Park and others (2004) reported that chlorine is very toxic to
bothL. monocytogenesandE. coliO157:H7; thus, the failure to inactivate pathogenic bacteria by EO water and aqueous NaOCl in
the current study to a greater degree may suggest that the target
bacteria were not directly exposed to the disinfectants. Seo and
Frank (1999) suggested that the effectiveness of disinfectants depends on the accessibility between the active sanitizing agent and
the target microorganisms. Therefore, microorganisms that may be
embedded in cracks, crevices, and stomata or penetrate into interior structures can be protected from the action of disinfectants.
The hydrophobicity of microbial cells may aid in their protection
against penetration of disinfectants and may also facilitate the attachment to epidermal layer of plant tissue