What is benzalkonium chloride solution used for?

BENZALKONIUM CHLORIDE (ben zal KOE nee um klor ide) is an antiseptic. It is used prior to surgical procedures or for minor wound care to reduce risks of infection. It may be used for cold sore care.

What is benzalkonium chloride and why is it used?

Benzalkonium chloride is a quaternary ammonium antiseptic and disinfectant with actions and uses similar to those of other cationic surfactants. It is also used as an antimicrobial preservative for pharmaceutical products.

Is benzalkonium chloride an antibacterial?

Alcohol-free formulations have been developed, with the surfactant benzalkonium chloride (BK) as the active antibacterial agent. This active ingredient acts by disrupting the cell membranes of the target organisms and is active at relatively low concentrations (0.12%-0.13%).

How do you make a benzalkonium chloride solution?

Benzalkonium chloride 0.1% is a quaternary ammonium compound that can be made by methylating a primary amine from a fatty acid or a blend of fatty acids to form dimethyl alkylamine. This is then quaternized with benzyl chloride. Benzalkonium chloride is soluble in alcohol, acetone, and water.

Is benzalkonium chloride safe for skin?

When benzalkonium chloride comes into contact with the skin, it can cause irritant contact dermatitis or allergic contact dermatitis in some individuals. Benzalkonium chloride is a well-known irritant [1].

Is benzethonium chloride the same as benzalkonium chloride?

The key difference between benzethonium chloride and benzalkonium chloride is that benzethonium chloride is produced as a white solid, whereas benzalkonium chloride in its pure form is colorless and appears in a pale yellow color under the presence of impurities.

Is benzalkonium chloride a bleach?

There are many non-bleach based products on the market, one good alternative is using Quaternary ammonium compounds (Quats), benzalkonium chloride being just one such example. … It bleaches wood so splashes cannot be removed.

Is benzalkonium chloride in hand soap safe?

Hand sanitizers using active ingredients other than alcohol (ethanol), isopropyl alcohol, or benzalkonium chloride are not legally marketed, and FDA recommends that consumers avoid their use.

How long does benzalkonium chloride last?

Benzalkonium chloride has demonstrated persistent antimicrobial activity for up to four hours after contact whereas ethanol-based sanitizer demonstrate skin protection for only 10 minutes post-application.

Is BZK better than alcohol?

The graph demonstrates that users of alcohol had more bacteria on them than the users of BZK throughout the week. The line of best fit for the alcohol users had a rate of increase in cumulative colony counts of 11.785, whereas the BZK users rate of increase was 6.933.

Can you mix benzalkonium chloride and hydrogen peroxide?

Avoid mixing Benzalkonium Chloride (BKC) with citrates, iodides, nitrates, permanganates, salicylates, silver salts and tartrates. Incompatibilities have also been reported with other substances including aluminium, fluorescin sodium, hydrogen peroxide, kaolin and some sulfonamides.

Is benzalkonium chloride effective against MRSA?

7.5 % povidone-iodine scrub and 0.2% benzalkonium chloride in 83% ethanol were most effective, reducing MRSA under detection limits. (less than 10 CFU/ml) 0.05% chlorhexidine gluconate was less effective, producing no evident reduction even after 1 min of exposure.

What deactivates benzalkonium chloride?

Like all detergents, ADBAC is highly toxic to marine organisms under laboratory conditions, but does not bio-accumulate in organisms. In the natural environment it is readily deactivated by clays and humic substances which neutralises its aquatic toxicity and prevent its migration across environmental compartments.

What is the active ingredient in benzalkonium chloride?

Drug Label Information

Active Ingredient/Active Moiety
Ingredient Name Basis of Strength Strength
BENZALKONIUM CHLORIDE (UNII: F5UM2KM3W7) (BENZALKONIUM – UNII:7N6JUD5X6Y) BENZALKONIUM CHLORIDE 0.13 g in 100 g

What are the side effects of benzalkonium chloride?

Signs of an allergic reaction, like rash; hives; itching; red, swollen, blistered, or peeling skin with or without fever; wheezing; tightness in the chest or throat; trouble breathing, swallowing, or talking; unusual hoarseness; or swelling of the mouth, face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Why is benzalkonium chloride bad?

Biocide, preservative and surfactant associated with severe skin, eye, and respiratory irritation and allergies, benzalkonium chloride is a sensitizer especially dangerous for people with asthma or skin conditions such as eczema.

Is benzalkonium chloride safe for skin 13?

The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel, a group responsible for evaluating the safety of skincare and cosmetic ingredients has reviewed the research on benzalkonium chloride. The Expert Panel concluded that benzalkonium chloride is safe for its current uses and in the current concentrations in which it is used.

Is benzalkonium chloride banned?

April 11, 2019 Hand sanitizers that contain ethyl alcohol can stay on the US market while the FDA seeks additional safety and efficacy data. … The FDA stopped short, however, of banning the use of three active ingredients—benzalkonium chloride, ethyl alcohol, and isopropyl alcohol—in hand-sanitizer products.

Who invented benzalkonium chloride?

BACs were reported for the first time in 1935 by Gerhard Domagk, gaining the market as zephiran chlorides, and were marketed as promising and superior disinfectant and antiseptics (2).

Is Benzethonium safe?

In clinical studies, Benzethonium Chloride produced mild skin irritation at 5 percent but not at lower concentration. Neither ingredient is considered to be a sensitizer. It is concluded that both compounds are safe at concentrations of 0.5 percent in cosmetics applied to the skin.

What is the strongest disinfectant?

Sterilants and high-level disinfectants

Can you mix vinegar and benzalkonium chloride?

Never Mix These Chemicals! Creates Chlorine Gas, which is toxic and irritating to the respiratory system and eyes.

Does Lysol contain chloride?

The active ingredient in many Lysol products is benzalkonium chloride, but the active ingredient in the Lysol Power and Free line is hydrogen peroxide. … Lysol has been used since its invention in the late 19th century as a household and industrial cleaning agent, and previously as a medical disinfectant.

Which soap kills most germs?

As mentioned above, antibacterial soap and plain soap are both effective at killing bacteria on your body, and either can be used in businesses or in the home unless your doctor tells you otherwise.

Why 70% alcohol is used for sterilization?

70 % isopropyl alcohol is by far better at killing bacteria and viruses than 90 % isopropyl alcohol. As a disinfectant, the higher the concentration of alcohol, the less effective it is at killing pathogens. … Coagulation of surface proteins proceeds at a slower pace, thereby allowing the alcohol to enter the cell.

Why is antibacterial soap bad?

Cons of Antibacterial Soap Overuse of antibacterial products can reduce the healthy bacteria on your skin. Added chemicals to antibacterial soaps can remove natural oils, making skin drier. Using antibacterial soap or hand sanitizer can make people think they do not have to wash their hands as thoroughly or frequently.

Is hand sanitizer same as rubbing alcohol?

The big difference between rubbing alcohol and hand sanitizer is that rubbing alcohol contains denaturants. This makes rubbing alcohol unpalatable for human consumption. A hand sanitizer is generally a slightly safer, better-smelling product, and often comes in easily-carried bottles or containers.