https://www.avient.com/sites/default/files/2021-10/microbial-susceptibility-of-various-polymers-and-evaluation.pdf
Apart from pathogenic microbes and their apparent impact on human health, bacteria and fungi can also cause staining, unpleasant odors, and deterioration of polymeric product performance over time.[4,5] To reduce the spread of infection through casual contact with con- taminated plastic surfaces, or to extend the useful life of polymer products by preventing the development of said staining or odors, antimicrobial technologies can be employed.[6] For the latter scenario, the use of Environ- mental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered biocides in plastic components is allowable under the “Treated Arti- cles Exemption” set forth by The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, which enables polymeric articles to be treated for the purposes of material preser- vation or protection without additional registration requirements.[7] Within the plastics industry, there are certain applica- tions and products where biocides have already found significant usage.
