Quaternary ammonium salts

Formula Uses/properties

Preservatives, biocides and sanitizers

(benzalkonium, didemonium)
Hair and fabric conditioning
(stearalkonium)
Fabric softener
Hydrophobicity / water repellency
(Dicocodimonium)
Synonyms Surfactant
Antistatic
QAC, BAC, benzalkonium chloride Car wash for creating surface
Commercial names hydrophobicity (special products, net
listed)
TETRANYL BC-50 (Kao) Hydrotrope

Charge Similar products

Cationic Didemonium chloride, stearalkonium

chloride, cetrimonium chloride (CTAC), PEG
Supplied as
cocomonium chloride.
50% in water, 80% in water/cosolvent
Content
Incompatibility
Sanitation
Anionics, tweens, hard water (carbonates,
Antistatic
sulfates).
Thickening
pH stability
Ethoxylated quats
1-12 (BAC), especially effective 6-8

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Data

Principle and practice of disinfection p 35

QACs are incompatible with a wide range of chemical agents, including anionic
surfactants (Richardson & Woodford, 1964), non-ionic surfactants, such as lubrols
and Tweens, and phospholipids, such as lecithin and other fat-containing
substances. Benzalkonium chloride has been found to be incompatible with the
ingredients of some commercial rubber mixes, but not with silicone rubber; this is
important when benzalkonium chloride is employed as a preservative in
multipledose eye-drop formulations (Pharmaceutical Codex 1994, British
Pharmacopoeia, 2002). Although non-ionic surfactants are stated above to
inactivate QACs, presumably as a consequence of micellar formation (see El
worthy, 1976, for a useful description of micelles), nevertheless potentiation of
the antibacterial activity of the QACs by means of low concentrations of non-ionic
agents has been reported (Schmolka, 1973), possibly as a result of increased
cellular permeability induced by the non-ionic surfactant (see Chapter 3 for a
more detailed discussion).

Directory of microbiocides for the protection of materials

Benzalkonium is stable at normal conditions; compatible with non-ionic

surfactants; not compatible with anionics; stable at pH 112

http://www.cdc.gov/hicpac/Disinfection_Sterilization/3_2contaminatedDevices.h
tml

In another study, 70% ethanol, 50% isopropanol, 0.05% benzalkonium chloride,

50 ppm iodine in iodophor, 0.23% sodium chlorite, 1% cresol soap and 0.7%
formaldehyde inactivated >3 logs of two animal coronaviruses (mouse hepatitis
virus, canine coronavirus) after a 10-minute exposure time 302.

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Efficacy of various disinfectants against SARS coronavirus
Journal of Hospital Infection, Volume 61, Issue 2, Pages 107-111
H.F. Rabenau, G. Kampf, J. Cinatl, H.W. Doerr

The recent severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic in Asia and Northern America led to
broad use of various types of disinfectant in order to control the public spread of the highly contagious
virus. However, only limited data were available to demonstrate their efficacy against SARS coronavirus
(SARS-CoV). We therefore investigated eight disinfectants for their activity against SARS-CoV according
to prEN 14476. Four hand rubs were tested at 30s (Sterillium, based on 45% iso-propanol, 30% n-
propanol and 0.2% mecetronium etilsulphate; Sterillium Rub, based on 80% ethanol; Sterillium Gel,
based on 85% ethanol; Sterillium Virugard, based on 95% ethanol). Three surface disinfectants were
investigated at 0.5% for 30min and 60min (Mikrobac forte, based on benzalkonium chloride and
laurylamine; Kohrsolin FF, based on benzalkonium chloride, glutaraldehyde and didecyldimonium
chloride; Dismozon pur, based on magnesium monoperphthalate), and one instrument disinfectant was
investigated at 4% for 15min, 3% for 30min and 2% for 60min [Korsolex basic, based on glutaraldehyde
and (ethylenedioxy)dimethanol]. Three types of organic load were used: 0.3% albumin, 10% fetal calf
serum, and 0.3% albumin with 0.3% sheep erythrocytes. Virus titres were determined by a quantitative
test (endpoint titration) in 96-well microtitre plates. With all tested preparations, SARS-CoV was
inactivated to below the limit of detection (reduction factor mostly 4), regardless of the type of organic
load. In summary, SARS-CoV can be inactivated quite easily with many commonly used disinfectants

Stability and inactivation of SARS

coronavirus
The SARS-coronavirus (SARS-CoV) is a newly emerged, highly pathogenic agent that caused over 8,000
human infections with nearly 800 deaths between November 2002 and September 2003. While direct
person-to-person transmission via respiratory droplets accounted for most cases, other modes have not
been ruled out. Faecal shedding is common and prolonged and has caused an outbreak in Hong Kong.
We studied the stability of SARS-CoV under different conditions, both in suspension and dried on
surfaces, in comparison with other human-pathogenic viruses, including human coronavirus HCoV-229E.

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In suspension, HCoV-229E gradually lost its infectivity completely while SARS-CoV retained its infectivity
for up to 9 days; in the dried state, survival times were 24 h versus 6 days. Thermal inactivation at 56C
was highly effective in the absence of protein, reducing the virus titre to below detectability; however,
the addition of 20% protein exerted a protective effect resulting in residual infectivity. If protein-
containing solutions are to be inactivated, heat treatment at 60C for at least 30 min must be used.
Different fixation procedures, e.g. for the preparation of immunofluorescence slides, as well as chemical
means of virus inactivation commonly used in hospital and laboratory settings were generally found to
be effective. Our investigations confirm that it is possible to care for SARS patients and to conduct
laboratory scientific studies on SARS-CoV safely. Nevertheless, the agent s tenacity is considerably
higher than that of HCoV-229E, and should SARS re-emerge, increased efforts need to be devoted to
questions of environmental hygiene.

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