A substance which can act both as an antiseptic and disinfectant is

Options

A. aspirin
B. chloroxylenol
C. bithional
D. phenol

Answer

To determine a substance that can act both as an antiseptic and a disinfectant, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Understand the Definitions
- **Antiseptic**: A substance that kills or inhibits the growth of microorganisms on living tissues, such as skin.
- **Disinfectant**: A substance that kills or inhibits the growth of microorganisms on non-living surfaces.

### Step 2: Identify the Common Substances
- We need to look for substances that can serve both purposes. Some common examples include alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, and phenol.

### Step 3: Analyze the Properties of Phenol
- **Phenol**:
- When used in a **0.2% aqueous solution**, phenol acts as an antiseptic, effectively killing germs on the skin.
- When used in a **1% solution**, it acts as a disinfectant, killing germs on non-living surfaces.

### Step 4: Conclusion
- Based on the analysis, phenol is the substance that can act both as an antiseptic and a disinfectant depending on its concentration.

### Final Answer
- The substance which can act both as an antiseptic and disinfectant is **Phenol**.

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