In Europe, however, uses of QACs have recently been limited in food products and consumer hand and body washes. i.e., all of these were designated high production volume chemicals by the EPA and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development with over 1 million pounds per year manufactured or imported. (5) Figure 1īefore the pandemic, QACs, including benzalkyl dimethylammonium compounds (BACs or benzalkonium compounds), alkyltrimethylammonium compounds (ATMACs), and dialkyldimethylammonium compounds (DADMACs) were already widely used in the U.S. (4) It has been recently noted, however, that additional evaluation of the effectiveness of QACs against coronaviruses is needed. Of the 18 virucidal products for surface disinfection listed by the Association for Applied Hygiene in Germany, three contain QACs. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) List N: Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2 has 430 products, of which 216 contain QACs as the active ingredient, (3) with specifics shown in Figure 1. Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) are known to be effective at inactivating enveloped viruses, (1,2) such as SARS-CoV-2, and the U.S. These new cleaning routines and habits may continue past the time when SARS-CoV-2 is an urgent threat. These practices will continue to evolve as people return to work and resume other activities, leading to more routine and thorough disinfection to minimize virus transmission. Exploration of potential effects, environmental fate, and technologies to minimize environmental releases of QACs, however, is warranted.ĭuring the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic, many disinfection practices, including hand washing and surface cleaning, have changed to limit disease transmission. The threat caused by COVID-19 is clear, and a reasonable response is elevated use of QACs to mitigate spread of infection.
Thus, it is important to assess potential environmental and engineering impacts of elevated QAC usage, which may include disruption of wastewater treatment unit operations, proliferation of antibiotic resistance, formation of nitrosamine disinfection byproducts, and impacts on biota in surface waters. QACs have been previously detected in wastewater, surface waters, and sediments, and effects on antibiotic resistance have been explored. The amounts of these compounds used in household, workplace, and industry settings has very likely increased, and usage will continue to be elevated given the scope of the pandemic. EPA for use to inactivate the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) virus. Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) are active ingredients in over 200 disinfectants currently recommended by the U.S.
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