Antimicrobial Testing Methods & Procedures Developed by EPA's Microbiology Laboratory
EPA developed antimicrobial testing methods and standard operating procedures to measure the effectiveness of hard surface disinfectants against:
- Staphylococcus aureus.
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
- Salmonella enterica.
- Mycobacterium bovis (BCG).
- Clostridioides difficile.
- Candida auris
- Viruses.
- Biofilm.
Methods are available for the following types of antimicrobial formulations:
- Liquid.
- Spray.
- Towelette.
EPA’s standard operating procedures are strict interpretations of AOAC International and ASTM International standard methods
For questions about the methods, procedures, and guidance below, please contact the OPP Microbiology Laboratory directly.
On this page:
Methods
Procedures
The following standard operating procedures are pertinent to specific equipment and practices used in the EPA pesticide program's Microbiology Laboratory. The SOPs describe the laboratory's standard practices for:
- Calibrating equipment (EQ).
- Performing quality control procedures (QC).
- Administrative procedures (ADM).
- Maintaining chain of custody of samples (COC).
- Assuring quality management practices (QA).
Guidance
- Use Dilution Method Performance Standard Revision Document
- Sporicidal Claims against Clostridioides difficile
- Guidance for the Efficacy Evaluation of Products for Claims against Drug-Resistant Candida auris
- Methods and Guidance for Testing the Efficacy of Antimicrobial Products Against Biofilms on Hard, Non-Porous Surfaces
- Guidance for Products Adding Residual Efficacy Claims
- Guidance for Products Including or Adding Disinfectant Efficacy Claims for Use on Soft Surface Textiles in Non-Residential Settings
- Final Guidance for Efficacy Testing of Antimicrobial Products Against Planktonic Legionella pneumophila in Cooling Tower Water