Bacteriostatic Water

• Laboratory applications include preserved aqueous diluent studies, formulation screening, container-closure workflows and method development where a defined benzyl-alcohol concentration is appropriate
• Preservative activity may reduce microbial proliferation under validated conditions, but it does not sterilize a contaminated vial or establish analyte stability.

CAS

7732-18-5

Formula

Not applicable — mixture or multi-component material

Molecular weight

Component-specific; no single molecular weight

Appearance

Lot-specific clear aqueous material; confirm colour, clarity and particulate specification on the released-batch COA

Purity

Component-specific released results; confirm water grade and benzyl-alcohol assay on the batch COA · target, verify batch COA

Storage

Follow the released lot COA, SDS, label and stability statement. Temperature, light protection, container orientation, first-access period and excursion limits depend on the exact water grade, preservative concentration, container-closure system and claimed microbiological quality. Do not transfer storage instructions from Pfizer/Hospira or another finished product unless the offered lot is that labelled product.

MOQ

On request

Lead time

7–14 days

“Bacteriostatic water” generally denotes water containing a preservative, commonly benzyl alcohol. Approved Bacteriostatic Water for Injection products have product-specific labels, concentrations, containers and microbiological controls. An RUO ancillary with a similar name is not automatically USP-compliant, sterile, nonpyrogenic or injectable. Procurement should specify water grade, benzyl-alcohol concentration, pH, container closure, chemical assays and any separately claimed sterility, endotoxin or bioburden limits.

• Laboratory formulation and reconstitution-method development, preservative-compatibility studies, analytical sample preparation and ancillary qualification
• These are laboratory applications, not clinical indications.

Benzyl alcohol is used as a bacteriostatic preservative: at an appropriate concentration it can inhibit microbial growth through membrane and protein effects. Bacteriostatic is not bactericidal or sterilizing. Water is the solvent component, while peptide dissolution, chemical stability and assay performance depend on the complete formulation and handling conditions. No universal mixing, swirling or injection instruction is provided.

• For laboratory use only
• Follow the lot SDS and institutional chemical and microbiological controls
• Benzyl alcohol has recognized systemic toxicity and labelled Bacteriostatic Water for Injection products warn against neonatal use, but this toxicology context is not an administration instruction
• Preservative content does not establish sterility or permit use of a compromised container
• This catalogue provides no injection, aseptic-puncture or patient-use procedure.

Interactions reported in the literature

• Compatibility is analyte-, concentration-, pH-, buffer-, container- and method-specific
• Benzyl alcohol may be incompatible with some peptides, proteins, cells or analytical endpoints
• Preservative-free water is not automatically interchangeable; use direct stability and performance evidence for the intended system.

Bacteriostatic Water3 mL · WHJLP-BAC3-260526-D

Bacteriostatic Water10 mL · WHJLP-BAC10-260526-D

Representative records, refreshed periodically

Published COAs show representative factory batches and may not be the latest available. For a current quote or shipment, our sales team can confirm the applicable lot and provide its COA.

Independent testing, arranged on request

Third-party reports are not routinely published. If independent verification is required, we can agree the laboratory, method, acceptance criteria and remedy before testing. If the agreed specification is not met, an appropriate resolution—including a refund where applicable—can be discussed under the agreed terms. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, the buyer pays the cost of this optional testing.

Help reviewing your COA

Need help reading a factory COA or third-party report? Our sales team can clarify test items, specifications and how the results relate to the lot under discussion.

Ask for the current packet, not a generic certificate

• Require water grade, benzyl-alcohol identity and quantitative content, pH or relevant chemical limits, visible-particle criteria, fill volume, container-closure specification, traceable lot and stability basis
• If sterility, bacterial endotoxin or bioburden is claimed, require separate released-lot results with named methods and acceptance limits
• Clear colourless appearance alone cannot prove composition, microbiological quality or suitability.

Follow the released lot COA, SDS, label and stability statement. Temperature, light protection, container orientation, first-access period and excursion limits depend on the exact water grade, preservative concentration, container-closure system and claimed microbiological quality. Do not transfer storage instructions from Pfizer/Hospira or another finished product unless the offered lot is that labelled product.

State destination, season, acceptable transit exposure and whether your protocol requires insulated or cold-chain service. Additional temperature-control cost is quoted explicitly.

• Component identity: NIH PubChem CID 962 identifies water and CID 244 identifies benzyl alcohol as C₇H₈O, 108.14 g/mol and CAS 100-51-6; component records do not define the supplied blend.
• Product-specific labelling: DailyMed records for approved Bacteriostatic Water for Injection products identify their own benzyl-alcohol concentration, pH, container and warnings. A 0.9% label and a 1.1% label are distinct records or presentations, not interchangeable proof for this RUO lot.
• Multi-dose-vial context: current CDC Injection Safety guidance states that an opened, labelled multi-dose vial is generally discarded within 28 days unless the manufacturer states another date. This does not establish sterility, approved multi-dose status or peptide stability for an RUO vial.
• Neonatal toxicology: Gershanik et al., N Engl J Med. 1982, PMID 7133084, documents fatal neonatal toxicity associated with benzyl-alcohol exposure; this is safety context, not an administration instruction.
• Current allergy context: Le and Wu, Dermatitis. 2026, PMID 41649135, reviews benzyl alcohol as a potential contact allergen.

1. 01

   The Gasping Syndrome and Benzyl Alcohol Poisoning

   New England Journal of Medicine · 1982 · peer-reviewed original research (landmark clinical report)

   Open source
2. 02

   Toxicity of Benzyl Alcohol in Adult and Neonatal Mice

   Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences · 1986 · peer-reviewed original research (animal toxicology)

   Open source
3. 03

   Benzyl Alcohol: Allergen of the Year 2026

   Dermatitis (official journal of the American Contact Dermatitis Society) · 2026 · peer-reviewed review (society-commissioned 'Allergen of the Year' designation)

   Open source
4. 04

   Bacteriostatic Water Injection, USP -- 0.9% Benzyl Alcohol Product Label

   DailyMed (US National Library of Medicine) / FDA-approved manufacturer label · 2014 · regulatory document (FDA-approved manufacturer package insert, hosted on DailyMed)

   Open source
5. 05

   Preventing Unsafe Injection Practices

   CDC Injection Safety · 2026 · public-health guidance

   Open source
6. 06

   PubChem Compound Summary: Benzyl Alcohol (CID 244)

   NIH PubChem · 2026 · authoritative chemical database

   Open source