How Reliable Are ATP Bioluminescence Meters in Assessing Decontamination of Environmental Surfaces in Healthcare Settings?

June 18, 2014

Written by Virox

Navid Omidbakhsh, Faraz Ahmadpour, Nicole Kenny | PLoS One (2014)

This study evaluated the accuracy of ATP bioluminescence meters by comparing the readings of four different meters following disinfection of Staphylococcus aureus, and contrasting these readings against true microbial contamination on test surfaces. The findings indicate that there is variability in the readings between meters, and that certain disinfectant chemistries have an effect of quenching the meters’ readings. Therefore, it is not appropriate to use ATP bioluminescence meters to compare disinfectant products.