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Health Hazards of Quats:

Quats are inexpensive and are potent against numerous infectious agents. But there is reason for concern about the use and overuse of quats:

• Quats are potent skin irritants and can cause rashes and dermatitis.
• Quats can irritate your lungs leading to breathing problems.
• Cleaning workers exposed regularly to quats have developed occupational asthma.
• Quats are linked to reproductive harm, potentially affecting fertility, and possibly leading to birth defects.
• Widespread use of quats is contributing to the global problem of antimicrobial resistance, leading to the development of “superbugs” that cannot be controlled with antibiotics.

Identifying & Avoiding Quats

Read labels: Commonly found quats in disinfecting products usually include “…onium chloride” in their names. Examples of commonly found quats are:

• Benzalkonium chloride
• Alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride (C14 60%, C16 30%, C12 5%, C18 5%)
• Alkyl dimethyl ethylbenzyl ammonium chloride(C12-14)
• Didecyldimethylammonium chloride

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Health Hazards of Chlorine Bleach:

• Chlorine bleach is a significant lung and eye irritant.
• Extended chlorine bleach exposure can cause chemical burns on skin.
• It is the leading cause of chemical eye injuries in children in the U.S.. in the category of cleaning products.
• It is also the leading cause of calls to Poison Control for the category of cleaning products, resulting in the greatest number of moderate to severe health outcomes.

For references and additional resources on disinfecting & cleaning during COVID-19, click here.

Additional Resources

Additional resources and references on safer cleaning and disinfecting during the times of COVID-19:

• See WVE’s coronavirus resources page
• Safer Cleaning Practices for the Workplace from MFL Occupational Health Centre (OHC)
• The University of Washington School of Public Health’s fact sheet on safer disinfecting, that emphasizes the need for using soap and water, can be found here.
• From the San Francisco Department of the Environment: Safer COVID-19 cleaning products and disinfectants
• Guidance from the Western States Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit on Safer Disinfectant Use during the COVID-19 Pandemic.