At present, demand for ethanol for disinfection is increasing sharply as preventive measure for an infectious disease. When ethanol is to be used as a medical product, identification testing and purity testing conforming to the applicable Pharmacopoeias in each country are necessary. Ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometry is used in these tests as one technique for determining whether impurities are present in ethanol.
In the experiment introduced here, measurement of “Other impurities (absorbance)” in ethanols, which is described in the Japanese Pharmacopoeia, European Pharmacopoeia, and United States Pharmacopeia, was conducted using a Shimadzu UV-1900i UV-Vis spectrophotometer, and absorbance, which is specified as an acceptance standard in the Pharmacopoeias, was judged automatically by using the evaluation function of LabSolutions™ UV-Vis.
Test Method for Ethanols
The Japanese Pharmacopoeia (JP) describes the five items “Clarity and color of solution,” “Acidity or alkalinity,” “Volatile impurities,” “Other impurities (absorbance),” and “Residue on evaporation” under “Purity” testing of ethanol, anhydrous ethanol and ethanol for disinfection. Among these, “Other impurities (absorbance)” is measured in order to determine the presence/absence of impurities contained in ethanol based on absorption in the ultraviolet (UV) region.
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