I receive newsletters about health care from a wide variety of sources. One of them, from Doximity, alerted me to an article in the Guardian about chemicals in disinfectants.

It is based on a scientific publication entitled “Quaternary Ammonium Compounds: A Chemical Class of Emerging Concern.”

Both articles are freely available online, but for readability, go with the one in the Guardian. It states:

“the chemicals are linked to serious health problems, they contribute to antimicrobial resistance, they pollute the environment and they are not particularly effective.”

Exposure to this class of chemicals comes mainly from disinfectants, though they can also be found in paints, pesticides and personal care products. Researchers compared blood levels before and during the pandemic and found that the levels doubled.

What does the article recommend? Soap and water.