Quaternary Ammonium Compounds: FAQ on Common Disinfectant Ingredients

Quaternary ammonium compounds (quats) are a group of chemicals used for a variety of purposes including as preservatives, surfactants, antistatic agents and as active ingredients for disinfectants and sanitizers. For the purposes of this FAQ page, we will be discussing the use of Quats in disinfectants. Quats are highly effective at killing bacteria, fungi, and viruses, and are found in many common disinfectant products.

Quats can be found in commercial and retail products such as disinfectant wipes, disinfectant sprays and liquids, laundry disinfectants and sanitizers, surface cleaners, and certain antiseptic products for hand care (i.e.: antibacterial soaps and some hand sanitizers). They are commonly used in products found in homes, healthcare settings, food service environments and other public spaces.

There are a variety of Quats in sanitizing and disinfecting products, the most common of which are:

• alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride (ADBAC)
• dodecyl didecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride (DDAC)
• hexadecyltrimethylammonium (‘cetrimide’)
• benzalkonium chloride (BAC)

Products containing Quats will likely not use the term QAC or Quat, but instead will list the full name of the active ingredient which often ends in “ammonium chloride.” Checking the ingredient list can help identify whether a product contains quats.

The difference between cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting is that cleaning removes dirt and some germs, sanitizing reduces germs to safer levels, and disinfecting kills or inactivates germs on surfaces.

Cleaning involves removing unwanted contaminants, such as soil, dirt and grease, from a surface, material, or your hands. This typically involves soap or detergent and water. Cleaning along with rinsing and using a cloth or paper towel may remove some germs as well when they’re washed or wiped away.

Sanitizing means reducing (but not necessarily eliminating) the number of germs on the surface to levels considered safe as determined by public health codes or regulations.

Disinfecting surfaces and objects means you’re inactivating pathogens (microorganisms that cause infections and disease) including bacteria, viruses, and fungi. For viruses like SARS-CoV-2, this should be done using one of the products registered by the EPA for this use.  

For a list of EPA-registered disinfectants that are expected to work on SARS-CoV-2, see EPA’s List N or the Center for Biocide Chemistries. 

You can also refer to the  EPA's definitions of cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting for additional guidance. 

If your goal is to reduce the spread of pathogens, or germs that cause illness, especially on frequently touched surfaces, then you should clean and disinfect. Cleaning first helps remove dirt and debris that can reduce the effectiveness of disinfectants.

Clean the surface to remove dirt, and soil, then disinfect. You can also use a one-step cleaner-disinfectant, a product that contains ingredient(s) to help clean a surface and disinfect it at the same time. Many of the products found on EPA’s List N are one-step cleaner-disinfectants.

For all EPA-registered disinfectants containing Quats, directions for use include a contact time. This is the time that the product must remain on the surface to ensure that the disinfectant will work as intended. Following contact time instructions is essential for proper disinfection. To ensure proper use, always check the product label to see how long products will need to remain on the surface before wiping or rinsing. Following the label directions ensures proper disinfection as well as safe use. 

After application, the directions for use may instruct to wipe the surface, wash the surface or allow it to dry.  For instance, if the surface being disinfected is a food-contact surface, the product’s direction will state that rinsing with water after the contact time has been reached is required.  It is also prudent to rinse toys that a child might put in their mouth if a disinfectant has been applied to the toy.

Quats are cationic (positively charged) ions that bind to the negatively charged outer membranes of germs, disrupting the membrane and causing the germ to break down and become inactive.

Quat-containing formulations are effective against a wide range of bacteria, virus and fungi, including many pathogens of concern found in everyday settings from our homes, schools, and work to hospitals and food service establishments. Effectiveness is formula specific, so it’s important to always read product labels.

Using products containing quats at home is a safe and effective way to disinfect when they are used as directed. These products are reviewed and registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ensure they meet safety and efficacy standards.

When picking a product for disinfecting, choose a product that is labelled for your intended use (such as in the home) and states that it can be used on the surface you want to disinfect.   Be sure to read and follow all of the label directions. Following label directions helps ensure both effective disinfection and safe use.

For example, a product labelled as a hand sanitizer should never be used to sanitize a surface, and surface cleaners and disinfectants should never be used on or in the body. When it comes to how often should you disinfect, it is up to your discretion. Generally, high touch surfaces such as doorknobs, car keys, handles, countertops, etc., should be cleaned and disinfected more often than less frequently touched surfaces.

Quats are considered safe when used as directed. Disinfecting products, including those with Quats are highly regulated and evaluated by the EPA and FDA, as well as many international authorities such as the European Commission. 

For products containing Quats to make it to the market, they must undergo extensive testing in order to determine the impacts they may have on human health and the environment. Products can only be registered if data show that the intended uses (as described on the product labels) are safe when used as directed.

With proper use, Quat-based disinfectant products are a safe and effective way to disinfect.
Like many cleaning and disinfecting products, they can be harmful if misused, which is why they (and all cleaning products) should always be used according to label directions. These products should NEVER be ingested or injected. 

If you are experiencing any issues due to an accidental spill on your skin, eye exposure, inhalation or ingestion, read the First Aid instructions on the product label and if necessary, contact your local poison control center or 911.

Products containing quats are regulated by federal agencies in the United States to ensure they are safe and effective for their intended uses. 

In the U.S., surface disinfectant and sanitizer products, including wipes, liquids, and sprays are regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Hand hygiene products, including antibacterial soaps and hand sanitizers are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Quat-containing disinfectants undergo extensive testing to evaluate their safety for human health and the environment.

An active ingredient is the chemical in a product that is doing the “job” the product says it does, such as disinfection. All disinfection active ingredients in cleaning products must go through extensive regulatory review. 

The EPA requires a wide variety of scientific data for every active ingredient (such as Quats) in disinfecting products. This includes acute (short term) and chronic (long term) studies on how it may affect people when it is used. The data that is gathered includes information on skin, eye, and inhalation toxicity and irritation, as well as oral toxicity. Numerous studies are also required on what happens to Quats when “released” in the environment and whether they adversely affect aquatic and terrestrial life.

This ensures products are evaluated for both human health and environmental safety.

The EPA’s process for approval of surface disinfectants is one of the most data-intensive regulatory system in the US. To register a chemical for disinfectant use, EPA generally requires more than 20 types of toxicological data involving potentially more than 30 individual toxicological studies to ensure the disinfectant poses no unreasonable acute or long-term risk to humans of all ages.

Hand sanitizers and antibacterial soaps are regulated by the FDA as Over-The-Counter (OTC) Drugs through a regulatory system under the Monograph system.  In these Monographs, FDA details the safety and efficacy studies needed for active ingredients (such as Quats) to be determined Generally Recognized as Safe and Effective (GRASE).

Cleaning and disinfecting should be done thoughtfully, focusing on when and where they are most needed.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, we are cleaning and disinfecting more than ever, which raises the question… “is there such thing as cleaning too much?” 

Practicing good hygiene is an important defense against the spread of germs, along with other appropriate safety measures. Enhanced cleaning and disinfecting practices (especially high touch surfaces) is an important part of a holistic strategy to help reduce the spread of germs. 

It’s also a good idea to practice smart disinfection and a have a plan for using disinfectants efficiently and effectively, focusing on when and where they are needed most. There’s a time and place for cleaning, and a time and place for disinfection, and doing the right amount of each can help safeguard public health. Depending on the type of location or space and how people are using it, some areas might require cleaning only, while others may need both cleaning and disinfection.

Many quat-based disinfectants are effective against viruses like SARS-CoV-2 when used according to label directions.

Certain Quat-based disinfectants are effective against SARS-CoV-2. EPA List N includes many Quat-based disinfectants that can be used against this virus.  The criteria for inclusion on this list include having been tested against SARS-CoV-2 or having demonstrated efficacy against a harder to kill virus, or a human coronavirus that is similar to SARS-CoV-2.  

Link to EPA List N

Link to Center for Biocide Chemistries List of COVID-19 Products

EPA's List N and the Center for Biocide Chemistries' (CBC) list are similar and relatively consistent with one another. You will find a greater number of products on the CBC list because that list identifies products by marketed and brand names while EPA does not.

EPA’s List N tool helps you find and learn more about cleaners that are proven effective against the SARS-CoV-2 virus (AKA Novel Coronavirus) which causes the disease COVID-19. You can use this tool in two main ways:

1. To see if a cleaning product that you already have can kill SARS-CoV-2, you can search the CBC List or EPA’s List N by searching the EPA Registration number (found on the product label). If the product shows up, on one of these lists, you can feel confident that it will be effective against the Coronavirus. 
2. You can find which products you may want to get that are effective against SARS-CoV2. You can find a product that is best for you by searching for any of the following criteria:
   • Active Ingredient (the registered ingredient that is effective versus SARS-CoV-2)
   • Use Sites (where you’re going to use this such as a Healthcare Facility, or at Home)
   • Surface Types (such as porous, non-porous or a surface that will come in contact with food)
   • Contact Time (how long the product needs to remain on the surface to work)
   • You can also use a keyword search to search by brand name, type of cleaner, and more. 

List N Tool

Center for Biocide Chemistries’ Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Fighting Products List

“How To” Infographic

EPA’s 6 Steps for Safe & Effective Disinfectant Use

List N Landing Page

Quaternary Ammonium Compounds: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/quaternary-ammonium-compounds

Assessment of ecological hazards and environmental fate of disinfectant quaternary ammonium compounds: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651320309556

Methodological evaluation of human research on asthmagenicity and occupational cleaning: a case study of quaternary ammonium compounds (“quats”) https://aacijournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13223-019-0384-8

Human health hazard assessment of quaternary ammonium compounds: Didecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride and alkyl (C12-C16) dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0273230020301434?via%3Dihub