Pine oil

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For the byproduct of wood pulp production sometimes called pine oil, see tall oil.

Pine oil is an oil obtained by the steam-distillation of pine (Pinus sylvestris) needles, twigs and cones.

It is naturally deodourizing, and antibacterial.

It is used in aromatherapy (where it is described as an 'essential oil'), as a scent in bath oils, as a cleaning product, and as a lubricant in small and expensive clockwork instruments.

It may also be used varyingly as a disinfectant, massage oil and an antiseptic in homeopathic medicine.

Pine oil is used in copper extraction to soak all copper sulfide ores for froth flotation.

[edit] Properties as a disinfectant and herbicide

Pine oil is a phenolic disinfectant. It is generally effective against numerous bacterial strains and enveloped viruses. It is not generally effective against non-enveloped viruses or spores.

It will kill the causative agents of typhoid, gastroenteritis, rabies, enteric fever, cholera, several forms of meningitis, whooping cough, gonorrhea and several types of dysentery. It is also effective against several of the leading causes of food poisoning. It is not effective against spore related illneses such as tetanus or anthrax or against non-enveloped viruses such as poliovirus, rhinovirus, hepatitis B or hepatitis C.

Pine oil disinfectants are relatively inexpensive and widely available.

They also have a relatively low human toxicity level, a low corrosion level and limited persistence. This makes many pine oils a perfect herbicide, as they also contain the hydrocarbon terpene, which is the active constituent in the organic herbicide Organic InterceptorTM, produced by Certified Organics Ltd of New Zealand. Organic Interceptor is a non-selective herbicide (as is, for instance, Glyphosate).