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Information about Benzalkonium Chloride





Benzalkonium chloride
Molar mass(mixture)
CAS number8001-54-5
EINECS number264-151-6
Properties
Density0.98
Solubility in watervery soluble
Hazards
EU classification Xi
NFPA 704
0
1
0
 
R-phrasesR21/22, R34, R50
S-phrasesS36/37/39, S45, S61
RTECS numberBO3150000
Except where noted otherwise, data are given for
materials in their standard state
(at 25 C, 100 kPa)
Benzalkonium chloride (alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride) is a mixture of alkylbenzyl dimethylammonium chlorides of various alkyl chain lengths. It is commonly used as an antiseptic and spermicide. This product is a nitrogenous cationic surface-acting agent belonging to the quaternary ammonium group. The greatest bactericidal activity is associated with the C12-C14 alkyl derivatives.

It has been considered one of the safest synthetic biocides known, and has a long history of efficacious use. However, conflicting studies cast doubt on its reputation for safety.[1][2] Some products have been reformulated in light of this research, but it is still widely used in eyewashes, hand and face washes, mouthwashes, spermicidal creams, and in various other cleaners, sanitizers, and disinfectants. It is also used as an annual treatment for the elimination of bacteria in water within waterbeds. However, manufacturers of OTC artificial tears and eye washes became concerned about chemical sensitivity from long-term daily use and have in some products substituted EDTA as a preservative and have added "for sensitive eyes" to labeling. There has also been concern that long-term use of benzalkonium as a preservative in nose sprays may cause swelling of mucosa and lead to Rhinitis medicamentosa. Some manufacturers have put 3-day limits on safe use of such nose sprays.

Applications are extremely wide ranging, from disinfectant formulations to microbial corrosion inhibition in the oilfield sector. It is often used to disinfect skin prior to withdrawing blood for Blood Alcohol Content ("BAC") tests because it contains no alcohol and cannot be said to taint the BAC test.

Benzalkonium chloride is readily soluble in water, alcohol, and acetone. Formulation requires great care as Benzalkonium can be inactivated by certain organic compounds, including soap, and must not be mixed with anionic surfactants. Hard water salts can also reduce biocidal activity. Although newer formulations are more resistant to deactivation, as with any disinfectant, it is recommended that surfaces are rinsed well before disinfection.

Aqueous solutions of benzalkonium chloride are neutral to slightly alkaline, colorless, and nonstaining. Solutions foam profusely when shaken, have a bitter taste, and a faint almond-like odour, which is only detectable in concentrated solutions.

The mechanism of bactericidal/microbicidal action is thought to be due to disruption of intermolecular interactions. This can cause dissociation of cellular membrane bilayers, which compromises cellular permeability controls and induces leakage of cellular contents. Other biomolecular complexes within the bacterial cell can also undergo dissociation. Enzymes, which finely control a plethora of respiratory and metabolic cellular activities, are particularly susceptible to deactivation. Critical intermolecular interactions and tertiary structures in such highly specific biochemical systems can be readily disrupted by cationic surfactants.

Benzalkonium chloride solutions are rapidly acting anti-infective agents with a moderately long duration of action. They are active against bacteria and some viruses, fungi, and protozoa. Bacterial spores are considered to be resistant. Solutions are bacteriostatic or bactericidal according to their concentration. Gram-positive bacteria are generally more susceptible than gram-negative. Activity is not greatly affected by pH, but increases substantially at higher temperatures and prolonged exposure times.

Health concerns

Benzalkonium chloride is an allergen.[3][4][5][6][7][8][9]

References

1. ^ [1] -- Benzalkonium chloride as a preservative in nasal solutions: re-examining the data -- Respir Med. 2001 Sep;95(9):728-33. Graf P. PMID: 11575893
2. ^ [2] -- Safety review of benzalkonium chloride used as a preservative in intranasal solutions: an overview of conflicting data and opinions. -- Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2004 Jan;130(1):131-41.-- Marple B, Roland P, Benninger M.
3. ^ [3]
4. ^ [4]
5. ^ [5]
6. ^ [6]
7. ^ [7]
8. ^ [8]
9. ^ [9]

Further reading

  • Chemical database
  • Bernstein IL: Is the use of benzalkonium chloride as a preservative for nasal formulations a safety concern? J Allergy Clin Immunol 2000 Jan; 105(1 Pt 1): 39-44.
  • Graf P: Adverse effects of benzalkonium chloride on the nasal mucosa: allergic rhinitis and rhinitis medicamentosa. Clin Ther 1999 Oct; 21(10): 1749-55.
  • Graf P, Hallen H, Juto JE: Benzalkonium chloride in a decongestant nasal spray aggravates rhinitis medicamentosa in healthy volunteers. Clin Exp Allergy 1995 May; 25(5): 395-400.

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Molar mass, symbol M,[1] is the mass of one mole of a substance (chemical element or chemical compound).[2] It is a physical property which is characteristic of each pure substance.
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CAS registry numbers are unique numerical identifiers for chemical compounds, polymers, biological sequences, mixtures and alloys. They are also referred to as CAS numbers, CAS RNs or CAS #s.
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The EINECS number (for European Inventory of Existing Chemical Substances) is a registry number given to each chemical substance commercially available in the European Union between 1 January 1971 and 18 September 1981.
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In physics, density is mass m per unit volume V—how heavy something is compared to its size. A small, heavy object, such as a rock or a lump of lead, is denser than a lighter object of the same size or a larger object of the same weight, such as pieces of
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Solubility is a physical property referring to the ability for a given substance, the solute, to dissolve in a solvent.[1] It is measured in terms of the maximum amount of solute dissolved in a solvent at equilibrium. The resulting solution is called a saturated solution.
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Water is a common chemical substance that is essential to all known forms of life.[1] In typical usage, water refers only to its liquid form or state, but the substance also has a solid state, ice, and a gaseous state, water vapor.
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Council Directive 67/548/EEC of 27 June 1967 on the approximation of laws, regulations and administrative provisions relating to the classification, packaging and labelling of dangerous substances (as amended) is the main European Union law concerning chemical safety.
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NFPA 704 is a standard maintained by the U.S. National Fire Protection Association. It defines the colloquial "fire diamond" used by emergency personnel to quickly and easily identify the risks posed by nearby hazardous materials.
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R-phrases (short for Risk Phrases) are defined in Annex III of European Union Directive 67/548/EEC: Nature of special risks attributed to dangerous substances and preparations.
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S-phrases are defined in Annex IV of European Union Directive 67/548/EEC: Safety advice concerning dangerous substances and preparations. The list was consolidated and republished in Directive 2001/59/EC , where translations into other EU languages may be found.
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standard state of a material is its state at 1 bar (100 kilopascals exactly). This pressure was changed from 1 atm (101.325 kilopascals) by IUPAC in 1990.[1] The standard state of a material can be defined at any given temperature, most commonly 25 degrees Celsius,
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Antiseptics (Greek αντί, against, and σηπτικός, putrefactive) are antimicrobial substances that are applied to living tissue/skin to reduce the possibility of infection, sepsis, or putrefaction.
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Spermicide is a substance that kills sperm, inserted vaginally prior to intercourse to prevent pregnancy. As a contraceptive, spermicide may be used alone. However, the pregnancy rate experienced by couples using only spermicide is higher than that of couples using other methods.
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Surfactants, also known as tensides, are wetting agents that lower the surface tension of a liquid, allowing easier spreading, and lower the interfacial tension between two liquids.
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Quaternary ammonium cations, also known as quats, are positively charged polyatomic ions of the structure NR4+ with R being alkyl groups. Unlike the ammonium ion NH4+
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A biocide is a chemical substance capable of killing different forms of living organisms used in fields such as medicine, agriculture, forestry, and mosquito control.

A biocide can be:

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Eyewash is a fluid, commonly saline, used in the aid of rinsing of the eye. Eyewash may also describe the apparatus used to physically wash the eyes in the case that they may be contaminated by foreign materials or substances.
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Mouthwash or mouth rinse is a product used for oral hygiene. Antiseptic and anti-plaque mouth rinse claims to kill the germs that cause plaque, gingivitis, and bad breath. Anti-cavity mouth rinse uses fluoride to protect against tooth decay.
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Spermicide is a substance that kills sperm, inserted vaginally prior to intercourse to prevent pregnancy. As a contraceptive, spermicide may be used alone. However, the pregnancy rate experienced by couples using only spermicide is higher than that of couples using other methods.
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Disinfectants are antimicrobial agents that are applied to non-living objects to destroy microorganisms, the process of which is known as disinfection. Disinfectants should generally be distinguished from antibiotics
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A waterbed or water mattress is a bed or mattress filled with water.

Construction

Waterbeds primarily consist of two types, hard-sided beds and soft-sided beds.
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EDTA is a widely-used acronym for the chemical compound ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (and many other names, see table). EDTA refers to the chelating agent with the formula (HO2CCH2)2NCH2CH2N(CH2CO
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Rhinitis medicamentosa (or RM) is a condition of rebound nasal congestion brought on by extended use of topical decongestants (e.g. oxymetazoline, phenylephrine, and xylometazoline nasal sprays) that work by constricting blood vessels in the lining of the nose.
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Microbial corrosion, or bacterial corrosion, is corrosion caused or promoted by microorganisms, usually chemoautotrophs. It can apply to both metals and non-metallic materials.
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A corrosion inhibitor is a chemical compound that, when added in small concentration, stops or slows down corrosion of metals and alloys.

A typical good corrosion inhibitor will give 95% inhibition at concentration of 80 ppm, and 90% at 40 ppm.
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Water is a common chemical substance that is essential to all known forms of life.[1] In typical usage, water refers only to its liquid form or state, but the substance also has a solid state, ice, and a gaseous state, water vapor.
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alcohol is any organic compound in which a hydroxyl group (-OH) is bound to a carbon atom of an alkyl or substituted alkyl group. The general formula for a simple acyclic alcohol is CnH2n+1OH.
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The chemical compound acetone (also known as propanone, dimethyl ketone, 2-propanone, propan-2-one and β-ketopropane) is the simplest representative of the ketones.
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organic compounds]] An organic compound is any member of a large class of chemical compounds whose molecules contain carbon; for historical reasons discussed below, a few types of compounds such as carbonates, carbon oxides and cyanides, as well as elemental carbon are
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Simple Object Access Protocol, and lately also Service Oriented Architecture Protocol, but is now simply SOAP. The original acronym was dropped with Version 1.2 of the standard, which became a W3C Recommendation on June 24 2003, as it was considered to be misleading.
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