Text author: 食戟社
In our daily lives, we often use alcohol to sterilize and disinfect, and 75% concentration alcohol seems to be the most common choice. So why is it important to sterilize with 75% alcohol instead of a higher concentration of 100%?
First of all, we need to understand the principle of alcohol sterilization and disinfection. Alcohol molecules are able to destroy the proteins on the surface of bacteria, making them inactive, thus achieving the purpose of sterilization. However, the concentration of alcohol plays a crucial role in this process. If the alcohol concentration is too low, then its bactericidal effect will be greatly reduced. Because too low an alcohol concentration cannot effectively damage the proteins on the surface of the bacteria, the bacteria can continue to survive and multiply.
However, if the alcohol concentration is too high, such as 100% alcohol, its bactericidal effect will also be affected. This is because the high concentration of alcohol causes the proteins on the surface of the bacteria to coagulate quickly, forming a protective film that prevents the alcohol molecules from penetrating further into the bacteria. In this way, although alcohol is able to kill some bacteria, some bacteria are still able to survive the protection of the protective film.
In contrast, a 75% concentration of alcohol is able to destroy the surface of the bacteria, while allowing a portion of the alcohol molecules to penetrate the bacteria, thus killing the bacteria more effectively. In addition, 75% concentration alcohol also has good volatility, can volatilize quickly after use, will not leave too much residue, and is safer for the human body and the environment.
Therefore, it is a more scientific and reasonable choice to choose 75% concentration of alcohol sterilization and disinfection. It can not only give full play to the bactericidal effect of alcohol, but also avoid the negative effects of high concentration of alcohol. In daily life, we should pay attention to choosing the right alcohol concentration to ensure the effectiveness and safety of sterilization and disinfection.