Designation:E2180−07(Reapproved2012)StandardTestMethodforDeterminingtheActivityofIncorporatedAntimicrobialAgent(s)InPolymericorHydrophobicMaterials1ThisstandardisissuedunderthefixeddesignationE2180;thenumberimmediatelyfollowingthedesignationindicatestheyearoforiginaladoptionor,inthecaseofrevision,theyearoflastrevision.Anumberinparenthesesindicatestheyearoflastreapproval.Asuperscriptepsilon(´)indicatesaneditorialchangesincethelastrevisionorreapproval.INTRODUCTIONPolymericmaterialssuchasvinylpoolliners,showercurtains,andvariousmedicaldevicesaretreatedfrequentlywithincorporatedorboundantimicrobialagents.PracticesG21isusedtodeterminetheabilityofpolymermaterialstoresistmicrobialattackorstaining(seealsoPracticeE1428);however,noneofthemethodspermitquantitativeevaluationsofincorporatedantimicrobialactivity.2Theseantimicrobialstypicallyrequirecontactwiththemicrobialcellformaximalactivity.Whenaqueousbasedbacterialinoculumsuspensionsareappliedontoapreservative-treatedplasticorotherhydrophobicmaterial,thesurfacetensionofthepolymeroftencausestheinoculasuspensiontodome.Bacteriawithinthedropsofinoculummaynotcontactthetreatedsurfaceifthechallengedsurfacedoesnotdry,orupondrying,cellsmaybecomelayered.Thisteststandardinvolvesanagarslurryinoculumvehiclethatprovidesarelativelyuniformcontactoftheinoculawithantimicrobial-treatedhydrophobicsurfaces.1.Scope1.1Thistestmethodisdesignedtoevaluate(quantitatively)theantimicrobialeffectivenessofagentsincorporatedorboundintoorontomainlyflat(twodimensional)hydrophobicorpolymericsurfaces.Themethodfocusesprimarilyonassessingantibacterialactivity;however,othermicroorganismssuchasyeastandfungalconidiamaybetestedusingthismethod.1.2Thevehiclefortheinoculumisanagarslurrywhichreducesthesurfacetensionofthesalineinoculumcarrierandallowsformationofa“pseudo-biofilm,”providingmoreevencontactoftheinoculumwiththetestsurface.NOTE1—Thistestmethodfacilitatesthetestingofhydrophobicsurfacesbyutilizingcellsheldinanagarslurrymatrix.Thistestmethod,aswritten,isina...
