Cosmic Peptides research library

Bacteriostatic water

Purified water, or 0.9% sodium chloride, with 0.9% benzyl alcohol added as an antimicrobial preservative, sold as a laboratory reagent.

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The preservative is present at 9.4 mg/mL, or 87 mM, which slows microbial growth in a bottle that is opened many times. It absorbs ultraviolet light below 230 nm and near 257 nm, appears as a peak in HPLC, and is cytotoxic to cultured cells above a few millimolar, so plain reagent-grade water is the better solvent for spectroscopy, chromatography and cell-based work.

Neither reagent is buffered; both sit near pH 5–6 from dissolved carbon dioxide. The saline adds 154 mM sodium chloride, which can reduce the solubility of a charged peptide.

See also

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Text

Cosmic Peptides. (2026, October 30). Bacteriostatic water: glossary entry. Cosmic Peptides Research Library. Retrieved October 30, 2026, from https://cosmicpeptides.com/research/glossary/bacteriostatic-water

BibTeX

@misc{cosmicpeptides_research_glossary_bacteriostatic_water,
  author       = {{Cosmic Peptides}},
  title        = {Bacteriostatic water: glossary entry},
  howpublished = {Cosmic Peptides Research Library},
  year         = {2026},
  month        = oct,
  url          = {https://cosmicpeptides.com/research/glossary/bacteriostatic-water},
  urldate      = {2026-10-30},
  note         = {Last reviewed 2026-10-30}
}

RIS

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AU  - Cosmic Peptides
TI  - Bacteriostatic water: glossary entry
T2  - Cosmic Peptides Research Library
PB  - Cosmic Peptides
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/30
UR  - https://cosmicpeptides.com/research/glossary/bacteriostatic-water
Y2  - 2026/10/30
LA  - en
ER  - 

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For in vitro laboratory research only. Not for human or veterinary use. This library describes chemistry, analytical methods and published laboratory research; it gives no guidance on use in people or animals.