As the world grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic, another insidious threat may have been overlooked. In our fervor to fight the virus, potentially harmful substances seeped unnoticed into many of our homes, schools, hospitals, and workplaces.
Unraveling the QAC Journey
QACs are common chemicals with many applications, often camouflaged under innocuous labels. QACs serve as antimicrobials, preservatives, and antistatic agents in cleaning and disinfecting products. They’re also present in many personal care items, including eye drops, shampoo, nasal sprays, and mouthwash.Ripple Effects
The widespread use of QACs has caused waves of toxic effects on our environment and health. As the use of these chemicals increases, so do their harmful effects.Researchers demonstrate that aquatic organisms, often barometers of environmental health, show signs of acute and chronic toxicity due to escalating QAC concentrations.
Unfortunately, our most vulnerable groups have been disproportionately exposed to these compounds. With their frequent hand-to-mouth behavior, young children in schools and daycares are particularly at risk.
“School staff and their students used disinfectants extensively during the COVID-19 pandemic, in some cases unsafely and without instruction on proper handling and use,” the authors wrote.
Moreover, the elderly and those with compromised health, often confined to health care facilities, may also have been exposed to higher levels of QACs because of rigorous cleaning protocols.
One of the most disturbing ripple effects is the potential for QACs to promote antimicrobial resistance.
Hidden in Plain Sight
Identifying QACs is often challenging for consumers because of the complex and varied ways these chemicals are listed. Products don’t list QACs as such, instead disclosing the full name of the active ingredient.With hundreds of QAC variants in circulation, such as the frequently used benzalkonium chlorides, spotting them can be difficult. These compounds, which might appear as BAC, BZK, BKC, or ADBAC, are widely present in disinfecting wipes, sprays, and hand sanitizers. Other QACs can be identified by “ammonium chloride” at the end of their names.
Regulatory Loopholes and Challenges
Further complicating the matter is how we monitor and manage QACs in the United States, which depends on what we use them for. As a result, this system can lead to increased scrutiny of some uses of QACs while others might slip through the cracks.Other QAC uses fall under the less strict oversight of the Toxic Substances Control Act. However, inconsistencies in the assessment process and product information reveal a need for more uniform regulation and transparency.
Adding to this challenge, QACs are grouped based on a system from 1988 that’s much like sorting books by size rather than content, according to the authors. This outdated method “is insufficient to address the wide range of QAC chemistries, potential toxicities, and exposure scenarios,” they wrote.
As a result, we may not fully understand the risks when exposed to different QACs from various sources, as when we use multiple cleaning products at once. In fact, some QACs have gone through little to no meaningful testing for their health effects, and a majority haven’t gone through enough.
Back to Basics
During the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, many turned to powerful disinfectants containing QACs. However, we’ve since learned that the risk of contracting COVID-19 from surfaces is low.If disinfection is needed, it should be focused on high-touch areas such as door handles and shared keyboards.
Soap and water are usually adequate to neutralize SARS-CoV-2 on most surfaces. This simple and sustainable approach to maintaining hygiene minimizes potential health and environmental harms.
