Transcript The Effects of Lysol on Living Bacteria

The Effects of Lysol on
Living Bacteria
Ashley Pruitt
Undergraduate Student
Health Science Biology concentration
Department of Biology
Tennessee Technological University
Cookeville, TN 38505
Project Summary
• Problem: Does Lysol actually live up to its claim, “Kills
99.9% of bacteria,”?
• Objective: test effects of Lysol on bacteria.
• Hypothesis: fewer bacteria on the Lysol-treated objects.
• Null: no difference on the amount of bacteria before
and after being treated with Lysol.
Project Summary (cont’d.)
• Goal: Prove Lysol is effective.
• Plans to accomplish: test items before and
after being treated with Lysol.
• Expected Results:
1. Validate Lysol’s claim.
2. Reject Null Hypothesis.
Introduction
• Will there actually be no bacteria on an item after
being treated with Lysol?
• Lysol claims to kill 99.9% of all bacteria (Lysol.com).
• Benzalkonium chloride (BAK) – biocide, the active
ingredient in Lysol.
• Staphylococcus aureus has been proven to have
affinity for BAK (Ahmed et al 2007).
• The responses of different types of microorganisms
to antiseptics and disinfectants vary and result in
microbiostatic or microbicidal effects (Alp 2007).
Objective/Hypothesis (null)
• Objective: test effects of Lysol on bacteria.
• Hypothesis: fewer bacteria on the Lysoltreated objects.
• Null: no difference in the amount of bacteria
before and after being treated with Lysol.
Methods and Materials
Methods:
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Collect samples with sterile cotton swabs
Recollect samples-3 total for each
Spray item with Lysol
Transfer samples to TSA plates
Incubate Plates for 48 hours
Count bacteria and compare effects of Lysol
Methods and Materials
(cont’d.)
Materials:
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TSA plates
Sterile cotton swabs
Can of Lysol
Items to test - reference
Incubator
Methods and Materials
(cont’d.)
• Method of Data Processing - statistics:
1) Average (mean-value) Tests
2) T-tests - assesses whether the means of two
groups are statistically different from each other.
• Data Form.
• Matrix.
Expected Results and
Benefits
• Fewer bacteria present on Lysol-treated
items.
• Validate Lysol’s claim, “Kills 99.9% of all
bacteria.”
• Reassure consumers of Lysol’s effectiveness.
• Reject null hypothesis and accept original
hypothesis.
Project Timeline
See Project time-line, click here:
Time-line
Budget
See Project Budget, click here:
Budget.