Lysol (, LYE-sol; spelled Lizol in India) is an American brand of cleaning and disinfecting products distributed by Reckitt, which markets the similar Dettol or Sagrotan in other markets. The line includes liquid solutions for hard and soft surfaces, air treatment, and hand washing. The active ingredient in many Lysol products is benzalkonium chloride, but the active ingredient in the Lysol "Power and Free" line is hydrogen peroxide. Lysol has been used since its invention in the late 19th century as a household and industrial cleaning agent, and previously as a medical disinfectant.
History
The first Lysol Brand Antiseptic Disinfectant was introduced in 1889 by Gustav Raupenstrauch to help end a cholera epidemic happening in Germany. The original formulation of Lysol contained cresols. This formulation may still be available commercially in some parts of the world. Formulations containing chlorophenol are still available in the United Kingdom. In 1911, poisoning by drinking Lysol was the most common means of suicide in Australia and New York. One of the active ingredients, benzalkonium chloride, is highly toxic to fish (LC50 = 280 μg ai/L), very highly toxic to aquatic invertebrates (LC50 = 5.9 μg ai/L), moderately toxic to birds (LD50 = 136 mg/kg-bw), and slightly toxic ("safe") to mammals (LD50 = 430 mg/kg-bw).
Use during the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic In 1918, during the Spanish flu pandemic, Lehn & Fink, Inc. advertised Lysol disinfectant as an effective countermeasure to the influenza virus. Newspaper advertisements provided tips for preventing the spread of the disease, including washing sick-rooms with Lysol, as well as everything that came in contact with patients. A small (US50¢) bottle made 5 US gallons (19 L; 4.2 imp gal) of disinfectant solution, and a smaller (US25¢) bottle made 2 US gallons (7.6 L; 1.7 imp gal). The company also advertised the "unrefined" Lysol F. & F. (Farm & Factory) for use in factories and other large buildings – a 5-US-gallon (19 L; 4.2 imp gal) can, when diluted as directed, made 50 US gallons (190 L; 42 imp gal) of disinfecting solution.
Use as a contraceptive The Lysol disinfectant douche once was "the leading feminine hygiene product" in the United States. Advertisements for Lysol during the 1930s hinted at its use as a contraceptive but never explicitly promoted it to be used as such. Advertisements did note that Lysol was safe to use including on "delicate female tissues". By 1911, 193 Lysol poisonings were recorded along with five deaths from "uterine irrigation". Lysol ads also included recommendations from female gynecologists that Lysol would resolve women's marital distress through the practice of complete feminine hygiene and resolve fears of pregnancy for married women. Douching with Lysol disinfectant does not prevent pregnancy and can result in undesirable vaginal health outcomes as well as has resulted in death for some women using it as a contraceptive or as an abortifacient.
Use as an abortifacient Earlier formulations of Lysol contained cresol, a compound that can induce abortions, and it was widely used by women who could not otherwise obtain legal abortions in the United States, although the medical community was relatively unaware of the phenomenon for the first half of the 20th century. It remained a popular birth control method from the Great Depression through the 1960s. By the 1960s, published medical literature had acknowledged the common use of Lysol and other soaps to induce abortions, which could lead to fatal renal failure and sepsis.
Product innovations 1930: Lysol Brand Disinfectant Liquid was introduced to drug stores and hospitals. 1957/58 Lysol purchased the rights to private label National Laboratories, Inc's Disinfectant spray. 1962: Lysol released the Lysol Disinfectant Spray, which used a new method of aerosol application. 1968: Lysol began creating bathroom cleaners and released the Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaner. 1985: Lysol All Purpose Cleaner was released. 1988: Lysol began shipping aerosol disinfectants to humid areas such as Houston, to combat occupational lung diseases, (also known as "lung rot"). 2000: Pre-moistened Lysol Brand Disinfecting Wipes was released, a cleaning wipe for use on hard, nonporous surfaces. 2009: Lysol began producing hand soaps. Ownership: Lehn & Fink was acquired by Sterling Drug in 1967 and Reckitt & Colman acquired L&F in 1994 when Bayer acquired Sterling-Winthrop. As of 2015 Lysol products were distributed by Reckitt Benckiser LLC of Parsippany, New Jersey.
Ingredients
Different Lysol products contain different active ingredients. Examples of active ingredients used in Lysol products:
ethanol/SD alcohol, 40 1–4%; fluid that acts as sanitizer isopropyl alcohol, 1–2%; partly responsible for Lysol's strong odor; acts as sanitizing agent and removes odor p-chloro-o-benzylphenol, 5–6%; antiseptic o-phenylphenol, 0.1%; antiseptic; in use circa 1980s potassium hydroxide, 3–4% Potassium hydroxide is a highly corrosive chemical when used at higher concentrations. It is primarily dangerous to eyes, skin, respiratory tract, and gastrointestinal tract. It can cause serious burns and can be fatal if swallowed. Inhalation, dermal contact, and ingestion are the main forms of exposure. This substance is often found in various bathroom products for hair and skincare, but in a way that maintains and balances the pH level. Potassium hydroxide is not carcinogenic and does not prove to be dangerous for reproductive health. alkyl (50% C14, 40% C12, 10% C16) dimethylbenzyl ammonium saccharinate, 0.10%; microbiocide alkyl (C12-C18) dimethylbenzylammonium chloride, 0.08%; antiseptic alkyl (C12-C16) dimethylbenzylammonium chloride, 0.02%; antiseptic lactic acid as an antiseptic hydrogen peroxide
Health effects of P-chloro-o-benzylphenol Lysol contains P-chloro-o-benzylphenol at a 5-6% concentration. It is a chemical that is absorbed in humans through ingestion and the mucous membranes. The Globally Harmonized System of Classification of Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) has released hazard statements on P-chloro-o-benzylphenol that include and are not limited to “skin irritation, allergic skin reaction, causes serious eye damage, harmful if inhaled, suspected of causing cancer, suspected of damaging fertility, and potentially causes damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure”.
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