Mothers or guardians often use disinfectant wipes to clean off kids. You may even have a pack of disinfectant wipes in your bag to clean up small messes. But according to researchers, these common products may contain quaternary ammonium compounds that are linked to serious health problems.

What are quaternary ammonium compounds?

Quaternary ammonium compounds, or quats, refer to a class of hundreds of chemicals also used in paints, pesticides, hand sanitizers, personal care products and more.

Considered pesticides, quats are used in antimicrobial products like disinfectants and sanitizers that kill bacteria and viruses on surfaces.

More than 2,000 pesticide products contain quats. Quats are also found in aerosols, pressurized liquids, ready-to-use sprays, soluble concentrates, wettable powders and disinfectant wipes.

Depending on the product, quats may be used in homes, schools, medical offices, industrial sites and even on certain food processing equipment. Some products are used to kill algae, fungi, mildew and mold.

The first antimicrobial pesticide containing quats was registered in 1947.

Even medical products and cosmetics may also contain quats, including prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) products like lotion, nasal sprays and topical antiseptics regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Side effects of exposure to quats

Studies have found that quats are linked to various health issues, such as:

Asthma

Birth defects

Infertility

Metabolic disruption

Skin disorders

You can be exposed to harmful quats in several ways. The chemicals can be absorbed through the skin or accidentally ingested after you use and touch a disinfectant wipe. The chemicals can also stick around on surfaces after you use disinfectants.

Inhalation of quats is also a risk, especially if you use or are exposed to spray disinfectants. Quats can also attach to dust and become airborne.

If inhaled, quats may cause the following side effects:

Coughing

Dizziness

Flu-like symptoms

Headache

Irritation in the mouth, lungs, nose and throat

Shortness of breath

If swallowed, quats may cause the following side effects:

Abdominal pain

Dizziness

Excessive salivation or drooling

Flu-like symptoms

Headache

Irritation or burning in the mouth, nose and throat

Nausea

Vomiting

Ingesting concentrated quats may cause ulcers of mucous membranes and bloody vomit. In serious cases ingesting quats may cause confusion, difficulty breathing, low blood pressure and weakness. Death may occur within one to two hours after the ingestion of concentrated quats.

Health experts warned that the groups most at risk are small children because disinfectant wipes are often used in daycares or schools; elderly folks in supervised care; healthcare workers; cleaning professionals; and those who often use disinfectants in daily life.

Quats are common components in popular disinfectant wipes and sprays, especially in products that claim to “kill 99.9 [percent] of germs.”

But in a recent peer-reviewed paper, scientists assembled the conclusions from a fast-growing body of quat studies that highlight several alarming main issues:

Quats are linked to severe health problems

Quats contribute to antimicrobial resistance

Quats pollute the environment

Quats are “not particularly effective”

The researchers warned that people are mainly exposed to quats through disinfectants, and most Americans are thought to have some level of these harmful chemicals in their blood.

Protect your family from the side effects of exposure, especially children and the elderly, to disinfectant wipes and other products that contain quats.

Source:
courtesy of NATURALNEWS

by Zoey Sky

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