A team of toxicologists is calling for urgent action to eliminate the use of some common disinfectants in schools and offices as they expose humans to harmful chemicals that cause a wide range of health hazards.
They say people should switch to standard soap and water instead of relying on toxic cleaning agents. According to a study published in a peer-reviewed paper, the products contain a dangerous group of chemicals – quaternary ammonium compounds, also known as QACs or “quats.”
While “quats” are a common component in cleaning essentials, especially those that claim to “kill 99.9% of germs,” a growing body of evidence suggests they expose kids to dangerous levels of developmental disorders.
Animal studies have shown that some QACs can cause reproductive toxicity with sustained exposure, may contribute to weight gain and can impair energy production in cells, The Conversation reported.
A recent study aimed at acquiring an in-depth understanding of the dangers of “quats” showed the chemicals are linked to antimicrobial resistance, they pollute the environment and aren’t particularly effective.
“We did the review to answer the question of ‘What do we really know?’ and what was most surprising was there was a lack of health hazard data in the majority of QACs, and the few that have been studied have red flags,” Courtney Carignan, a co-author on the paper and a toxicologist at Michigan State University, told The Conversation.
The products that commonly contain QACs are paints, pesticides, hand sanitizers and personal care items. Studies have pointed to several other issues that are linked to the class of compounds, including infertility, birth defects, metabolic disruption, asthma, skin disorders and various diseases. Worse, they create “superbugs” that aren’t easy to kill and are immune to several antibiotics.
When did their use skyrocket?
The need for disinfecting almost everything arose when the COVID-19 pandemic began, which boosted the sales of cleaning agents….
Read the full article here