>    A question:  Will chlorine gas kill AFB spores?

Following from http://www.nba.org.nz/pms/manual -

8.7.2 Sodium Hypochlorite

Sodium hypochlorite is a commonly used sterilising agent, and is
one of the few common disinfectants that is effective against AFB
spores. Sodium hypochlorite is the active ingredient in household
bleach (eg., Janola(r), and is present in such products at about
3% concentration. Research conducted at Ruakura has shown that
concentrations of 0.5% sodium hypochlorite in water will kill all
AFB spores in 20 minutes.34

Sodium hypochlorite is potentially useful to treat beekeeping
equipment such as plastic or metal feeders and plastic frames. It
is important to note, however, that sodium hypochlorite will only
kill what it comes into contact with, so any material to be
sterilised must be very clean before treatment.

Care also needs to be taken with the types of materials being
treated. Some plastics, metals, and especially leather, can
degrade when put into sodium hypochlorite solutions. It is
therefore worthwhile carrying out a small trial run before doing
any major sterilisation of equipment. The material is not
recommended as a disinfectant for gloves, hive tools or smokers,
since the 20 minute contact time is crucial to successful
destruction of AFB spores.

Sodium hypochlorite solutions must be kept in the dark, since the
chemical breaks down in sunlight. The solution should also not be
kept for long periods and must be disposed of safely after use.

Finally, a note of caution. The effects of bleach on clothing are
well-known, so protective clothing should be worn when using the
material. Eye protection is recommended. Some individuals also
react adversely (dizziness, fainting) to the fumes of sodium
hypochlorite, so extreme care is needed when using the material.



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