Name

Cetylpyridinum chloride

We recommend avoiding

Description

Cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) is a cationic quaternary ammonium compound used primarily as an antiseptic agent in various oral care products, including mouthwashes, toothpaste, lozenges, and throat sprays. It is effective against a broad spectrum of bacteria, fungi, and some viruses.

Benefits

Antibacterial properties

Considerations

• Quaternary Ammonium Compound This chemical is in a class of chemicals called quaternary ammonium compounds, or quats as they are called for short. Quats have been found in some studies to be toxic to mitochondria in our body's cells. • Possible Endocrine Disruptor Quats have also been found to disrupt hormones, especially estrogen. • Contamination Concerns There is some data to suggest that quaternary ammonium compounds can release carcinogenic nitrosamines under certain conditions.

Synonyms

Cetylpyridinium chloride monohydrate 1-Hexadecylpyridinium chloride monohydrate 1-Hexadecylpyridin-1-ium chloride hydrate Hexadecylpyridinium chloride monohydrate Pyridinium, 1-hexadecyl-, chloride, monohydrate

Research Sources

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4260154/ https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/10.1289/ehp1404 https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es902840h https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/22324

Summary

Possible endocrine disruption, nitrosamine contamination concerns, environmental toxicity.