How much alcohol can kill bacteria

There are many bacteria in the environment we live in. If the bacteria invade the human body and the immune cells cannot kill them, the body will become sick due to bacterial infection. If we can use something in our lives to kill bacteria as much as possible, we can reduce the chance of human illness. Using alcohol to kill bacteria is a good way. So what degree of alcohol can kill bacteria?

Alcohol can act as a disinfectant, and generally industrial alcohol is above 75%. Liquor has different alcohol content. Generally speaking, the higher the alcohol content, the stronger the disinfection effect, but this is only for special situations. If the infection has been confirmed, it is best to go to the hospital for disinfection. It is not recommended to handle it yourself.

The effect of alcohol concentration on bacteria or microorganisms is critical, and high-concentration alcohol solutions in the range of 60% to 80% are considered to have the best antibacterial activity. Studies have shown that when the alcohol concentration is below 40%, the effect on oral bacteria is significantly weakened, and at a concentration of 10%, there is almost no effect.

Secondly, the duration of action of alcohol on bacteria is also important. When 40% alcohol (equivalent to the concentration of vodka) is used to inhibit the growth of these microorganisms, 15 minutes is much more effective than 6 minutes.

The essence of using alcohol is to coagulate the protein in the bacteria and then kill the cells. Alcohol with too high a concentration will cause the protein on the surface of bacteria to coagulate, preventing the alcohol from entering the bacteria. Alcohol with too low a concentration, even if it can enter the bacteria, will not be able to coagulate. Only alcohol at around 75 degrees is the most effective in killing bacteria. Therefore, liquor with a concentration generally below 56 degrees has no bactericidal effect at all.