ASTM’s E35.15 Committee is responsible for most ASTM antimicrobial test methods.  The committee meets twice a year.  This meeting was held in early October in New Orleans, Louisiana.  Antimicrobial Test Laboratories was present to contribute to test method development.  The meeting was productive and well-attended by members of the industry, academia, and regulatory agencies.

Several of the key items discussed at the meeting follow:

  • Workgroup created for laundry methods
  • EPA conducting C. difficile spore storage study
  • Collaborative Quantitative Petri Method for Towelettes (QPM) study planned for early 2015
  • Large collaborative efforts to harmonize similar test methods that span several testing associations
  • E1428 “Pink Stain” method under heavy review
  • Substrates are critical in antimicrobial studies
    • Some methods bar certain substrates
    • Substrate type influences study outcome
    • More clarity is needed for several methods
    • Controls should utilize correct substrates