Demand for disinfectant and antimicrobial chemicals in the U.S. is forecast to rise 6.1 percent annually to $1.6 billion in 2017. A rebound in building construction activity, in conjunction with an improving U.S. economy, will drive strong increases in industrial markets such as paint and coatings and plastics. In institutional and consumer applications, anxieties about disease -- foodborne, health care-associated (HAI), and antibiotic-resistant -- will lead to gains amid increasing regulatory scrutiny and intensifying cleaning regimens. Rising public concern about microbial pathogens will also support growth in some industrial markets as disinfectant and antimicrobial additives are incorporated into a broader array of products. These and other trends are presented in "Disinfectant & Antimicrobial Chemicals," a new study from The Freedonia Group, Inc., a Cleveland-based industry market research firm.
Substantial growth in residential construction activity, led primarily by a housing rebound, will result in the increased production of antimicrobial-containing products such as water-based architectural paint, floor coverings, home textiles, and other construction materials. Organosulfur compounds will see significant growth in these applications, particularly in paint, thanks to performance advantages and environmental concerns about competing products.
Several factors will result in more thorough disinfection regimens among food and beverage processors, hospitals and other health care providers, restaurants, and hotels. Heightened public apprehension about foodborne illnesses such as E. coli and Salmonella, increased regulatory scrutiny following the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011, and growing liability concerns will contribute to increased disinfectant demand in the food and beverage processing and the restaurant and lodging markets. In the medical and health care market, concerns about HAIs such as C. difficile and antibiotic-resistant pathogens such as MRSA, changes in Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rules, pressure from insurers, and extensive coverage of deadly outbreaks by the mass media will continue to drive disinfectant and antimicrobial consumption.
