New research finds that two chemical compounds – alkyldimethylbenzyl ammonium chloride (ADBAC) and didecyldimethyl ammonium chloride (DDAC) – commonly found in household cleaning and personal hygiene products cause birth defects in rodents. Due to their antimicrobial and antistatic properties, these products are routinely used as disinfectants in the form of household cleaning products, laundry detergent, and fabric softener. They are also used as preservatives in personal hygiene products, such as shampoo, conditioner, and eye drops. The study found that neural tube defects (NTDs) increased proportionally with the ambient exposure to the chemicals.
They report increased NTDs with exposure to ADBAC+DDAC in both rats and mice. The NTDs persisted for two generations after cessation of exposure. Notably, male exposure alone was sufficient to cause NTDs. Equally significant, ambient…
