Disinfection kinetics: a new hypothesis and model for the tailing of log-survivor/time curves

A new hypothesis for the understanding of chemical disinfection, which we h ave termed the Intrinsic Quenching hypothesis, is presented. This mechanist ic treatment of disinfection kinetics is based on the hypothesis that the b iocide concentration may not be in vast excess over the microbes, as is nor mally assumed. A mathematical model was developed and found to be useful in describing the observed kinetics of several disinfectants. The model sugge sted that the reason for the observation of non-linear, log-survivor curves was due to the ability of the microbes, in clean, soil-free conditions, to intrinsically quench the bulk concentration of biocide.