Indiscriminate Disinfecting
When cleaning does more harm than good
By Doug Gatlin
Photos: Nic Lehoux Photography
Last year, the National Recreation and Park Association published a set of guidelines to help park and recreation professionals recover from the pandemic, safely reopen their doors, and welcome children—and their parents—back to their facilities. Their guidance, which focused on proper cleaning and disinfecting, was based on a “reopening” program created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in April 2020. (1)
The key points made, which can apply to camps, schools, workplaces, and public spaces, include the follwing:
Determine what needs to be cleaned.
Clean visibly soiled surfaces.
Consider what resources, supplies, and equipment will be required.
Follow directions on the label when using cleaning products.
Determine what needs to be disinfected, including hard surfaces, soft surfaces, and frequently touched surfaces.
All these points are valid. However, the last one, “determine what needs to be disinfected,” has become a major concern for public-health advocates and many in the professional cleaning industry.
The issue is that, instead of determining what needs to be disinfected and using disinfectants only when necessary and appropriate, disinfectants are being used almost everywhere due to concerns about the virus. The concern has become so commonplace and widespread in all types of locations that it now even has a name: indiscriminate disinfecting.
Traditional Cleaning Products
First, let's look at the risks of using traditional (non-green) cleaning products. Studies spanning more than two decades show that these products can be harmful to cleaning workers and building users, if used frequently and—even more concerning—if not used properly.
Then there are spray (aerosol) cleaning products. Some of these emit potentially harmful fumes, such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs). However, facility administrators often select these spray cleaners because they are convenient and require little training to use.
But spray cleaning products can have significant health drawbacks. Researchers from the University of Bergen in Norway reported that, for women “[the] regular use of cleaning sprays—as little as once a week—may cause a decline in lung function that's comparable to smoking 20 cigarettes per day.”
No effect was found among men who cleaned. The authors suggested this may be because men's lungs tend to be more resistant to the irritants found in many cleaning chemicals. (2)
Indiscriminate Use of Disinfectants
While disinfectants have helped protect human health for decades and in many way should be viewed as similar to antibiotics in their ability to stave off an assortment of health-risking diseases—it’s the overuse and indiscriminate use of disinfectants that are raising concerns. Health experts caution that these products, when overused or improperly used repeatedly, pose grave risks to cleaning workers and vulnerable populations, such as older people and children—both of whom are frequent users of park and rec locations.
For instance, a study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, in discussing the possible overuse of disinfectants due to the coronavirus, concluded the following:
The increased use of disinfectant wipes and disinfecting liquids was significantly related to poorer asthma control. These findings are consistent with previous studies conducted primarily in occupational [work] settings, showing increased exposure to disinfectants related to increased asthma symptoms. (3)
A key reason for this conclusion is that traditional disinfectants contain quats or sodium hypochlorite. While these ingredients can kill (eliminate) pathogens, including the pathogen that triggers the coronavirus, large amounts pose a risk to human health as well as the environment.
Then there is another issue of which many people are not aware. The overuse of disinfectants may cause pathogens, bacteria, and germs to become immune to them. This was pointed out by Glenn Kaatz of the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Detroit, who concluded that, if bacteria live in protected environments and “are exposed to biocides (referring to disinfectants) repeatedly, for example during cleaning, they can build up resistance to disinfectants.” (4)
Addressing These Challenges
So why not use only green-certified cleaning products that have been independently tested and evaluated, based on criteria and standards approved by the U.S. Green Building Council? In the U.S. and many other parts of the world, there is no such thing as a “green disinfectant.” In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classifies it as a pesticide. While the EPA does consider the impact of disinfectants on the environment, its main function is to see if the product is effective at eliminating pathogens, based on the manufacturer’s instructions.
There are still options, however, such as using N-List disinfectants, which have been demonstrated to be effective against the coronavirus. However, it is advised to only use them in areas where they are needed, not indiscriminately. Determine where they are needed, where they are not needed, and stick to it.
Second, use disinfectants made with the following ingredients because they are not linked to asthma, cancer, endocrine disruption, DNA damage, or skin irritation:
Hydrogen peroxide
Citric acid
Lactic acid
Ethyl alcohol (also called ethanol or alcohol)
Isopropyl alcohol
Peroxyacetic acid
Sodium bisulfate
Hypochlorous acid
As difficult as the pandemic has been, continue to view it as a training ground. Much has been learned about how to use cleaning products and disinfectants so they keep people and facilities healthy, without harming the user or the environment. They will help keep park and rec facilities safe long after the pandemic has passed.
Doug Gatlin has held senior leadership positions with the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED Program and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR Program. He is now CEO of Green Seal, a global nonprofit organization and leading ecolabel for cleaning and facility care products and services.
Works Cited:
1 Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Facility | CDC
2 "Study finds cleaning chemicals are as harmful as smoking 20 cigarettes per day for women;" by Sarah D. Young, Consumer Affairs magazine, February 19, 2018.
3. Eldeirawi K, Huntington-Moskos L, Nyenhuis SM, Polivka B. “Increased disinfectant use among adults with asthma in the era of COVID-19.” J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2021;9(3):1378-1380.e2. doi:10.1016/j.jaip.2020.12.038
4 Society for General Microbiology. "Disinfectants Can Make Bacteria Resistant To Treatment." ScienceDaily, 6 October 2008. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081005203059.htm>.