benzalkonium chloride

American  

[ben-zal-koh-nee-uhm] / ˌbɛn zælˈkoʊ ni əm /

noun

Chemistry.

1. a white or yellowish-white, water-soluble mixture of ammonium chloride derivatives having the structure C 8 H 10 NRCl, where R is a mixture of radicals ranging from C 8 H 17 – to C 18 H 37 –, that occurs as an amorphous powder or in gelatinous lumps: used chiefly as an antiseptic and a disinfectant.

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benzalkonium chloride Scientific  

/ bĕn′zăl-kō′nē-əm /

1. A yellow-white powder prepared in an aqueous solution and used as a detergent, fungicide, bactericide, and spermicide. Benzalkonium chloride is a mixture of the chlorides of various organic compounds having a benzene ring attached to an ammoniated alkane.

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Etymology

Origin of benzalkonium chloride

benz- + alk(yl) + (amm)onium

Example Sentences

Health officials also say to avoid hand sanitizers that replace alcohol with benzalkonium chloride, which is less effective at killing certain bacteria and viruses.

From Washington Times

The FDA also flagged several more products that had inadequate amounts of benzalkonium chloride, a chemical with antimicrobial properties.

From Seattle Times

Another common ingredient in household disinfectants, including many Lysol products, is benzalkonium chloride.

From Los Angeles Times

Febriadhitya Prajatara compared the benzalkonium chloride disinfectant, which can cause skin irritations in high concentrations, to “soap” and said it would help “weaken the virus so it won’t enter our body”.

From Reuters

That study, published in the Journal of Hospital Infection, suggested that coronaviruses could be "efficiently inactivated" with disinfectants that contain "62–71 percent ethanol, 0.5 percent hydrogen peroxide or 0.1 percent sodium hypochlorite within 1 minute," adding that other agents that contain "0.05–0.2% benzalkonium chloride or 0.02 percent chlorhexidine digluconate are less effective."

From Fox News