About Pillows treated with Benzalkonium Chloride

By William H Harriss, August 23, 2021.

I was looking at new online products that hoteliers may be encouraged to buy as part of their hygiene regimes.

I was somewhat interested when I read about a new procedure, fabric additives, that makes a fabric antimicrobial. It can be applied in a laundry wash. It is of such a high concentration that it is after that good for a hundred washes.

For those of you who do not recognize the word antimicrobial. It is an agent that kills microorganisms or stops their growth. Antimicrobial medicines can be grouped according to the microorganisms they act primarily against. So, for example, antibiotics are used against bacteria, and antifungals are used against fungi.

The main classes of antimicrobial agents are disinfectants (non-selective agents, such as bleach), which kill a wide range of microbes on non-living surfaces to prevent the spread of illness. Antiseptics (which are applied to living tissue and help reduce infection during surgery) and antibiotics (which destroy microorganisms within the body. Antibacterial agents can be further subdivided into bactericidal agents, which kill bacteria, and bacteriostatic agents, which slow down or stall bacterial growth. In response, further advancements in antimicrobial technologies have resulted in solutions that can go beyond simply inhibiting microbial growth. Instead, certain types of porous media have been developed to kill microbes on contact.?

I find it rather frightening that manufacturers are now making pillow covers that contain what I have always been led to believe is a highly toxic chemical ‘Benzalkonium chloride.’ Yet, the manufacturers of the infused fabrics publish in their literature, “Benzalkonium chloride is non-toxic and has no environmental impact.” So, I set out to research that statement, and the following are my findings.

Benzalkonium chloride (BZK, BKC, BAK, BAC), also known as alkyldimethylbenzylammonium chloride (ADBAC) and by the trade name Zephiran, is a type of cationic surfactant. It is an organic salt classified as a quaternary ammonium compound.

When I looked up benzalkonium chloride, it is described as a biocide, preservative and surfactant associated with severe skin, eye, respiratory irritation and allergies. Benzalkonium chloride is a sensitizer especially dangerous for people with asthma or skin conditions such as eczema. Benzalkonium chloride is found in many household disinfectants and cleaning supplies.

It is also found in low concentrations in some hand creams and makeup items. It is used in almost trace amounts as a preservative. It is said to be safely used as an antimicrobial agent at concentrations up to 0.1%. For most multi-use aqueous nasal, ophthalmic, and optic products, benzalkonium chloride (BKC) is the preservative of choice. The American College of Toxicology has concluded that BKC can be safely used as an antimicrobial agent at concentrations up to but not exceeding 0.1%.

The safety of Benzalkonium Chloride has been assessed by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel. The CIR Expert Panel evaluated scientific data and concluded that Benzalkonium Chloride, at concentrations up to 0.1% free, the active ingredient is safe as a cosmetic ingredient at those concentrations.

My problem is using it on pillows because people breathe in and out of their pillows all night. That is a little different to putting on a dab of rouge on the face by ladies; breathing the substance all night appears to me to sound rather dangerous. It is the length of exposure that also needs to be considered as well as concentrations.

When Benzalkonium chloride is suspended in water or other products, its concentration can be regulated to less than 0.1% parts. However, when the water or suspension is dehydrated, you are surely left with something up to 100% Benzalkonium chloride powder residue. That on a pillow can be perhaps deadly for the unsuspecting sleeper.

So, I decided to look at the datasheet of a chemical manufacturer. Here they were not talking about trace elements; they were warning about the whole picture of the product.

Material Safety Data Sheet Product Name: Benzalkonium chloride Page 2 of 13 SECTION 2: HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION 2.1. Classification of the substance or mixture: Classification (REGULATION (EC) No 1272/2008) Acute toxicity, Category 4, Oral, H302 Acute toxicity, Category 4, Dermal, H312 Skin corrosion, Category 1B, H314 Acute aquatic toxicity, Category 1, H400 Hazard statement(s) H302 + H312 Harmful if swallowed or in contact with skin. H314 Causes severe skin burns and eye damage. H400 Very toxic to aquatic life. Precautionary statement(s) Prevention P273 Avoid release to the environment. P280 Wear protective gloves/ protective clothing/ eye protection/ face protection. Response P301 + P330 + P331 IF SWALLOWED: Rinse mouth. Do NOT induce vomiting. P302 + P352 IF ON SKIN: Wash with plenty of soap and water. P305 + P351 + P338 IF IN EYES: Rinse cautiously with water for several minutes. Remove contact lenses if present and easy to do. Continue rinsing. P308 + P310 IF exposed or concerned: immediately call a POISON CENTER or doctor/ physician.

Benzalkonium Chloride has over a hundred references and warnings in the Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB).

Some manufacturers are claiming FDA approval of their products treated with Benzalkonium Chloride. But, according to the FDA, there are no antiseptic drug products, including hand sanitizer, that FDA approves to prevent or treat COVID-19. ... Any product using active ingredients benzalkonium chloride are not legally marketed. FDA recommends that consumers avoid their use.

While this product may be acceptable in a controllable suspended form not exceeding 0.1% in liquid cleaning products, we should carefully consider how safe it is when in the powder form in treating hotel pillows.

Do you expect your hotel clients to sleep safely on a pillow treated with this chemical? In that case, I must question your liability and how your insurance company will react if someone gets very ill after sleeping in one of your hotel beds. In addition, some people are highly allergic to chemical trace elements when breathed. So why risk putting anything on a pillow that can kill someone who is allergic to those substances?

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Thank you, William