Laboratory supplies
Bacteriostatic Water
Sterile water containing 0.9% benzyl alcohol, used as a reconstitution solvent in laboratory workflows.
- Classification
- Reconstitution solvent (0.9% benzyl alcohol)
- Supplied form
- 10mL sealed vial
- Storage
- Store at controlled room temperature away from light. Discard per laboratory practice after the vial's in-use period.
- Solubility
- Not applicable — this is the solvent.
What bacteriostatic water is
Bacteriostatic water is sterile water containing 0.9% benzyl alcohol as a bacteriostatic agent, which allows multiple withdrawals from a single sealed vial under laboratory conditions.
Why it matters for concentration math
The volume of solvent added to a lyophilized vial determines the resulting concentration in mg/mL. Adding 2mL to a 10mg vial yields 5mg/mL; adding 5mL to the same vial yields 2mg/mL.
Handling in the laboratory
Supplied in 10mL vials. Keep the stopper intact and swab before each withdrawal per standard practice.
Concentration reference
Working concentration is determined solely by the solvent volume added to the vial. The Lucent Life reconstitution calculator converts vial strength and solvent volume into mg/mL and U-100 syringe units. It performs unit math only and does not recommend any dosing, administration, or frequency.
Open the calculatorCatalog listings
Frequently asked
How is it different from sterile water?
Sterile water contains no preservative and is generally treated as single-use; bacteriostatic water contains benzyl alcohol, which inhibits bacterial growth in a multi-withdrawal vial.
More reference pages
Research disclaimer: This page is a laboratory reference summary of published research context. Products supplied by Lucent Life are reference materials for in-vitro laboratory research only — not drugs, supplements, or products for human consumption.