BAC Water – 3mL Sterile Laboratory Diluent

A sterile laboratory-grade diluent supplied in a 3mL vial for controlled in-vitro and analytical procedures.

Form: 3mL sterile vial

🔬 Bacteriostatic Water — Overview

Bacteriostatic water is sterile water for injection that contains a small amount of a bacteriostatic preservative, most commonly benzyl alcohol (usually 0.9%). It’s used in laboratory and clinical settings to reconstitute lyophilized peptides and drugs or to dilute injectable formulations where multiple withdrawals from the same vial are anticipated. The preservative helps inhibit the growth of bacteria during repeated needle entries. Unlike plain sterile water, bacteriostatic water is not intended for large-volume hydration.

🧪 Key Chemical & Identification Information

🔢 CAS Numbers

Since bacteriostatic water is a formulation of components (i.e., water + preservative), it doesn’t have a single unique CAS number. The main constituents and their CAS identifiers are:

• Water (H₂O): CAS 7732-18-5
• Benzyl Alcohol (preservative): CAS 100-51-6

These apply to the individual components rather than the formulated product itself.

🧬 Composition & Typical Use

• Primary ingredient: Sterile purified water for injection
• Preservative: Benzyl alcohol (commonly ~0.9% v/v)
• Formulation purpose: inhibit bacterial growth during multiple uses from the same vial.

Because of the inclusion of a preservative, bacteriostatic water is not recommended for intrathecal or epidural use, and the small amount of benzyl alcohol can be harmful in neonates (there are age-specific contraindications in clinical contexts).

⚖️ Molecular & Physical Properties

💧 Water

• Molecular formula: H₂O
• Molecular weight: ≈18.02 g/mol
• Structure: angular molecule with two hydrogens bonded to oxygen

🧪 Benzyl Alcohol

• Molecular formula: C₇H₈O
• Molecular weight: ≈108.14 g/mol
• Structure: a benzene ring attached to a CH₂–OH group

Together in bacteriostatic water, these do not form a new molecule—the solution is a homogeneous mixture of the preservative dissolved in sterile water.

🧠 Function & Practical Notes

• Primary role: allows multiple needle entries from one vial while minimizing contamination risk.
• Commonly used to reconstitute freeze-dried peptides/drugs in research and clinical compounding.
• Not equivalent to normal saline or sterile water for injection in clinical protocols because of the preservative.
• Must be stored and handled under aseptic technique; bacterial inhibition is limited to the preservative level and does not sterilize products.

🧪 Typical Structural Representations

Water (H₂O)

   H—O—H (angle ~104.5°) 

Benzyl Alcohol

• SMILES: OCc1ccccc1
  (Hydroxymethyl group attached to a phenyl ring)

⚠️ Safety & Usage

• For research and compounding use only: as with other injectable solutions, bacteriostatic water should be used under proper protocols.
• Not for high-volume infusion or routes where preservatives can cause harm (e.g., newborns, certain spinal injections).
• Ensure compatibility with the peptide or compound you plan to reconstitute.

Notice: Research use only. Not for human or veterinary use.

DISCLAIMER

This product is sold strictly for laboratory research purposes only.

Not for human consumption, medical use, or veterinary use.