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Topic: Ethanol, isopropyl and benzalkonium chloride  (Read 3049 times)

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Offline RoyT

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Ethanol, isopropyl and benzalkonium chloride
« on: May 24, 2021, 06:44:15 PM »
This is my first post, so apologies in advance.

During the pandemic we (the human race that is), have become increasingly exposed to these ingredients in everyday life.

We sometimes mix them unknowingly (cross contamination when washing hands, cleaning surfaces, applying sanitiser when going in and out of stores).

Many places we visit use a different sanitisation products containing different active ingredients.

The three I come across a lot are

Benzalkonium Chloride
Isopropyl Alcohol
Ethanol Alcohol

I am keen to understand the safety implications of mixing these ingredients.  I have searched high and low for the answer - I cannot find anything related to all three.

Is Benzalkonium Chloride mixed with either Isopropyl Alcohol or Ethanol Alcohol safe?

Is Isopropyl Alcohol mixed with Ethanol Alcohol safe?

Lastly, is it safe to apply these ingredients to our hands in various mixtures (often without washing hands in between).


« Last Edit: May 24, 2021, 07:01:11 PM by RoyT »

Offline Borek

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Re: Ethanol, isopropyl and benzalkonium chloride
« Reply #1 on: May 25, 2021, 03:11:13 AM »
They are reasonably safe both individually and in mixtures.

By "reasonably" I mean - it is a dose that makes the poison. Even drinking too much water too quickly can kill you, despite water being indispensable. As long as you use sanitization products as intended you should be OK and the risks involved (these compounds can be irritating to someone oversensitive) are much lower than the risks related to the covid infection.
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