The bactericidal properties of compounds which protect living cells against freezing damage

Abstract

Most air disinfectants fail at low relative humidity. Those which remain active appear to be the same compounds which, in other circumstances, can protect living cells against the lethal damage caused by freezing to low temperatures and then thawing. The compounds are either simple glycols, whose respective activities in the two fields are already known, or the weaker Lewis bases, whose air disinfectant properties have not hitherto been investigated. It is suggested that both freezing protection and bactericidal action are due to the special solvent properties of these compounds, which come into play when most of the water usually present has been removed, by freezing or by drying respectively.I am indebted to Dr 0. M. Lidwell for the loan of air sampling equipment, and to Dr L. N. Owen and to the Shell Chemical Co. for the gift of various diols.