Modeling of sporicidal effect of hydrogen peroxide in the sterilization of low density polyethylene film inoculated with Bacillus subtilis spores

The sporicidal effect of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in the sterilization of low density polyethylene film (LDPE) was evaluated using a Central Composite Design (CCD). The effects of contact time (5-19s), bath temperature (23-70 °C) and concentration of H2O2 (0-35%) in an immersion bath were investigated. A 16 cm2 film surface was evenly inoculated with 100 μL of the test microorganism Bacillus subtilis var. globigii ATCC9372 spores. The effective H2O2 sporicidal activity was demonstrated at concentrations from 18 to 35% and in a temperature range from 46 to 70 °C, resulting in 2-7 decimal reductions of B. subtilis spores. A quadratic mathematical model representative of the action of H2O2 on the B. subtilis spores was developed as a function of concentration, time and temperature. Test specimens sanitized with 28% H2O2 at 60 °C for 8 s showed 4 decimal reductions. In the same sterilization procedure, but extending the time to 16 s, this value increased to 7 decimal reductions, demonstrating the efficiency of H2O2 as a function of contact time. The sterilization system tested showed satisfactory performance in the sterilization of LDPE films, being capable of reaching up to 7 decimal reductions of the bacterial spore population.