- Author: Lauren Fordyce
With Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection (RSV) on the rise, and Covid-19 and the flu remaining constant worries, disinfectant products are more and more likely to be used in the home, office, school, restaurant, and other public areas. Though these products are useful in reducing harmful pathogens, they are also capable of harming us when used incorrectly.
You may not think twice when spraying a surface with a disinfectant or using a disinfectant wipe without wearing personal protective equipment (PPE). Disinfectant products ARE pesticides, so check the label to see if you should be wearing gloves or other protective equipment.
To learn more about safe use of disinfectants and wipes, watch the recording from our most recent webinar with Meredith Cocks from the National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC).
Be sure to check out the UC IPM webinars planned for 2023 and register for these free, educational events!
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As many school students resume in-person classes, some school districts are requesting students bring disinfectant wipes into school from home. Disposable, disinfectant wipes may seem a simple and convenient solution to in-class cleaning and disinfection needs, but there are several factors school communities must consider.
Disinfectant wipes are pesticides
Disinfectant wipes are registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as antimicrobial pesticides designed to kill or inactivate microbes (germs). Many have “KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN” clearly stated on containers. Disinfection products should not be used by children or near children.
Most K-12 students are legal minors under the age of 18 so may not use disinfectant wipes. Students, because of their developmental stage in life, have unique vulnerabilities leaving them prone to negative effects after chemical exposure. Younger students are also more likely to use wipes inappropriately, for example, using them to wipe their hands and faces.
Disposable wipes are not all the same
Disposable wipes may look similar, but they come in different forms designed for very different uses and cannot be used interchangeably. Accordingly, wipes come with differing directions for use. Figure 1 shows a few different types: (A) EPA registered surface sanitizing wipes that can be used on “food contact” surfaces. (B) EPA registered disinfectant wipes for non-food-contact surfaces. (C) FDA regulated hand sanitizing wipes. These are over-the-counter products for your hands and are not designed for cleaning surfaces.
Cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting
Pesticide label references to “cleaning”, “disinfecting” and “sanitizing” properties mean different things. Cleaning removes bacteria, virus, and other pathogens (germs), dirt, and impurities from surfaces or objects. Cleaning alone does not kill or deactivate all germs.
Disinfectants contain chemicals that kill or deactivate specific pathogens indicated on labels. They are used to disinfect surfaces or objects. Only wipes listed in the EPA's List N: Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) are approved for use against SARS-CoV-2, and only if they are used according to label directions.
Sanitizing products use chemicals to lower the number of pathogens on surfaces or objects to a safe level, as judged by public health standards or requirements.
Some products are EPA approved as both a sanitizer and a disinfectant, however contact times differ and are pathogen specific. Currently, there are no sanitizer-only products with approved virus claims. For this reason, sanitizers do not qualify for inclusion on EPA's List N.
Products for “surface” sanitizing (EPA antimicrobial pesticide) and “hand” sanitizing (FDA over-the-counter drug) may look very similar. Some have different ingredients, while some have similar ingredients. However, these products are regulated by two different agencies, and are NOT interchangeable.
New CDC guidance
New cleaning and disinfection guidance was released April 5, 2021 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While the SARS-CoV-2 virus is primarily airborne, it is possible for people to be infected by contacting contaminated surfaces.
Cleaning with products containing soap or detergent reduces germs on surfaces by removing contaminants and may also weaken or damage some of the virus particles, decreasing infection risk from surfaces.
When no people with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infections are known to have been in a space, cleaning once a day is usually enough to sufficiently remove virus particles that may be on surfaces and help maintain a healthy facility. Disinfecting using List N productsdestroys any remaining germs on surfaces, which further reduces any risk of spreading infection.
You may want to either clean more frequently or choose to disinfect (in addition to cleaning) in shared spaces if:
- There is a high transmission of COVID-19 in your community,
- Low number of people wearing masks who aren't vaccinated,
- Infrequent hand hygiene, or
- The space is occupied by certain populations, such as people at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19
If there has been a sick person or someone who tested positive for COVID-19 in your facility within the last 24 hours, you should clean AND disinfect the space.
Label requirements
Use of disinfectant wipes may incur regulatory compliance challenges and lost time learning time in class. Some wipes may require the use of chemically resistant gloves and hands shouldalways be washed with soap and water after using disinfectant wipes, even if gloves are worn.
For teachers and students transitioning classrooms 6-8 times a day, 5 days a week, the use of disinfectants before each transition can incur unusual chemical exposure. Store-bought disinfectant products used in this way far exceeds the frequency and duration of normal consumer use. Therefore, the use of such products would necessitate inclusion in an employer's hazard communication program. This would involve training on hazards and precautions, and staff access to product labels in a familiar language and safety data sheets at each location.
Health and safety risks
Recent events have documented increases in negative health impacts caused by cleaning and disinfection in both homes and school settings. Many ingredients in wipes can pose health and safety risks. Wipes come with different active ingredients and additives. Commonly found active ingredients such as chlorine bleach (sodium hypochlorite), and quaternary ammonium compounds (benzalkonium chlorides can irritate eyes, skin and trigger asthma symptoms. Inert ingredients can also be problematic. Adequate ventilation while using products is vitally important.
To find options with lower risk look for the EPA Design for the Environment logo on products. Safer active ingredients for disinfectants currently available include hydrogen peroxide, citric acid, lactic acid, and ethanol.
Don't mix products
Mixing products can result in serious injury or death. NEVER mix a disinfectant with another disinfectant, home-made cleaning solutions, store-bought cleaning products or hand sanitizer. For example, mixing chlorine bleach and ammonia cleaners can lead to the production of potentially lethal chlorine gas (Table 1).
Storage requirements
Disinfectant wipes have specific storage requirements including temperature limits, ventilation requirements, shelf-life expiration dates, chemical separation requirements, and storage out of reach of children. Never store disinfectants under classroom sinks, on overhead shelving, or in student accessible areas.
For more information about cleaning and disinfecting, see these resources:
- CDC information on cleaning and disinfecting facilities
- CDC on surface cleaning and disinfection needs
- The National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC) information about antimicrobial pesticides
- US EPA factsheet on cleaning and disinfecting
- US EPA list N: Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19)
- US EPA directory of disinfectants that meet Design for the Environment standards
[Original article published in the Spring 2021 issue of the Retail Newsletter.]
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- Author: Karey Windbiel-Rojas
- Author: Belinda J. Messenger-Sikes
In order to stay healthy and keep our spaces clean during the COVID-19 pandemic, many people are using disinfectants and sanitizers more than they may have before. The Centers for Disease Control say to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus, people should wash hands often with soap and water, and for surfaces, clean first with soap and water then disinfect. When used according to label directions, this will reduce the virus particles present that could infect people.
Disinfectants are pesticides
Disinfectants are designed to kill germs, including viruses, on surfaces and are designated by law to be pesticides. These antimicrobial pesticides are vital to prevent the spread of germs that cause diseases, including COVID-19. Disinfectants, like any other pesticide, must be used carefully to avoid personal injury during exposure and for them to work as intended.
Always read the label and follow the directions carefully. Many people neglect to leave a disinfectant wet on the surface for long enough to properly disinfect (the contact time) or may not rinse the surface after disinfection when required. For more information, see the blog post on this topic.
Hand sanitizers vs surface sanitizers
Surface sanitizers are registered for use on hard surfaces and are considered pesticides. They should only be used on surfaces, not on your skin. Disinfecting wipes labeled for use on surfaces are not the same as cleansing wipes, such as baby wipes, intended for use on the skin.
If you're unsure about the product and its intended uses, check the label or packaging. See our blog post on reading pesticide labels.
Protect yourself
You may have heard a lot about “PPE” or personal protective equipment recently. Medical professionals use PPE to protect themselves and others from spreading the COVID-19 virus and other germs, but did you know PPE is also listed on a pesticide label? Wearing PPE when applying pesticides helps to prevent or limit exposure to the chemicals in the pesticide product. For more information about what to wear when using pesticides, see this blog post.
Health risks
There are health risks from using disinfectants and sanitizers improperly. With the recent nationwide increase in disinfectant use, poison centers have seen a surge in people becoming ill from exposure to disinfectants. When using a surface disinfectant like bleach, remember that you must never apply it to yourself or others. Do not ingest disinfectant products; this includes spraying the product directly on food.
Take care not to inhale fumes from a disinfectant product as you use it to disinfect surfaces. As with any pesticide, wash your hands after using sanitizer and disinfectant products.
See the fact sheet from the American Association of Poison Control Centers for more information.
/h2>/h2>/h2>/h2>- Author: Mike Merchant
What do “pest control” and public health campaigns against SARS Cov-2 have in common? Both activities use pesticides. In the eyes of the law, sanitizer and disinfectant products are considered pesticides. And if you're a little wary of using pesticides, you should exercise the same caution when choosing and using a disinfectant.
Originally posted by Mike Merchant on Insects in the City.
Let's start with some basics. The term ‘pesticide' refers to any substance or mixture of substances used to prevent, destroy, repel or mitigate a pest. All pesticides are regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which gets to decide if, how and where they can be used.
Pesticides that fight microbes are generally called antimicrobials. Antimicrobials that fight germs affecting human health can be further classified as sanitizers, disinfectants, virucides and sterilants. About 275 active ingredients are found in antimicrobials, most of which are considered pesticides and must have an EPA-approved label (a few sanitizer products–such as alcohol gels–for use on skin are considered drugs rather than pesticides, and are regulated as such by the Food and Drug Administration). Most of the effective products that fight the SARS-CoV-2 virus are considered disinfectants or virucides.
Since January we've watched endless news clips of sanitary workers cleaning surfaces, and even entire buildings, with disinfectants. Shopping for groceries has become an adventure in disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer. And the empty shelves in the cleaning supply sections of stores attest to our new obsession with clean, clean, clean!
But how many of us stop to consider the health effects of disinfectants, or to read the labels on these products? If you find yourself using disinfectants, or touching disinfectant-treated surfaces, now's an excellent time to brush up on disinfectant safety. Specifically let's review some of the important things we all need to know about reading and understanding disinfectant labels.
Read the label
- Unlike instructions on a box of mac and cheese, instructions on a disinfectant label are the law, not suggestions. Using even a little more disinfectant than the label allows in a cleaning solution, or failing to wear the proper safety gear specified on the label, to give two examples, is a violation of state and federal pesticide laws.
- Look for an EPA registration number (see label to right). This is a unique number that tells you the product has been reviewed by the EPA and allows you to reference it. For example, the EPA has developed a list of all disinfectants that are believed to be effective against the SARS-CoV-2 virus (List N). If you want to know whether your disinfectant is likely to be effective against coronavirus, you can look it up in this table by its registration number.
- Read the precautionary statements. Precautionary statements include specific requirements on what you must wear when applying the product. If you're an employer or supervisor it's critical you provide training to ensure employees know disinfectant instructions and have the proper safety equipment. In a recent case, employees of a large company were told to switch from mild green-cleaning agents to a powerful disinfectant to deal with the coronavirus emergency. Not used to the new product, janitorial staff became ill and suffered red- itchy skin and burning eyes.
- Pay attention to contact times on the disinfectant label. Many disinfectants must remain wet on surfaces for an extended time (usually 1 to 10 minutes) to effectively kill viruses and bacteria. Don't assume you can immediately wipe down a surface that you treat with a disinfectant.
- When deciding on a safe disinfectant to use in your home or workplace, consider the signal word. The signal word provides a quick reference to the relative hazard associated with using a product. One of three signal words–DANGER, WARNING, or CAUTION must be on the front panel of any disinfectant product. DANGER signals the highest warning. Such products may be highly toxic when ingested, or may induce irreversible eye or skin damage if used without proper protective gear. WARNING labeled products are moderately toxic if ingested or may cause reversible skin or eye irritation. CAUTION labeled products will be the least hazardous, and would be best for home environments, especially where children are present.
- Pay attention to what surfaces the disinfectant is designed to be used on, and what kind of application methods are allowed by the label. If a product is labeled for use on hard, non-porous environmental surfaces, it shouldn't be used on carpet or furniture. Something designed to be applied with a sponge should not be used in a fogger or sprayer.
- Care should be taken with even with the simplest task of removing disinfectant wipes from their plastic tubs. We have reports of people getting disinfectant in their eyes from tiny droplets erupting when towels are pulled too quickly from the container.
Treat all disinfectants with the same respect you would any pesticide. Since coronavirus began its spread, the EPA has been receiving more health-related emergency calls about improper use of disinfectants. One common problem occurs when people use Clorox wipes to wipe their faces–not good. One couple thought they could drink bleach to cure COVID-19. And they are many more cases of people being hurt by mixing chlorine- and ammonia-containing products (resulting in production of the toxic gas, ammonium chloride). None of these are good ideas and none are recommended on the label.
Our office provides training throughout the year to folks in the pest control, public health and outdoor landscape maintenance industries. One of the things we drill into our students is the importance of reading the label for safety and legal purposes. All of us need to exercise the same caution when using disinfectant products. They are, after all, pesticides.
Originally posted by Mike Merchant on Insects in the City.
/h4>- Author: Cheryl Reynolds
School is already back in session for many children in districts throughout California, and several others will be starting back to school in the next couple of weeks. While students and teachers were enjoying summer break, an amendment to the Healthy Schools Act (HSA) went into effect on July 1st. It requires teachers, custodians, administrators, other staff or volunteers, and licensed pest management professionals applying any pesticide (this includes disinfectants and antimicrobials) at a school site to take an annual training course covering school integrated pest management (IPM). The training course must be approved by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR).
An online course, Providing Integrated Pest Management Services in Schools and Child Care Settings, developed by the UC Statewide IPM Program and the Center for Environmental Research and Children's Health (CERCH), has recently been approved by DPR to satisfy the annual training requirement of the HSA. Although this course was designed for licensed pest management professionals, anyone applying any type of pesticide in schools or child care centers will benefit from the course.
IPM is a strategy that focuses on long-term prevention of pests through a combination of techniques such as monitoring for pest presence, cleaning up food sources, sealing up cracks, and excluding pests with screens. Effective pesticides that pose the least possible hazard and that minimize harm to people, property, and the environment are used only after careful monitoring indicates they are needed.
Prior to July 1st, schools were already required to do the following:
- Designate an IPM coordinator at the school or district level to make sure the requirements of the HSA are met
- Create an IPM plan
- Provide annual written notification to all parents and staff of pesticide products intended for use at the school site during the year and allow the opportunity for them to be notified before certain applications
- Post warning signs where certain pesticides are applied
- Keep records of pesticide applications
- Send pesticide use reports to DPR annually
Some pesticide products are exempt from the IPM plan, notification, posting, recordkeeping, and reporting* requirements of the HSA at school sites. These are reduced-risk pesticide products, and their use is encouraged at schools if pesticides are deemed necessary. These include:
- Self-contained baits or traps
- Gels or pastes used indoors in cracks and crevices
- Antimicrobials, including sanitizers and disinfectants
- Pesticides exempt from registration, such as food grade oils
However, these products are NOT exempt from the Healthy Schools Act annual training requirement that went into effect July 1st. Anyone who uses these products—a licensed professional, school staff or child care staff—is still required to take the HSA annual training course.
To satisfy this annual training requirement, take the free UC IPM online course by visiting the UC IPM online training webpage. For more on school and child care IPM and other courses that satisfy the Healthy Schools Act training requirement, visit the DPR website.
*Licensed pest management professionals hired to apply pesticides at schools or licensed child care centers must continue to submit their regular pesticide reports of ALL registered pesticides to DPR annually and to the county monthly.
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