What Are They?
There are three commonly used spray solutions on the market today. Two of them are chemical:
- CS (Orthochlorobenzalmalononitrile), more commonly known as teargas, which is an irritant.
- CN (Chloracetophenone), a lacrimator which causes excessive secretion of tears.
The third, most widely used spray, is organic based pepper spray:
There are also blended sprays on the market, combining CN/OC and CS/OC to achieve the best benefits of all.
OC has a horticultural origin, manufactured using chili peppers. All the peppers we associate with cooking and popular spicy Mexican dishes, including jalapeno and cayenne, contain a common ingredient called capsaicin. It's an odorless and tasteless alkaloid that provides a feeling of heat.
Capsaicinoids are produced by a gland in the pepper's placenta, found in the top partition just below the stem, where the seeds are attached. The best OC sprays derive their active ingredients from this part. It is obtained by extraction process from chili peppers, which produce an oily substance. Strength varies depending upon the grade of peppers. OC can also be diluted with natural oils or other emulsifiers. Each unit of pepper spray contains OC, an oily solution to hold it, plus a propellant to eject it.
Though the pepper substance itself is nonflammable, the carrier elements used to hold and propel it often include alcohol, which is, so care should be taken to keep spray units away from sparks and open flames.
The intensity of pepper spray is measured in Scoville Heat Units (SHU). This standard was developed in 1912 by pharmacologist Wilbur Scoville, who performed a series of tests on OC to determine grades of heat. Today the value is measured by a computerized method called High Performance Liquid Chromatography. The pepper scale ranges from zero for a bell pepper, to 5,000 units for a jalapeno, to 15,000,000 for pure capsaicin. Most sprays on the market contain 5-10% concentration. There are others sold at 15%, the highest concentration allowable by law.
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