The key difference between disinfection fumigation and sanitization is that disinfection involves the destroying of pathogenic microorganisms and other germs on surfaces, and fumigation involves pest control using a gaseous chemical substance, whereas sanitization involves the washing, cleaning, or removal of the majority of germs on surfaces.
Disinfection, fumigation, and sanitization are methods of clearing surfaces or areas by means of chemicals.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Disinfection
3. What is Fumigation
4. What is Sanitization
5. Disinfection vs Fumigation vs Sanitization in Tabular Form
6. Summary
What is Disinfection?
Disinfection is the process of cleaning something with a chemical in order to destroy bacteria. The specific chemical that we are using for disinfection is named the disinfectant. Disinfectants are chemicals that are used to remove or inactivate microorganisms in inert surfaces. However, they do not necessarily kill all microorganisms. That means there can be some bacterial spores that are resistant to disinfectants. Therefore, using a disinfectant is less effective compared to sterilization.
Figure 01: Disinfectant
We can easily distinguish disinfectants from antibiotics because antibiotics destroy microorganisms within the body. Disinfectants act by destroying the cell wall of bacteria. Sometimes, these chemicals can interfere with the metabolism of microbes. A good example of a disinfectant is a sanitizer. The sanitizers simultaneously clean and disinfect surfaces.
What is Fumigation?
Fumigation is a technique of pest control or removal of harmful microorganisms in an area using a gaseous pesticide. This gaseous pesticide is known as a fumigant. A fumigant can suffocate or poison the pests within that area. The process of fumigation can control pests in buildings, soil, grain, and produce. Moreover, the fumigation process is useful during the processing of goods that are ready to be imported or exported in order to prevent the transfer of exotic organisms.
Figure 02: Fumigation inside a Tent
The fumigation process has phases. The first phase involves the covering of the area to be fumigated in order to get a sealed environment, while the second step involves the releasing of the fumigant gas through space in order to kill any infestation in the area. The third and final step involves the ventilation of the space in order to remove the poisonous fumigant gas, which renders it safe for humans to enter. After a successful fumigation process, the area should be safe and pest free.
What is Sanitization?
Sanitization is the technique of cleaning and making a hygienic environment. This process is useful in making the area bacteria-free and cleaning all types of microbes and viruses that are able to infect the human body and can cause different diseases.
These days, hand sanitization is an essential step in day-to-day life because it especially cleans the hands to avoid the infection of covid-19 virus and other contagious microbes after we touch any infected human, surface, animals, etc.
Surface sanitization is an important process of cleaning surfaces where we can remove or destroy microorganisms from places such as clothing, vegetables, water, and other hard surfaces. Sanitization is done using chemicals that do not harm the human body.
Figure 03: Hand Sanitizer
More importantly, we use sanitizers for the sanitization process where sanitizers are used in measured quantities and are diluted with water or some other diluting agent. We can do sanitization using heat and other methods for sanitization, but these methods cannot be applied to every context. When we are using heat, it is called sterilization rather than sanitization.
Difference Between Disinfection Fumigation and Sanitization
Disinfection, fumigation, and sanitization are methods of clearing surfaces or areas by means of chemicals. The key difference between disinfection fumigation and sanitization is that disinfection involves the destroying of pathogenic microorganisms and other germs on surfaces, and fumigation involves pest control using a gaseous chemical substance, whereas sanitization involves the washing, cleaning or removal of the majority of germs on surfaces.
The following infographic compiles the differences between disinfection fumigation and sanitization in tabular form for side by side comparison.
Summary – Disinfection vs Fumigation vs Sanitization
Disinfection, fumigation, and sanitization are methods of clearing surfaces or areas by means of chemicals. The key difference between disinfection fumigation and sanitization is that disinfection involves the destroying of pathogenic microorganisms and other germs on surfaces, and fumigation involves pest control using a gaseous chemical substance whereas sanitization involves the washing, cleaning or removal of the majority of germs on surfaces.
Reference:
1. “What Is Sanitization? Learn Definition, Meaning & Methods.” Droom.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Tent fumigation” By Mfield, Matthew Field – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Disinfectant-spray-trigger-5093503” (CC0) via Pixabay
3. “Hand-sanitizer-hand-disinfection-5006273” (CC0) via Pixabay