By Brian Bienkowski

Quaternary ammonium compounds, or quats, which are used in disinfectants are linked to asthma, dermatitis, inflammation, infertility, birth defects and other problems.

“It’s ironic that the chemicals we’re deploying in vain for one health crisis are actually fueling another,” Erica Hartmann, a co-author of a new study examining the dangers of disinfectants and an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at Northwestern University, said in a statement.

Hartmann and colleagues’ new study, published this week in Environmental Science & Technology, examines quaternary ammonium compounds, or quats, which are used in disinfectants and personal care products.

They reviewed the existing environmental and human health science on quats, which have been used much more since the…