In a recent study completed by the American Journal of Infection Control, an alcohol-free sanitizer using benzalkonium chloride (BZK- 0.12%) as its active ingredient was found to be as effective as an ethanol-based formulation (63% ethanol). This study measured the antibacterial efficacy after application at 1, 2 and 4 hour intervals after application of the products to the skin. For the BZK product, bacteria were applied at 1, 2, and 4 hours after product application and for the ethanol product, bacteria were applied at 1 and 4 hours after product application. The difference in the recovery between the BZK and ethanol products was striking. The BZK product reduced bacterial viability at each interval (1, 2 and 4 hours). The ethanol product did not reduce bacterial viability. This study suggests that the active ingredient BZK (0.12%) can provide a marked improvement in persistent antibacterial activity over the 63% ethanol-based product.¹
To access the full study, please visit: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0196655319300082.