Chloroxylenol, also known as para-chloro-meta-xylenol (PCMX), is an antiseptic and disinfectant which is used for skin disinfection and cleaning surgical instruments. It is also used within a number of household disinfectants and wound cleaner. It is less effective than some other available agents. It is available as a liquid.
Side effects are generally few but can include skin irritation. It may be used mixed with water or alcohol. Chloroxylenol is most effective against Gram-positive bacteria. It works by disruption of the cell wall and stopping the function of enzymes.
Chloroxylenol was first made in 1927. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines, the most effective and safe medicines needed in a health system. The wholesale cost in the developing world is about 2.00 to 6.20 USD per liter of 5% solution. It is sold in a number of formulations and under a number of brand names including Dettol.
Video Chloroxylenol
Uses
Chloroxylenol is used in hospitals and households for disinfection and sanitation. It is also commonly used in antibacterial soaps, wound-cleansing applications and household antiseptics such as Dettol liquid (to which it contributes its distinctive odor), cream and ointments.
Maps Chloroxylenol
Side effects
Chloroxylenol is not significantly toxic to humans, is practically non-toxic to birds, and is moderately toxic to freshwater invertebrates. It is highly toxic to fish and cats and should not be used around them. It is a mild skin irritant and may trigger allergic reactions in some individuals.
Humans
Chloroxylenol has the potential for causing lethal toxicity. It is poisonous when swallowed and even when it is unintentionally breathed in.
In a case report, a 42-year-old British man died from Dettol overexposure in May 2007. He had "obsessive cleaning disorder" and used to keep buckets of Dettol around his flat with rooms littered with Dettol. The autopsy was not able to conclude whether the lethal exposure to Dettol was via ingestion or inhalation. A medical study which analyzed 177 cases of Dettol intoxications via ingestion in Hong Kong concluded that ?Dettol poisoning resulted in serious complications in 7% of patients, including death".
Animals
Chloroxylenol is toxic to many animals, especially cats. Phenols are of particular concern because cats are unable to eliminate the toxins following ingestion. A cat may swallow the product by licking its paws after they have come into contact with it.
In Australia, chloroxylenol spray has been shown to be lethal to cane toads, an invasive species that was introduced from Hawaii as a result of bad judgment in 1935. It had been hoped that the amphibian would control the cane beetle but it became highly destructive within the ecosystem. Spraying the disinfectant at close range has been shown to cause rapid death to toads. It is not known whether the toxins are persistent or whether they harm other Australian flora and fauna.
Owing to concerns over potential harm to other Australian wildlife species, the use of chloroxylenol as an agent for pest control was banned in Western Australia by the Department of Environment and Conservation in 2011.
History
Soon after it was created 'parachlorometaxylenol' was then called 'PCMX', but this was thought to be a horrible name and it was renamed 'Dettol'. Then in 1930s it was marketed in England, and then in 1932 in India. It had a white on green bottle, similar to medicine bottles. Also it had a white sword similar to the Dr's symbol of a cross.
Society and culture
A number of brand names are available. Chloroxylenol is the active ingredient in Dettol. It comprises 4.8% of Dettol's total admixture, with the rest made up by pine oil, isopropanol, castor oil, soap and water.
References
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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