Hydrogen Peroxide Vapor Biodecontamination Technology: Are All Hydrogen Peroxides The Same?

By Arthur Papineau, BS ChE, MBA, Ben Gomez, BS BA, MBA, and John Klostermyer, PhD, STERIS Life Sciences 

When deciding to purchase your first hydrogen peroxide vapor biodecontamination equipment, there are many factors to consider. One of these factors involves the type of hydrogen peroxide you will use as the sterilant in your equipment. There are many concentrations and many grades of each concentration of hydrogen peroxide available on the market from many different suppliers. They are not all created the same nor will they perform the same. Choosing the wrong hydrogen peroxide for your equipment can not only cause damage to your equipment resulting in downtime and costly maintenance fees, but it can also affect the efficacy of your biodecontamination cycles.

Hydrogen peroxide (CAS No. 7722-84-1) is available as an aqueous solution in concentrations from 3% to 98%. It is a clear, colorless liquid with a slight odor and strong oxidizing properties. The oxidation potential of hydrogen peroxide is slightly below that of ozone and slightly above that of chlorine dioxide. Due to its strong oxidation potential, hydrogen peroxide is an excellent sterilant.

In general, hydrogen peroxide vapor biodecontamination equipment uses 31% and higher formulations of hydrogen peroxide as the sterilant. Typically, 31%, 35%, 50% and 70% are commercially available. At these concentrations, there are essentially three grades of hydrogen peroxide: technical, food and semi-conductor. Within each of these grades, there are various products available. The major difference in these products is the stabilizer formulation used. As a general rule of thumb, technical grade is more stabilized than food grade which is more stabilized than semi-conductor grade. The reason for the different products within each grade is because each is designed for specific application requirements. This is important to consider when choosing the hydrogen peroxide formulation you will use for your equipment and application.