The Comparative Action of Sodium Hypochlo- Rite, Chloramine-t, and Azochloramid on Organic Substrates

Langheld (1) found that sodium hypochlorite reacts with a-amino acids to form chloramino acids, which more or less readily break down to aldehydes or ketones, ammonia, carbonic acid, and sodium chloride. Milroy (2) pointed out that in the case of aromatic or heterocyclic amino acids, such as tyrosine or tryptophane, partial chlorination of the ring takes place in addition to oxidation. Hypochlorites have long been used as germicidal agents, but their efficiency is greatly reduced in the presence of albuminous material due to the above reactions. In order to have continuous germicidal activity over a long period of time, it is essential that the chlorine remain as positive or “available” chlorine. In other words, the positive chlorine which is reduced in oxidizing or chlorinating a ring is of no more value as a germicide. On the other hand, any chlorine which has substituted a hydrogen atom of an amino group and which is present as -N=C& or =N-Cl, is still active as a germicide, as Milroy has suggested. Schmelkes and Marks (3) have described a new germicide -N-N’-dichloroazodicarbonamidine (azochloramid), HZN(ClN : )C-N=N-C( : NCl)NHt. This compound is of special interest as it possesses high germicidal power, despite displaying but slight reactivity with organic matter, such as tissue and body fluids. This paper presents a comparison of its action upon various organic substrates with that of sodium hypochlorite and chloramine-T (sodium p-toluenesulfonchloramide). The procedure used was as follows : A solution or suspension of the various substrates (in stoichiometrically equivalent amounts when a sub-