Fatty acids, esters, and biogenic oil disinfectants: novel agents against bacteria

For hundreds of years, disinfectants have comprised a variety of active chemical agents that destroy microorganisms through a wide spectrum of mechanisms. In recent years, there has been growing interest in novel disinfectants. One novel method for disinfectant is aerosols. Since the beginning of the 20th century, aerosols produced by the volatilization and subsequent recondensation of oil vapors have been utilized as obscurants (smoke) screens during military operations. Specifically, a petroleum middle distillate, known as the FOG oil, has been used in the US military battlefield to create obscurant smoke screens. Biogenic oils are non-petroleum-based oils that resemble FOG oil in terms of their physical characteristics. Furthermore, FOG and biogenic oils have characteristics that make them preferable to other disinfectants that are frequently employed. In this review, we examine the antimicrobial activities of mineral oils and biogenic oil esters aerosols/vapors as novel disinfectants against bacteria and other microorganisms.