Product Information

UCARCIDE Antimicrobials
UCARCIDE 25 Antimicrobial and UCARCIDE 50 Antimicrobial
CAS Reg. No. 111-30-8

General UCARCIDE 25 Antimicrobial and UCARCIDE 50 Antimicrobial consist of glutaraldehyde-

based products that have found widespread use in a variety of preservative applications.
The Dow Chemical Company offers two different UCARCIDE antimicrobial formulations that
are ideally suited to meet the diverse demands of many preservative applications.

Structure O O

H H

Physical The following are typical properties of UCARCIDE antimicrobials; they are not to be
Properties considered product specifications.

UCARCIDE 25 Appearance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Transparent, colorless

Antimicrobial Active, % Glutaraldehyde (w/w) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
pH @ 25C/77F: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.1 to 4.5
Solubility in water, 20C/68F: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Miscible
Boiling point: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100.5C/213F
Freezing point: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -10C/14F
Specific gravity, @ 20/20C (68F): . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.064
Vapor pressure @ 20C/68F: . . . . . . . . . 0.2 mm Hg based on glutaraldehyde (0.27 hPa)

UCARCIDE 50 Appearance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Transparent, colorless

Antimicrobial Active, % Glutaraldehyde (w/w) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
pH @ 25C/77F: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.1 to 4.5
Solubility in water, 20C/68F: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Miscible
Boiling point: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100.5C/213F
Freezing point: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -21C/-6F
Specific gravity, @ 20/20C (68F): . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.129
Vapor pressure @ 20C/68F: . . . . . . . . . 0.2 mm Hg based on glutaraldehyde (0.27 hPa)

Introduction A major concern in the preparation of water-based chemical specialty products is adequate
protection against microbiological contamination. Such contamination can be introduced
from many sources, including:

Raw materials, especially water

Containers and their closures
Manufacturing equipment and the plant environment
The user and the environment during normal consumer life of the product
UCARCIDE 25 Antimicrobial and UCARCIDE 50 Antimicrobial can help to eliminate
microbial contamination problems. Based on the powerful and unparalleled antimicrobial
action of glutaraldehyde, these high-performance antimicrobials provide excellent control

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 over a wide variety of microorganisms. UCARCIDE antimicrobials are also extremely
effective at very low concentrations.

Special Features UCARCIDE 25 Antimicrobial and UCARCIDE 50 Antimicrobial have many important features
that make these products effective antimicrobials for water-based formulated products.
These special features include:

Antimicrobial efficacy against bacteria, mold, and yeast at low use concentrations
(0.01-0.1% active ingredient).
Excellent compatibility with anionic, nonionic, and cationic surfactants
Biocidal activity over a broad pH and temperature range
No odor at end-use concentrations
Good chemical compatibility with many other antimicrobials
High salt tolerance
Complete solubility in water
End-use concentrations of glutaraldehyde can easily be analyzed on site with field test
kits, or in the laboratory by several different methods

Product UCARCIDE 25 Antimicrobial and UCARCIDE 50 Antimicrobial are broad-spectrum biocides

Performance that are easily dissolved in water. Their biocidal activity is due to the ability of glutaraldehyde
to react with primary amines, such as those present in the lysine and arginine amino acids
that are components of the microbial cell wall. The fixative action can prevent a
microorganism from carrying on its normal metabolic functions, resulting in cell death.
UCARCIDE antimicrobials are effective in both acidic and basic systems. However, the rate
of antimicrobial activity is dependent on several factors, including pH, time, temperature,
and concentration. Of these factors, pH is the most important in determining preservative
activity under typical use conditions.

The effect of pH on the rate of kill of Enterobacter aerogenes, a Gram-negative bacterium, is

profiled in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Figure 1. Rate of Kill vs pH

Rate of Kill vs pH Organism: E. aerogenes
Temperature: 25C
10 9 hr
Complete kill (hours)

Concentration: 45 ppm active

8
6 hr
6

4
2 hr
2 75 min
30 min
0
9 8 7 6 5
pH of testing media

It can be seen that the rate of kill is approximately ten times faster at pH 8.5 than at pH 5.
This difference is presumably caused by the slower reaction rate of this biocide with the
protonated amine groups of the cell-wall amino acids at acidic pH.

Increases in temperature and UCARCIDE antimicrobial concentration will enhance

antimicrobial activity at all pHs. In the acid state, surfactants can enhance the activity of
UCARCIDE antimicrobials by wetting the surface of the organism and thereby permitting
faster penetration. Since UCARCIDE antimicrobials are compatible with most cationic,

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 nonionic, and anionic surface-active agents, the matrix will ultimately influence the selection
of a surfactant.

Figure 2 compares the effectiveness of UCARCIDE 50 Antimicrobial to the efficacy of

formaldehyde against several different bacteria. This study was conducted in isotonic saline
at pH of 6.5 and 25C/77F without surfactant, and shows UCARCIDE 50 Antimicrobial to
be several times more efficacious than formaldehyde on an active basis. The minimal cidal
concentration for each bacterium was determined after a 24-hour contact time.

Figure 2. 1400

Minimum Cidal
Concentrations of 1300

UCARCIDE 50
Antimicrobial and
Formaldehyde on 500
Parts Per million, 100% actives basis

Various Organisms
in Saline Solution
400
Formaldehyde
UCARCIDE 50 Antimicrobial

300

200

100

50

0
Bacillus Pseudomonas Escherichia Staphylococcus Streptococcus
cereus aeruginosa coli aureus liquefaciens

Compatibility The presence of ammonia, primary amines, or proteins in a product formulation or

Concerns contaminated system can decrease the effectiveness of UCARCIDE antimicrobials.
However, the loss of efficacy may be minimized by adjusting the pH of the sample to
an acidic pH (if the sample to be preserved will maintain its integrity at an acidic pH).
This action will form amine salts that are far less reactive with glutaraldehyde than is the
free-amine form. UCARCIDE antimicrobials will not react with, and are useful in, systems
containing secondary amines (at concentrations of less than 0.05%), tertiary amines, and
quaternary ammonium compounds.

Laboratory Since UCARCIDE antimicrobials will react with ammonia and primary amines at neutral to
Evaluation of alkaline pHs, laboratory evaluation of antimicrobials that involve growing microorganisms in
UCARCIDE culture media can yield misleading results when using glutaraldehyde-containing products.
Antimicrobials The proteins in the growth media will react with and deactivate the glutaraldehyde.
Evaluating the effectiveness of UCARCIDE antimicrobials in aliquots of the product to be
preserved will present a more accurate picture of their microbiocidal activity. Preservative
tests, such as those described by the CTFA1 or USP2, are generally satisfactory and
compatible with the UCARCIDE formulations.

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Application The exact concentration of UCARCIDE needed to effectively preserve a product will vary,
Summary and is best determined through the use of laboratory preservation tests such as those
described previously. However, the following are recommended uses for the UCARCIDE 25
and 50 Antimicrobials. For specific directions for use, please refer to the EPA approved
labels for these products.
Recommended
Application Purpose of Biocide Product Typical Dosage Rate
General preservative To control the growth of bacteria and fungi in UCARCIDE 25 400 to 4000 ppm based on water content of product.
use aqueous or water-containing products and Antimicrobial (0.04% to 0.4%)
systems, including industrial, institutional and
consumer in-can processes and products UCARCIDE 50 200 to 2000 ppm based on water content of product.
Antimicrobial (0.02% to 0.2%)
Preservation of Use in concentrates where effective UCARCIDE 25 Added at a rate such that the diluted end-use product
concentrates preservation is needed after dilution Antimicrobial will contain 400 to 4000 ppm (0.04% to 0.4%)

UCARCIDE 50 Added at a rate such that the diluted end-use product

Antimicrobial will contain 200 to 2000 ppm (0.02% to 0.2%)
Reverse osmosis Preservation of reverse osmosis elements. UCARCIDE 25 Immerse element in tank containing 400 to 4000 ppm.
membranes Preservation of in-line recirculating systems Antimicrobial (0.04% to 0.4%)
for preservation with installed out-of-service
reverse osmosis equipment UCARCIDE 50 Immerse element in tank containing 200 to 2000 ppm.
Antimicrobial (0.02% to 0.2%)
Concrete admixtures Control growth of microorganisms in UCARCIDE 25 4000 to 16,000 ppm (0.4% to 1.6%)
concrete admixtures Antimicrobial

UCARCIDE 50 2000-8000 ppm (0.2% to 0.8%)

Antimicrobial
Household Products Highly effective at preserving against UCARCIDE 25 400 to 4000 ppm based on water content of product.
bacterial, fungal and yeast contamination Antimicrobial (0.04% to 0.4%)
in household products
UCARCIDE 50 200 to 2000 ppm based on water content of product.
Antimicrobial (0.02% to 0.2%)

Glutaraldehyde Many studies have been performed on glutaraldehyde to determine its potential to
and the biodegrade in the environment. The details of two of the many biodegradation studies that
Environment have been performed on glutaraldehyde are detailed below.

The OECD 301 series of biodegradation protocols are designed to determine the
biodegradation potential of substances under stringent conditions. In one such
biodegradation test, glutaraldehyde met and exceeded the OECD ready biodegradability
classification criteria and thus was found to be readily biodegradable.

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% Biodegradation % Biodegradation of
of Glutaraldehyde Glutaraldehyde in OECD 301A Test
in OECD 301A Test
100

80

% Biodegradation
70% Threshold
60

Sodium Benzoate Control

40 GA Biodegradation

20

0
0 2 4 6 8 10
Day

A study of the aquatic metabolism of glutaraldehyde in river water sediment under aerobic
and anaerobic conditions was performed. The results, shown below, indicate that the
metabolism of glutaraldehyde is rapid. Under aerobic conditions, the metabolism proceeds
to complete mineralization with carbon dioxide as the principal metabolite. Under anaerobic
conditions, only primary degradation is observed with the production of 1,5-pentanediol as
the major metabolite. Both pathways of degradation are shown below.

Aerobic Aquatic Metabolism

T1/2 in river water - 10.6 hr. Carbon dioxide was the major metabolite, with glutaric acid as
intermediate
O O O O
CO2
H H HO OH
Glutaraldehyde Glutaric Acid Carbon
Dioxide

Anaerobic Aquatic Metabolism

T1/2 in river water - 7.7 hr. 1,5-Pentanediol was the major metabolite
O O O

H H H OH HO OH
Glutaraldehyde 5-Hydroxypentanal 1,5-Pentanediol

The compiled ecotoxicology data indicates that glutaraldehyde is a readily biodegradable

compound that has little environmental impact when handled properly. Due to its rapid
metabolism and biodegradation under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions, it has a
favorable ecotoxicology profile. Complete details on the biodegradation tests mentioned
above, as well as many other environmental fate and ecotoxicology tests that have been
performed on glutaraldehyde, are summarized in a Dow Chemical publication entitled
Ecotoxicology of Glutaraldehyde (Form No. 253-01418).

Toxicology The following is a partial listing of toxicological data on glutaraldehyde, the active ingredient
in UCARCIDE 25 Antimicrobial and UCARCIDE 50 Antimicrobial. For product safety
information, refer to the Safety Data Sheet. For a complete discussion of the toxicology of

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 glutaraldehyde, please ask your Dow Chemical sales representative for a copy of the
booklet entitled Toxicology of Glutaraldehyde (Form No. 253-01419).

Toxicity of
Glutaraldehyde
Test Animal Results
Oral Acute Toxicity Rat male LD50 1.30 mL 50% a.i./kg body wt.
Dermal Acute Toxicity Rabbit LD50 = 2.54 mL 50% a.i. /kg 24 hour occluded. Necrosis at application site
Inhalation Rat male and female Dynamic generation of vapor, 4 hour = 16.3 ppm, room temperature. Mortality: 0/5
Eye Irritation Rabbit The no-effect concentration for eye irritation with glutaraldehyde-based solutions is
0.1%. The threshold for conjunctival irritation is 0.2 to 0.5%, and for corneal injury
0.5 to 1.0%. Eye injury is moderate at 2% and severe at 5% and above.
Alkalinization may slightly enhance the degree of eye injury.
Fish Toxicity Rainbow Trout 96Hr LC50 12 mg/L
Bluegill Sunfish 96Hr LC50 11 mg/L
Sheepshead Minnow 96Hr LC50 32 mg/L
Avian Bobwhite Quail LC50 >5000 mg/L
See Safety Data Sheet for full safety information.

Safe Handling, When applying UCARCIDE 25 Antimicrobial and UCARCIDE 50 Antimicrobial, it is important
Storage, and to wear the appropriate protective equipment. This equipment includes proper gloves,
Disposal splash-proof monogoggles or both safety glasses with side shields and a wrap-around
full-face shield, coveralls, and when necessary, respiratory equipment. Please refer to the
product label for specific precautions and use directions. Further information and
precautions regarding the handling, storage, and disposal of UCARCIDE 25 and 50
Antimicrobials can be obtained by consulting the latest Dow Safety Data Sheet and the
Glutaraldehyde Safe Handling and Storage Guide (Form No. 253-01431), available from
your Dow representative.

Summary The UCARCIDE antimicrobial line of products are extremely effective biocides that can
provide microbial protection of water-based chemical specialty products. The Dow Chemical
Company offers the combination of proven efficacy of our glutaraldehyde-based products,
along with both technical and customer service, that ensures success in the use of our
products. Put us to the test.

References 1. TGA Cosmetic Journal, Vol. 2, A Guideline for the Determination of Adequacy of
Preservation of Cosmetic and Toiletry Formulations, 20, 1970.

2. United States Pharmacopeia, XX, Microbiological Tests (51), Antimicrobial Antimicrobials

Effectiveness, 873, 1980.

Product Dow encourages its customers to review their applications of Dow products from the
Stewardship standpoint of human health and environmental quality. To help ensure that Dow products are
not used in ways for which they are not intended or tested, Dow personnel are willing to
assist customers in dealing with ecological and product safety considerations. Contact your
representative if you need any assistance or information. When considering the use of any
Dow Chemical Company product in a particular application, review the latest Safety Data
Sheet and country-specific product label to ensure the intended use is within the scope of
approved uses and can be accomplished safely. Before handling any of the products
mentioned in the text, obtain available product safety information and take necessary steps
to ensure safety of use.

Page 6 of 7 Form No. 253-01470-10/01/05-PS

For further information visit our website:
www.dowbiocides.com
or call:

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Page 7 of 7 *Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company Form No. 253-01470-10/01/05-PS