophages MS2, fr, and GA respond to disinfectants such as UV254, singlet oxygen, free chlorine, and chlorine dioxide.

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Determining Viral Disinfection Efficacy of Hot Water Laundering

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Published on: June 21, 2022

Alternative In Vitro Methods for the Determination of Viral Capsid Structural Integrity

Alternative In Vitro Methods for the Determination of Viral Capsid Structural Integrity

Published on: November 16, 2017

Area of Science:

Environmental microbiology
Virology
Biochemistry

Background:

Viral disinfection kinetics are well-studied, but molecular inactivation mechanisms remain unclear.
Predicting disinfection efficacy for nonculturable viruses is challenging due to limited understanding of inactivation pathways.
Variability in disinfection outcomes necessitates research into how viral composition influences inactivation.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the impact of minor variations in viral genome and protein composition on disinfection.
To elucidate the molecular mechanisms of inactivation for bacteriophages MS2, fr, and GA using different disinfectants.

Main Methods:

Inactivation assays using UV254, singlet oxygen ((1)O2), free chlorine (FC), and chlorine dioxide (ClO2).
Quantification of viral genome damage via Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR).
Assessment of viral protein damage using quantitative Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry and molecular dynamics simulations.

Main Results:

Chlorine dioxide (ClO2) exhibited variable inactivation kinetics and did not damage viral genomes; free chlorine (FC), singlet oxygen ((1)O2), and UV254 did.
UV254 and (1)O2 caused specific protein damage in MS2 and fr bacteriophages, while GA's capsid remained intact.
Free chlorine (FC) and chlorine dioxide (ClO2) rapidly degraded capsid proteins of all three viruses, with degradation influenced by amino acid solvent-accessible surface area.

Conclusions:

Viral inactivation mechanisms vary significantly based on the disinfectant and subtle differences in viral genome and protein composition.
Disinfectant choice is critical, as some (like ClO2) target proteins, while others (like FC, (1)O2, UV254) can damage genomes.
Understanding these molecular-level interactions is essential for predicting and optimizing viral disinfection strategies.