Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

COMPARISON BETWEEN PARACHLOROMETAXYLENOL (PCMX) AND ITS ACTIVE INGREDIENT, CHLORXYLENOL AS SANITIZING AGENTS BASED ON THEIR ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITIES ON FOUR MICROBIAL ISOLATES FROM ABATTOIR’S ENVIRONMENT IN PORT HARCOURT METROPOLIS, NIGERIA

Oluwayemisi Agnes Olorode and Gideon Chijioke Okpokwasili

Abstract

This study examines the bactericidal and fungicidal efficiency of parachlorometaxylenol (PCMX) and its active ingredient, chlorxylenol at 10% and 20% concentrations, on four microbial isolates from abattoirsÂ’ (slaughter houses) floors in an open environment in Port Harcourt metropolis, Rivers State Nigeria. The study was carried out between the months of January 2005 and June 2006. Mixed culture of Vibrio species , Salmonella sp, Campylobacter sp and Candida albicans isolated from five different abattoirs: Agip, Trans - Amadi, Woji, Rumuodara and Rumuokoro: were used as test bacteria and fungi respectively, using agar diffusion and tranditional plate count methods. The four microbial isolates were exposed to parachlorometaxylenol (PCMX) and chlorxylenol after the addition of quenching agent (QAC), at time interval starting from 0min, 10min, 20min, 30min, 40,min, 50min,and 60min. Analysis of Variance ( ANOVA) was calculated on the resistance and the susceptibility of these four isolates to the test disinfectants, the results showed that there was no significant difference in the test disinfectants effectiveness on these test organisms. The findings showed that Vibrio, Salmonella and Campylobacter were more sensitive to parachlorometaxylenol (PCMX) also called Dettol, while Candida albicans was more sensitive to Chlorxylenol. Also observed from this work is candidiasis infection through cross-contamination can be taken care of in the body of its victim by washing in 10% chloroxylenol.