ReviewGMS hygiene and infection control2025
Beyond quaternary ammonium compounds: Evaluating the harms of non-QAC disinfectant agents in healthcare and industry.
Review in GMS hygiene and infection control, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) account for approximately 35% of the U.S. disinfectant market, but mounting concerns about their links to occupational asthma, reproductive toxicity, and antimicrobial resistance as well as their allergic potential have driven increased adoption of non-QAC chemical disinfectants, which comprise the remaining 65% of the market. This review critically examines the health, environmental, and material compatibility profiles of these non-QAC agents, including alcohols, chlorine compounds, hydrogen peroxide, peracetic acid, and phenolics. While many of these agents reduce certain risks associated with QACs, they present new challenges such as respiratory irritation, corrosiveness, systemic toxicity, and ecological persistence. Hydrogen peroxide and peracetic acid show favorable biodegradability but may impair wastewater systems or damage sensitive equipment. Among emerging technologies, ultraviolet-C (UV-C) disinfection stands out for its high antimicrobial efficacy, absence of chemical residues, and strong environmental profile. A risk-balanced, evidence-based approach to disinfectant selection is essential, and greater integration of UV-C and other non-chemical technologies may support safer and more sustainable infection control practices.
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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.