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.
Research has shown triclosan is a potent endocrine disruptor that interferes with thyroid function. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals can promote a 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.
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. Triclosan also makes its way into our food supply; it’s routinely found in lakes, rivers, streams, wastewater, irrigation water and biosolids applied to fields as fertilizer.
QACs are found in cleaning products, hand sanitizers, personal care products, many kinds of wipes (surface, baby, hand and disinfecting wipes) and certain pesticides.
Adverse health effects of QACs include allergic contact dermatitis, asthma and COPD, suppressed immune function, reduced fertility, impaired embryo development and developmental disorder, mitochondrial dysfunction and an increased risk of antimicrobial resistant infections.
Antibacterial soap provides no additional benefit over nonantibacterial soap. As noted in a 2007 systematic review published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases:
"The lack of an additional health benefit associated with the use of triclosan-containing consumer soaps over regular soap, coupled with laboratory data demonstrating a potential risk of selecting for drug resistance, warrants further evaluation by governmental regulators regarding antibacterial product claims and advertising."
The good news is, regular soap DOES kill viruses. As detailed in a series of X/Twitter posts by professor Pall Thordarson — who specializes in biomimetic, supramolecular and biophysical chemistry and nanomedicine — soap very effectively kills most viruses, including SARS-CoV-2.
In tests run at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, pairing the two mists (one after the other) killed virtually all Salmonella, Shigella, and E. coli bacteria on heavily contaminated food and surfaces when used in this fashion, making this spray combination more effective at killing these harmful bacteria than chlorine bleach or any commercially available kitchen cleaner.
This combo can also be used to cleanse fresh produce. Do not mix the two in the same sprayer bottle, as the resulting chemical, peracetic acid, has a different set of properties.
Coconut oil, which has potent disinfectant properties, can be used to disinfect wooden cutting boards and other wood surfaces.
by JM MD
Sources and References:
Aquatic Toxicology 2006 Dec 1;80(3):217-27
J Toxicol Environ Health B Crit Rev September 6, 2018; 20(8): 447-469
Environmental Science and Technology 2014 Aug 5;48(15):8831-8
Environmental Science & Technology 2023; 57: 7645-7665
FDA.gov Antibacterial Soap Consumer Update
Clin Infect Dis. 2007 Sep 1;45 Suppl 2:S137-47
X/Twitter Palli Thordarson March 8, 2020
UNSW School of Chemistry, Pall Thordarson
Harvard University, January 9, 2017
Washington Post, March 20, 2017
New York Times March 13, 2020
Tau Topics Disinfection
Cooks Info Peroxide and Vinegar Sterilization for Veggies
LWT July 2018; 93: 293-299
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