What was used as a disinfectant long before the EPA and does not require an EPA registration number?

• A. Bleach
• B. Alcohol
• C. Hydrogen Peroxide
• D. Formaldehyde

Answer: (B)

Alcohol has been used as a disinfectant for a very long time, long before the EPA existed, and it’s not required to carry an EPA registration number on consumer products. This is because, in practice, alcohol-based products are often used as antiseptics or cleaners and aren’t regulated as pesticidal products in the same way as other disinfectants when sold for general consumer use. Ethyl and isopropyl alcohol kill microbes by denaturing proteins and dissolving membranes, working quickly and effectively in many salon settings.

Bleach, hydrogen peroxide, and formaldehyde are typically marketed and regulated as pesticidal disinfectants, so products containing them would carry EPA registration numbers on their labels.