DHS Science and Technology

Evaluation of Disinfectants against 

SARS-CoV-2 

PROBLEM ADDRESSED

While most data suggest that droplets or aerosols are the 

predominant modes for COVID-19 transmission, infection with

SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, may also occur after 

touching contaminated surfaces and transferring virus to the nose, 

mouth or eyes. As a result, elevated hygiene and disinfection 

practices have been recommended to mitigate the risk of such 

contact transmission. To better inform the choice and use of 

disinfectants by DHS operators against SARS-CoV-2, the NBACC 

performed studies to evaluate the effectiveness of several products 

to reduce SARS-CoV-2 contamination when it was in simulated 

respiratory fluids. Disinfectants were tested against both wet and 

dried virus droplets to simulate disinfection of fresh and old 

contamination. No pre-cleaning or wiping was done during these 

tests to model a high tempo operations scenario where disinfectant 

is simply applied onto a potentially contaminated surface without precleaning or wiping. 

SUMMARY OF DISINFECTANT EFFICACY 

TESTING:

KEY RESULTS

Product/Source Preparation Contact Effectiveness1 Against Active Ingredient(s) (Manufacturer) Requirements Time SARS-CoV-2 

Quaternary Ammonium Compound Lysol® Disinfectant Spray HIGHLY Ready to Use 3 min (QAC) 1 & 58% ethanol (Reckitt Benckiser) EFFECTIVE

Clorox® Germicidal Bleach, 8.25% HIGHLY 0.26% sodium hypochlorite Dilute 1:32 with water 5 min (The Clorox Company) EFFECTIVE

100% ethanol, HIGHLY 70% ethanol Dilute with water 5 min laboratory grade chemical EFFECTIVE

0.017% peroxyacetic acid & PeraSpray HIGHLY Ready to Use 10 min 0.855% hydrogen peroxide (Enviro Tech Chemical Services) EFFECTIVE

0.5% sodium hypochlorite & Clorox® Germicidal Bleach, 8.25% PARTIALLY Dilute with water 5 min 1% acetic acid Heinz® White Distilled Vinegar EFFECTIVE

Quaternary Ammonium Compounds Micro-Chem PlusTM PARTIALLY Dilute 1:64 with water 10 min (QAC) 2 & 3 (National Chemical Laboratories) EFFECTIVE

CiDehol® 70 PARTIALLY 70% isopropanol Ready to Use 30 sec (Decon Labs) EFFECTIVE

3% hydrogen peroxide Over the counter pharmacy grade Ready to Use 1 min NOT EFFECTIVE

1 Highly Effective: Greater than 95% of all tested samples had no detectable virus after disinfectant treatment, in addition > 99% infectivity reduction was observed when virus 

detected;

Partially Effective: Between 60 to 95% of all tested samples had no detectable virus, in addition > 95% infectivity reduction was observed when virus detected;

Not Effective: All tested samples had detectable virus, highly variable infectivity reduction.

This Document was prepared for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) by the Battelle National Biodefense Institute, LLC (BNBI) as part of Contract HSHQDC-15-C-00064, to 

operate and manage the National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center (NBACC), a Federally Funded Research and Development Center. In no event, shall the DHS, BNBI, or NBACC have any responsibility or liability 

for any use, misuse, inability to use, or reliance upon the information contained herein. In addition, no warranty of fitness for a purpose, merchantability, accuracy or adequacy is provided regarding the contents of this 

document.

• The majority of disinfectants tested were able to 

successfully reduce SARS-CoV-2 infectivity on surfaces

• Over-the-counter grade liquid hydrogen peroxide is not 

effective against SARS-CoV-2 under these test 

conditions and not recommended for use

 

SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS

These results show that even without pre-cleaning or wiping, 

several commercially available disinfectants are capable of 

reducing the amount of infectious SARS-CoV-2 on surfaces 

when used as directed. Overall, this work provides data critical 

to inform decontamination, waste disposal, and risk

assessments for DHS employees, health care workers, and first 

responders. Operational decision regarding choice of

disinfectants can be informed by the following criteria: (1) 

disinfectant effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2, (2) required 

contact time, and (3) preparation requirements.

Contact Us: PANTHR@hq.dhs.gov scitech.dhs.gov dhsscitech 

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