Use SAFE, effective & environmentally responsible disinfectants in schools
Use SAFE, effective & environmentally responsible disinfectants in schools
The Issue
We recognize and value the efforts taken by school boards to safely reopen our schools during the pandemic. Taking measures to limit the spread of COVID-19 in our schools, including new cleaning and disinfecting protocols, are appropriate. But it is vital to weigh the risks of these chemicals and choose ones with lower health and environmental hazards. Our schools are using a hazardous disinfectant. There are many Health Canada approved disinfectants to use against COVID-19, all are effective, but some are harsher and more toxic than others. Currently, our schools have access to 2 disinfectants: Virex II 256 (a quaternary ammonium compound, or quat, based disinfectant) and Oxivir TB (a hydrogen peroxide-based disinfectant). Virex is primarily used, but this disinfectant contains 2 quats and is MUCH more hazardous! We want schools in Windsor-Essex County to STOP using Virex. Here’s why:
- Quats trigger asthmatic, allergic reactions.
- Cause NEW onset of asthma and allergies.
- Quats are potent irritants; can cause cough, runny nose, sore throat (mimics COVID19, colds), rashes, dermatitis
- Quats are linked to reproductive harm, hormone disruption, decreased fertility, birth defects, disturbs the development of an embryo/fetus (teratogen).
- Quats inhibit mitochondrial function and estrogen signaling; damages DNA
- Quat residue accumulates on surfaces, dust, contaminates air. The residue builds-up, is difficult to remove (takes months) and adheres to skin; exposure can be from inhalation, ingestion, skin absorption.
- Quats are environmental toxins that concentrate in sewage sludge and wastewater effluents; are discharged into natural waters and accumulate in sediments. Quats are toxic to aquatic life.
- Widespread use of quats is contributing to the global problem of antimicrobial resistance, leading to the development of “superbugs” that cannot be controlled with antibiotics. Increased use of quats during the pandemic makes this issue even more concerning.
- Virex also contains a neurotoxic chemical (can cause damage to the brain or peripheral nervous system).
Hydrogen peroxide-based disinfectants are Health Canada approved, fast acting and kill a broad spectrum of organisms; yet they are asthma-friendly, emit little to no VOCs, are non-irritating, non-toxic, non-corrosive (are gentle on users and materials), and has a low environmental impact. Our schools should clearly only use this type of disinfectant because it is much safer, yet still effective! But they use Virex II 256 broadly instead... why unnecessarily risk harming students, staff, and the environment?
Toxicity to health and the environment can be minimized while efficiently disinfecting, if products are chosen that contain both effective and SAFE active ingredients (from Health Canada's Hard Surface Disinfectant List). Please sign and share this petition so the school boards in Ontario will consider making changes. They need to halt Virex (and ANY quat based hard surface disinfectant) usage and use safe and effective options instead!
Thanks in advance!
*Please scroll down if you want to read more information about quats, including sources.*
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (Including sources):
Quaternary ammonium compounds (a.k.a. quats) pose threats to health, especially with repeated exposure; there are 2 in Virex II 256: n-alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride & didecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride. Research shows these chemicals are asthmagens (CAUSES NEW ONSET of ASTHMA). Quats are also a KNOWN ASTHMA TRIGGER to current asthmatics. Therefore, this is in violation of "Ryan's Law/PPM 161" which “...requires every Ontario school board to introduce policies and procedures that... Reduce your child’s contact with asthma triggers such as... cleaning products, scents, …" Furthermore, quats cause occupational asthma; in one study 4 out of 5 people diagnosed with work-related asthma were bystanders. "They were NOT working directly with cleaning or disinfecting chemicals. They were simply nearby and exposed to them." This is alarming not only for employees, but for students; exposure in the building is a threat to the health of ALL! The CDC has recognized asthmatic persons as a high-risk group for COVID-19. Selecting safer disinfectants, particularly those that do not contain respiratory irritants (ex. Quats), is crucial for protecting this high-risk group.
Furthermore, quats “form residues that remain on desks, floors, and other cleaned surfaces. These chemicals can adhere to children’s skin, including their hands, where exposure can occur through ingestion or absorption through the skin. These chemicals may also build up in dust, leading to exposures through inhalation, ingestion and skin absorption…some of these chemicals have been detected in people’s blood and urine, a clear indication of exposure.” Oxivir does not leave a residue behind. So why use Virex? Why not exclusively use Oxivir?
Children are different than adults in their sensitivities to chemicals, as identified by a National Academies report: Children have greater exposures to toxic chemicals for their body weight than adults; their metabolic pathways are immature so they lack the enzymes needed to break down and remove toxic chemicals from the body; children’s early developmental processes are easily disrupted; and children have more time than adults to develop chronic diseases. We expect that our children are in a safe learning environment. But chemical exposures, like those of Virex, threaten the health of our vulnerable, growing children!
The active ingredient in safer disinfectants like Oxivir is hydrogen peroxide, which breaks down into environmentally friendly water and oxygen. Conversely, quats (in Virex) do not readily degrade. They remain in wastewater effluents, are discharged into natural waters, and accumulate in sediments. Since they accumulate, quats are toxic to many aquatic organisms.
Heightened cleaning and disinfecting procedures should NOT negatively impact indoor air quality; and these procedures should NOT increase exposure to hazardous ingredients that are harmful to health. Our schools are NOT practicing the "precautionary principle". Cleaning and disinfecting procedures that protects public health, without threatening the health of staff and students, and the environment, will benefit everyone as we confront this pandemic together. To protect staff and students from POTENTIAL health effects of chemical exposures, schools should err on the side of caution, Virex should NOT be used! There are superior, effective and safe disinfectants that should be used instead of Virex. PLEASE SIGN AND SHARE THIS PETITION!
Thanks SO much!
SOURCES:
Greener School Cleaning Supplies = Fresh Air + Healthier Kids: New Research Links School Air Quality to School Cleaning Supplies
https://static.ewg.org/reports/2009/school_cleaners/EWG-School-Cleaning-Supplies.pdf
San Francisco Department of the Environment: "Safer Products and Practices for Disinfecting and Sanitizing Surfaces:
Healthy Cleaning and Asthma Safer Schools-A How To Guide
Healthy Green Schools & Colleges: Guidelines for COVID-19 Cleaning and Disinfection
https://www.healthygreenschools.org/wp-content/uploads/HGSC_DisinfectingGuidelines.pdf
Classroom Cleaning Tips for Teachers -Washington State Dept. of Health
https://www.doh.wa.gov/CommunityandEnvironment/Schools/EnvironmentalHealth/ClassroomCleaning
Green Cleaning, Sanitizing, and Disinfecting: A Curriculum for Early Care and Education
*2013 First Edition
https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/documents/ece_curriculumfinal.pdf
*2021 Second Edition:
https://wspehsu.ucsf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/ECECurriculum.pdf
https://wspehsu.ucsf.edu/projects/environmental-health-in-early-care-and-education-project/
The ChildSafe Guidelines for Cleaning Products in Schools
Children's Vulnerability To Toxic Chemicals: A Challenge And Opportunity To Strengthen Health And Environmental Policy
Cleaning agents, COVID and child health: Canadian Pediatric Society
https://www.cps.ca/en/blog-blogue/cleaning-agents-covid-and-child-health
Association of Occupational & Environmental Clinics: Exposure Code Lookup Tool (type in CAS# of both quats found on Virex II 256 SDS)
http://www.aoecdata.org/ExpCodeLookup.aspx
Harm from Disinfectants During COVID-19: Maryland Pesticide Education Network- SAFETY ALERT
https://mdpestnet.org/safer-disinfectants/
Quaternary Ammonium Disinfectants: Even During the Pandemic, “Quats” Should
Not Be Used Around Children (Great Lakes Center for Reproductive and Children’s Environmental Health at the University of Illinois at Chicago)
Quaternary Ammonium Compounds in Cleaning Products: The Mount Sinai Selikoff Centers for Occupational Health & Bellevue/NYU Occupational & Environmental Medicine Clinic
Lab Disinfectant Harms Mouse Fertility
https://www.nature.com/news/2008/080618/pdf/453964a.pdf
Ambient and Dosed Exposure to Quaternary Ammonium Disinfectants Causes Neural Tube Defects in Rodents
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/bdr2.1064
People Against Quats
https://www.womensvoices.org/safe-cleaning-products/people-against-quats/
Tools for informed substitution. How do you find safer chemicals for the workplace? (for Worksafe BC in 2014)
https://www.wigmorising.ca/cleaning-products-can-be-green/
Work-related asthma from cleaning agents versus other agents (Toronto Western Hospital and Department of Medicine, University of Toronto)
https://academic.oup.com/occmed/article/68/9/587/5181027
The Use of Household Cleaning Sprays and Adult Asthma: An International Longitudinal Study
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2020829/#bib18
Association of Occupational Exposure to Disinfectants With Incidence of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Among US Female Nurses
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2753247
Regular use of disinfectants at work associated with increased risk of COPD
Work-related asthma in the educational services industry: California, Massachusetts, Michigan, and New Jersey, 1993-2000
https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.539.5634&rep=rep1&type=pdf
Trends in Occupations and Work Sectors Among Patients With Work-Related Asthma at a Canadian Tertiary Care Clinic
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27445094/
Ontario Regulation 493/17: Food Premises a.k.a. "food handling regulation"
https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/170493#BK23
Ministry of Health "COVID-19 Guidance for Food Premises"
Safety First: Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Space
https://www.usgbc.org/credits/safety-first-137-v4.1
Increased Indoor Exposure to Commonly Used Disinfectants during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Guomao Zheng, Gabriel M. Filippelli, and Amina Salamova
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/acs.estlett.0c00587
Postnatal exposure to household disinfectants, infant gut microbiota and subsequent risk of overweight in children
https://www.cmaj.ca/content/190/37/E1097
Common Antiseptic Ingredients De-Energize Cells and Impair Hormone Response: Some Disinfectants Inhibit Cell Energy and Alter Reproduction
Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Facility: CDC
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/disinfecting-building-facility.html
Cleaning, Disinfection, and Hand Hygiene in Schools – a Toolkit for School Administrators
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/clean-disinfect-hygiene.html
Cleaning products damaging worker respiratory health, study confirms: Workers Health & Safety Centre (WHSC) *Ontario
Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW) *CHART
https://www.wsps.ca/WSPS/media/Site/Resources/Downloads/fd_WRA_Cleaning_BK_F_1.pdf?ext=.pdf
A Rapid Review of Disinfectant Chemical Exposures and Health Effects During COVID-19 Pandemic (National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health, BC Centre for Disease Control)
The Guide for Indoor Air Quality, developed by the Canadian Committee on Indoor Air Quality (CCIAQ)
586
The Issue
We recognize and value the efforts taken by school boards to safely reopen our schools during the pandemic. Taking measures to limit the spread of COVID-19 in our schools, including new cleaning and disinfecting protocols, are appropriate. But it is vital to weigh the risks of these chemicals and choose ones with lower health and environmental hazards. Our schools are using a hazardous disinfectant. There are many Health Canada approved disinfectants to use against COVID-19, all are effective, but some are harsher and more toxic than others. Currently, our schools have access to 2 disinfectants: Virex II 256 (a quaternary ammonium compound, or quat, based disinfectant) and Oxivir TB (a hydrogen peroxide-based disinfectant). Virex is primarily used, but this disinfectant contains 2 quats and is MUCH more hazardous! We want schools in Windsor-Essex County to STOP using Virex. Here’s why:
- Quats trigger asthmatic, allergic reactions.
- Cause NEW onset of asthma and allergies.
- Quats are potent irritants; can cause cough, runny nose, sore throat (mimics COVID19, colds), rashes, dermatitis
- Quats are linked to reproductive harm, hormone disruption, decreased fertility, birth defects, disturbs the development of an embryo/fetus (teratogen).
- Quats inhibit mitochondrial function and estrogen signaling; damages DNA
- Quat residue accumulates on surfaces, dust, contaminates air. The residue builds-up, is difficult to remove (takes months) and adheres to skin; exposure can be from inhalation, ingestion, skin absorption.
- Quats are environmental toxins that concentrate in sewage sludge and wastewater effluents; are discharged into natural waters and accumulate in sediments. Quats are toxic to aquatic life.
- Widespread use of quats is contributing to the global problem of antimicrobial resistance, leading to the development of “superbugs” that cannot be controlled with antibiotics. Increased use of quats during the pandemic makes this issue even more concerning.
- Virex also contains a neurotoxic chemical (can cause damage to the brain or peripheral nervous system).
Hydrogen peroxide-based disinfectants are Health Canada approved, fast acting and kill a broad spectrum of organisms; yet they are asthma-friendly, emit little to no VOCs, are non-irritating, non-toxic, non-corrosive (are gentle on users and materials), and has a low environmental impact. Our schools should clearly only use this type of disinfectant because it is much safer, yet still effective! But they use Virex II 256 broadly instead... why unnecessarily risk harming students, staff, and the environment?
Toxicity to health and the environment can be minimized while efficiently disinfecting, if products are chosen that contain both effective and SAFE active ingredients (from Health Canada's Hard Surface Disinfectant List). Please sign and share this petition so the school boards in Ontario will consider making changes. They need to halt Virex (and ANY quat based hard surface disinfectant) usage and use safe and effective options instead!
Thanks in advance!
*Please scroll down if you want to read more information about quats, including sources.*
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (Including sources):
Quaternary ammonium compounds (a.k.a. quats) pose threats to health, especially with repeated exposure; there are 2 in Virex II 256: n-alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride & didecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride. Research shows these chemicals are asthmagens (CAUSES NEW ONSET of ASTHMA). Quats are also a KNOWN ASTHMA TRIGGER to current asthmatics. Therefore, this is in violation of "Ryan's Law/PPM 161" which “...requires every Ontario school board to introduce policies and procedures that... Reduce your child’s contact with asthma triggers such as... cleaning products, scents, …" Furthermore, quats cause occupational asthma; in one study 4 out of 5 people diagnosed with work-related asthma were bystanders. "They were NOT working directly with cleaning or disinfecting chemicals. They were simply nearby and exposed to them." This is alarming not only for employees, but for students; exposure in the building is a threat to the health of ALL! The CDC has recognized asthmatic persons as a high-risk group for COVID-19. Selecting safer disinfectants, particularly those that do not contain respiratory irritants (ex. Quats), is crucial for protecting this high-risk group.
Furthermore, quats “form residues that remain on desks, floors, and other cleaned surfaces. These chemicals can adhere to children’s skin, including their hands, where exposure can occur through ingestion or absorption through the skin. These chemicals may also build up in dust, leading to exposures through inhalation, ingestion and skin absorption…some of these chemicals have been detected in people’s blood and urine, a clear indication of exposure.” Oxivir does not leave a residue behind. So why use Virex? Why not exclusively use Oxivir?
Children are different than adults in their sensitivities to chemicals, as identified by a National Academies report: Children have greater exposures to toxic chemicals for their body weight than adults; their metabolic pathways are immature so they lack the enzymes needed to break down and remove toxic chemicals from the body; children’s early developmental processes are easily disrupted; and children have more time than adults to develop chronic diseases. We expect that our children are in a safe learning environment. But chemical exposures, like those of Virex, threaten the health of our vulnerable, growing children!
The active ingredient in safer disinfectants like Oxivir is hydrogen peroxide, which breaks down into environmentally friendly water and oxygen. Conversely, quats (in Virex) do not readily degrade. They remain in wastewater effluents, are discharged into natural waters, and accumulate in sediments. Since they accumulate, quats are toxic to many aquatic organisms.
Heightened cleaning and disinfecting procedures should NOT negatively impact indoor air quality; and these procedures should NOT increase exposure to hazardous ingredients that are harmful to health. Our schools are NOT practicing the "precautionary principle". Cleaning and disinfecting procedures that protects public health, without threatening the health of staff and students, and the environment, will benefit everyone as we confront this pandemic together. To protect staff and students from POTENTIAL health effects of chemical exposures, schools should err on the side of caution, Virex should NOT be used! There are superior, effective and safe disinfectants that should be used instead of Virex. PLEASE SIGN AND SHARE THIS PETITION!
Thanks SO much!
SOURCES:
Greener School Cleaning Supplies = Fresh Air + Healthier Kids: New Research Links School Air Quality to School Cleaning Supplies
https://static.ewg.org/reports/2009/school_cleaners/EWG-School-Cleaning-Supplies.pdf
San Francisco Department of the Environment: "Safer Products and Practices for Disinfecting and Sanitizing Surfaces:
Healthy Cleaning and Asthma Safer Schools-A How To Guide
Healthy Green Schools & Colleges: Guidelines for COVID-19 Cleaning and Disinfection
https://www.healthygreenschools.org/wp-content/uploads/HGSC_DisinfectingGuidelines.pdf
Classroom Cleaning Tips for Teachers -Washington State Dept. of Health
https://www.doh.wa.gov/CommunityandEnvironment/Schools/EnvironmentalHealth/ClassroomCleaning
Green Cleaning, Sanitizing, and Disinfecting: A Curriculum for Early Care and Education
*2013 First Edition
https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/documents/ece_curriculumfinal.pdf
*2021 Second Edition:
https://wspehsu.ucsf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/ECECurriculum.pdf
https://wspehsu.ucsf.edu/projects/environmental-health-in-early-care-and-education-project/
The ChildSafe Guidelines for Cleaning Products in Schools
Children's Vulnerability To Toxic Chemicals: A Challenge And Opportunity To Strengthen Health And Environmental Policy
Cleaning agents, COVID and child health: Canadian Pediatric Society
https://www.cps.ca/en/blog-blogue/cleaning-agents-covid-and-child-health
Association of Occupational & Environmental Clinics: Exposure Code Lookup Tool (type in CAS# of both quats found on Virex II 256 SDS)
http://www.aoecdata.org/ExpCodeLookup.aspx
Harm from Disinfectants During COVID-19: Maryland Pesticide Education Network- SAFETY ALERT
https://mdpestnet.org/safer-disinfectants/
Quaternary Ammonium Disinfectants: Even During the Pandemic, “Quats” Should
Not Be Used Around Children (Great Lakes Center for Reproductive and Children’s Environmental Health at the University of Illinois at Chicago)
Quaternary Ammonium Compounds in Cleaning Products: The Mount Sinai Selikoff Centers for Occupational Health & Bellevue/NYU Occupational & Environmental Medicine Clinic
Lab Disinfectant Harms Mouse Fertility
https://www.nature.com/news/2008/080618/pdf/453964a.pdf
Ambient and Dosed Exposure to Quaternary Ammonium Disinfectants Causes Neural Tube Defects in Rodents
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/bdr2.1064
People Against Quats
https://www.womensvoices.org/safe-cleaning-products/people-against-quats/
Tools for informed substitution. How do you find safer chemicals for the workplace? (for Worksafe BC in 2014)
https://www.wigmorising.ca/cleaning-products-can-be-green/
Work-related asthma from cleaning agents versus other agents (Toronto Western Hospital and Department of Medicine, University of Toronto)
https://academic.oup.com/occmed/article/68/9/587/5181027
The Use of Household Cleaning Sprays and Adult Asthma: An International Longitudinal Study
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2020829/#bib18
Association of Occupational Exposure to Disinfectants With Incidence of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Among US Female Nurses
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2753247
Regular use of disinfectants at work associated with increased risk of COPD
Work-related asthma in the educational services industry: California, Massachusetts, Michigan, and New Jersey, 1993-2000
https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.539.5634&rep=rep1&type=pdf
Trends in Occupations and Work Sectors Among Patients With Work-Related Asthma at a Canadian Tertiary Care Clinic
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27445094/
Ontario Regulation 493/17: Food Premises a.k.a. "food handling regulation"
https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/170493#BK23
Ministry of Health "COVID-19 Guidance for Food Premises"
Safety First: Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Space
https://www.usgbc.org/credits/safety-first-137-v4.1
Increased Indoor Exposure to Commonly Used Disinfectants during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Guomao Zheng, Gabriel M. Filippelli, and Amina Salamova
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/acs.estlett.0c00587
Postnatal exposure to household disinfectants, infant gut microbiota and subsequent risk of overweight in children
https://www.cmaj.ca/content/190/37/E1097
Common Antiseptic Ingredients De-Energize Cells and Impair Hormone Response: Some Disinfectants Inhibit Cell Energy and Alter Reproduction
Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Facility: CDC
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/disinfecting-building-facility.html
Cleaning, Disinfection, and Hand Hygiene in Schools – a Toolkit for School Administrators
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/clean-disinfect-hygiene.html
Cleaning products damaging worker respiratory health, study confirms: Workers Health & Safety Centre (WHSC) *Ontario
Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW) *CHART
https://www.wsps.ca/WSPS/media/Site/Resources/Downloads/fd_WRA_Cleaning_BK_F_1.pdf?ext=.pdf
A Rapid Review of Disinfectant Chemical Exposures and Health Effects During COVID-19 Pandemic (National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health, BC Centre for Disease Control)
The Guide for Indoor Air Quality, developed by the Canadian Committee on Indoor Air Quality (CCIAQ)
586
The Decision Makers
Petition created on October 20, 2020