Description

AATCC 147 – Antibacterial Activity Assessment of Textile Materials: Parallel Streak Method

Foreword

The Parallel Streak Method has filled a need for a relatively quick and easily executed qualitative method to determine antibacterial activity of diffusable antimicrobial agents on treated textile materials.

AATCC Method 100, Antibacterial finishes on Textile Materials, Assessment of, is a quantitative procedure which is adequately sensitive but cumbersome and time consuming for routine quality control and screening tests. Therefore, when the intent is to demonstrate bacteriostatic activity by the diffusion of the antibacterial agent through agar, Method 147 fulfills this need. In the Parallel Streak Method, the agar surface is inoculated making it easier to distinguish between the test organism and contaminant organisms which may be present on the unsterilized specimen. The Parallel Streak Method has proven effective over a number of years of use in providing evidence of antibacterial activity against both Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria.

1. Purpose and Scope

1.1 The objective is to detect bacteriostatic activity on textile materials.