ArticleJournal of exposure science & environmental epidemiology2022
The first detection of quaternary ammonium compounds in breast milk: Implications for early-life exposure.
Article in Journal of exposure science & environmental epidemiology, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 24 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
24 citing papers in PubMed, 65 citations in OpenAlex.
- Article
- ToxBase: A Multidimensional ToxCast Reference Database for High-Throughput Human Exposome Analysis.Environmental science & technology · 2026Article
- The Association between Prenatal Quaternary Ammonium Compounds (QACs) Exposure and Neonatal Birth Obesity: Insights from Epidemiology andEnvironment & health (Washington, D.C.) · 2026Article
- Endocrine-disrupting chemicals in breast milk and early life exposure for infants in the United States.Journal of exposure science & environmental epidemiology · 2026Article
- Differential and Sex-Specific Toxicity of Aspirated Quaternary Ammonium Compounds.Environmental science & technology · 2026Article
- Ingestion of Surface Residues Dominates Quaternary Ammonium Compounds (QACs) Exposure in Chinese Urban Homes: Evidence from Silicone Wristband Passive Sampling and Urinary Biomonitoring.Environmental science & technology · 2026Article
- Review
- A dual antibacterial action of soft quaternary ammonium compounds: bacteriostatic effects, membrane integrity, and reducedRSC advances · 2025Article
- Article
- Reproductive & developmental toxicity of quaternary ammonium compounds†.Biology of reproduction · 2024Review
- Untargeted metabolomic analysis of human milk from healthy mothers reveals drivers of metabolite variability.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Review
- Development and Application of a Multidimensional Database for the Detection of Quaternary Ammonium Compounds and Their Phase I Hepatic Metabolites in Humans.Environmental science & technology · 2024Article
- An exposure assessment of 27 quaternary ammonium compounds in pet dogs and cats from New York State, USA.Environment international · 2024Article
- Hygiene requirements for cleaning and disinfection of surfaces: recommendation of the Commission for Hospital Hygiene and Infection Prevention (KRINKO) at the Robert Koch Institute.GMS hygiene and infection control · 2024Article
- Effective disinfecting of negative pressure pipelines of DCUs reduces the risk of cross infection in dental care.Journal of oral microbiology · 2024Article
- A Review of the Effects of Some Extrinsic Factors on Mice Used in Research.Comparative medicine · 2023Review
- Determination of 25 quaternary ammonium compounds in sludge by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.Analytical sciences : the international journal of the Japan Society for Analytical Chemistry · 2023Article
- Quaternary Ammonium Compounds: A Chemical Class of Emerging Concern.Environmental science & technology · 2023Review
- Quaternary ammonium disinfectants and antiseptics: tolerance, resistance and potential impact on antibiotic resistance.Antimicrobial resistance and infection control · 2023Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundQuaternary ammonium compounds (QACs), commonly used in cleaning, disinfecting, and personal care products, have recently gained worldwide attention due to the massive use of disinfectants during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, despite extensive use of these chemicals, no studies have focused on the analysis of QACs in human milk, a major route of exposure for infants.
objectiveOur objectives were to identify and measure QACs in breast milk and evaluate early-life exposure to this group of compounds for nursing infants.
methodsEighteen QACs, including 6 benzylalkyldimethyl ammonium compounds (BACs, with alkyl chain lengths of C8-C18), 6 dialkyldimethyl ammonium compounds (DDACs, C8-C18), and 6 alkyltrimethyl ammonium compounds (ATMACs, C8-C18), were measured in breast milk samples collected from U.S. mothers. Daily lactational intake was estimated based on the determined concentrations for 0-12 month old nursing infants.
resultsThirteen of the 18 QACs were detected in breast milk and 7 of them were found in more than half of the samples. The total QAC concentrations (ΣQAC) ranged from 0.33 to 7.4 ng/mL (median 1.5 ng/mL). The most abundant QAC was C14-BAC with a median concentration of 0.45 ng/mL. The highest median ΣQAC estimated daily intake (EDI) was determined for <1-month old infants based on the average (using the median concentration) and high (using the 95 SIGNIFICANCE: Our findings provide the first evidence of the detection of several QACs in breast milk and identify breastfeeding as an exposure pathway to QACs for nursing infants. IMPACT STATEMENT: Our findings provide the first evidence of QAC occurrence in breast milk and identify breastfeeding as one of the exposure pathways to QACs for nursing infants.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.