Breathing in widely used disinfectant chemicals may be significantly more harmful than previously thought, according to new research from the University of California, Davis.
The study found that inhaling quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs), which are common ingredients in cleaning products, caused far greater lung damage in mice than ingesting the same substances. To quantify ‘far greater’, inhalation led to 100 times more lung injury.
Lead author Gino Cortopassi, a biochemist and pharmacologist at the UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine, said: ‘The surprising result of this study was that these compounds, when inhaled, caused 100-fold more lung injury and 100-fold more lethality compared to oral ingestion.’
QACs have been widely used as disinfectants since the 1940s and are found in products such as surface sprays, fabric softeners and some personal care items. Although the chemicals are not highly volatile, they can become airborne when used in sprays, making inhalation a likely route of exposure.
The findings raise concerns about whether regular use of disinfectant sprays could contribute to respiratory conditions such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). While the study was conducted in mice, researchers say the results highlight a potential risk that warrants further investigation in humans.
Previous research by the same team found that QACs are already present in most people. In a 2021 study, around 80% of participants had detectable levels of the chemicals in their blood. Those with higher levels also showed reduced mitochondrial activity in immune cells, suggesting a possible impact on the body’s ability to produce energy.
Researchers found that the levels of QACs in the blood of mice exposed through inhalation were similar to those already measured in humans. This suggests that breathing in these chemicals, particularly through spray products, could be a key pathway for exposure.
Cortopassi said the findings should prompt closer scrutiny of how these products are used, concluding: ‘We have to question whether we really want to have all of these QAC-based disinfectant sprays in the environment given their proven lung toxicity in mice.’
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