Washing your hands is at the top of the list when it comes to effective prevention of contagious illnesses and infections, but many still make the mistake of assuming you have to use antibacterial soap to get the job done right.

The same goes for other household cleaning. Routinely disinfecting your body and surroundings may actually cause more harm than good in the long run. Not only do they promote the development of drug-resistant bacteria, antibacterial compounds such as triclosan and quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs or “quats”) have also been linked to a number of harmful health effects.

Adverse Health Effects of Triclosan

Starting with triclosan, research has shown it’s a potent endocrine disruptor that interferes with thyroid function.^1,2 Hormone-disrupting chemicals are a serious concern, as they can promote a wide variety of health problems, including obesity, breast, ovarian, prostate and testicular cancer, preterm and low birth weight babies, precocious puberty in girls and undescended testicles in boys.

Triclosan also has adverse effects on cellular function, molecular pathways and mitochondrial function, all of which are described in a 2018 paper.³ According to that report, an estimated 75% of the U.S. population is exposed to triclosan via consumer goods and personal care products.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned triclosan from soap products in 2016 due to suspected health risks, but it’s still found in many toothpastes, mouthwashes and hand sanitizers. It also makes its way into our food supply, as it’s routinely found in lakes, rivers, streams, wastewater, irrigation water and biosolids applied to fields as fertilizer. As reported in this 2018 study, triclosan:

• Is readily absorbed into human skin and oral mucosa and found in various human tissues and fluids.
• Has cytotoxic effects and is associated with cancer development, especially liver cancer.
• Is proinflammatory and enhances production of reactive oxygen species (ROS)Decreases cardiovascular and skeletal muscle function due to its effects on calcium signaling in muscle cellsIs correlated with reproductive and developmental defects, and has been linked to higher rates of miscarriage — a potentially serious concern, considering traces of triclosan have been found in 100% of all urine samples collected from pregnant women and 51% of cord blood samples⁴
• Is associated with an elevated risk of allergies, asthma and food sensitivities, especially in children under 18Promotes the proliferation of antibiotic-resistant pathogens.

‘Quats’ — Another Harmful Class of Antimicrobials

The proliferation of quaternary ammonium compounds or “quats” is also raising concern. As reported in a 2023 review published in Environmental Science & Technology:

“Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs; also referred to as quats) comprise hundreds of chemicals and mixtures. QACs serve many different functions, primarily as antimicrobials, surfactants, preservatives, antistatic and softening agents, and dispersants.

They are often found in cleaning products, hand sanitizers, personal care products, many kinds of wipes (surface, baby, hand, and disinfecting wipes), and various pesticidal products …

Adverse ecological effects include acute and chronic toxicity to susceptible aquatic organisms, with concentrations of some QACs approaching levels of concern.

Suspected or known adverse health outcomes include dermal and respiratory effects, developmental and reproductive toxicity, disruption of metabolic function such as lipid homeostasis, and impairment of mitochondrial function. QACs’ role in antimicrobial resistance has also been demonstrated …

Large-scale fogging and spraying of products containing QACs occurs as a COVID-19 control measure, despite the World Health Organization and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention discouraging these practices as ineffective and potentially harmful.

Additionally, use of certain QACs has increased in recent years because they are frequent replacements for the 19 active ingredients, including triclosan and triclocarban, banned from use in over-the-counter hand and body washes …

While QACs can kill or inactivate a number of different microorganisms in controlled laboratory settings, which is often presumed to be beneficial and marketed to create an impression of cleanliness, evidence of QAC effectiveness in reducing transmission of infectious disease in real world settings and applications, such as the field of healthcare, is limited.

In addition, no high-quality evidence shows that antimicrobials bonded to surfaces reduce healthcare acquired infections.”

While research is limited, what we do have shows quats pose serious risks to the environment, especially marine life. Disturbingly, these chemicals are flushed down the drain in such quantities that “QAC concentrations in aquatic ecosystems are approaching protective toxicity thresholds.”

In humans, post-application exposure accounts for an estimated 90% of exposure, such as touching a counter or door knob after using a QAC-containing disinfectant and then touching your mouth. Quats are also found in household dust and air.

Health Hazards Associated With Quats

As detailed in the Environmental Science & Technology review, adverse health effects of QACs include:

• Allergic contact dermatitisAsthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pulmonary cell damage and lung inflammationIncreased concentrations of inflammatory cytokinesSuppressed immune function.
• Reduced fertility in both sexes — In female mice, adverse outcomes include increased time between estrus cycles, reduced ovulation and implantation, and increased postimplantation losses. Male outcomes include decreased sperm concentration and motility. Other animal research has demonstrated that QACs have embryocidal, ovicidal and spermicidal activity when administered through the diet — so much so, a 1975 patent details the use of QACs “for the control of fertility.”
• Impaired embryo development and neural tube defects (regardless of which parent is exposed).
• Developmental disorders resulting from alterations in cholesterol biosynthesis.
• Mitochondrial dysfunction — As noted by the authors of the review, “Chemically, most QACs can be classified as lipophilic cations that can accumulate into a negatively charged mitochondrial matrix.Evidence of direct inhibition of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation comes from multiple in vitro studies involving several QACs.”
• Increased risk of antimicrobial resistant infections

Considering the hazards, I strongly recommend ditching all antimicrobial products containing triclosan or QACs. Warm water and a mild soap is all you need to scrub germs off your hands. Even the FDA admits “there isn’t enough science to show that over-the-counter (OTC) antibacterial soaps are better at preventing illness than washing with plain soap and water.”⁷

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Via https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2024/01/31/triclosan-qac-antibacterial-soap-hand-sanitizers.aspx