Chloroxylenol, also known as ''para''-chloro-''meta''-xylenol (PCMX), is an
antiseptic
An antiseptic (from Greek ἀντί ''anti'', "against" and σηπτικός ''sēptikos'', "putrefactive") is an antimicrobial substance or compound that is applied to living tissue/skin to reduce the possibility of infection, sepsis, or putre ...
and
disinfectant which is used for
skin disinfection Skin disinfection is a process that involves the application of a disinfectant to reduce levels of microorganisms on the skin. Disinfecting both the skin of the patient and the hands of the healthcare providers are an important part of surgery.
...
, and together with
alcohol for cleaning
surgical instruments.
It is also used within a number of household disinfectants and
wound cleaners.
It is thought to act by disrupting microbial
cell walls and inactivating cellular
enzyme
Enzymes () are proteins that act as biological catalysts by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different molecules known as products ...
s, and is less effective than some other available agents.
[ It is available as a liquid.][
]
History
Chloroxylenol was first made in 1927.World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines
The WHO Model List of Essential Medicines (aka Essential Medicines List or EML), published by the World Health Organization (WHO), contains the medications considered to be most effective and safe to meet the most important needs in a health s ...
.Dettol
Dettol is a cleaning disinfectant and antiseptic. It was introduced in 1932 by the British company Reckitt. In Germany, it is sold under the name Sagrotan.
Prior to 2002, some Dettol products were branded Dettox.
Dettol Antiseptic Disinfectant ...
''.[
Soon after it was created ''parachlorometaxylenol'' was then called ''PCMX'', but this was thought to be a poor name and it was renamed ''Dettol''. Then in 1932 it was marketed in Britain and in India. It had a white on green bottle with a white sword depicted.]
Properties
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.]
Uses
Chloroxylenol is used in hospitals and households for disinfection and sanitation. It is also commonly used in antibacterial soap
Antibacterial soap is a soap which contains chemical ingredients that purportedly assist in killing bacteria. The majority of antibacterial soaps contain triclosan, though other chemical additives are also common. The effectiveness of products bra ...
s, wound-cleansing applications and household antiseptics.
Side effects
Chloroxylenol is generally slightly to moderately toxic
Toxicity is the degree to which a chemical substance or a particular mixture of substances can damage an organism. Toxicity can refer to the effect on a whole organism, such as an animal, bacterium, or plant, as well as the effect on a subs ...
to human
Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, cultu ...
s (but highly toxic for the eyes, causing severe eye irritation), is practically non-toxic to birds, and is moderately toxic to freshwater invertebrates. It is highly toxic to fish
Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of ...
, cats, and some amphibians and should not be used around them. It is a mild skin
Skin is the layer of usually soft, flexible outer tissue covering the body of a vertebrate animal, with three main functions: protection, regulation, and sensation.
Other animal coverings, such as the arthropod exoskeleton, have different de ...
irritant and may trigger allergic
Allergies, also known as allergic diseases, refer a number of conditions caused by the hypersensitivity of the immune system to typically harmless substances in the environment. These diseases include hay fever, food allergies, atopic der ...
reactions in some individuals.
Humans
Excessive exposure to chloroxylenol has the potential for causing death. It can be poisonous when swallowed and even when it is unintentionally inhaled. A medical study in Hong Kong which analyzed 177 cases of Dettol ingestion that resulted in emergency department treatment (95% of which were intentional), concluded that "Dettol poisoning resulted in serious complications in 7% of patients, including death."
Animals
Chloroxylenol is toxic to many animals, especially cats. Phenolic compounds are of particular concern because cats are unable to fully metabolize them. 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 toad
The cane toad (''Rhinella marina''), also known as the giant neotropical toad or marine toad, is a large, terrestrial true toad native to South and mainland Central America, but which has been introduced to various islands throughout Oceania ...
s, 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
''Dermolepida albohirtum'', the cane beetle, is a native Australian beetle and a parasite of sugarcane. Adult beetles eat the leaves of sugarcane, but greater damage is done by their larvae hatching underground and eating the roots, which eit ...
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.
References
External links
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