Lipińska-Ojrzanowska Agnieszka, Walusiak-Skorupa Jolanta
Med Pr. 2014;65(5):675-82.
Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs, quats) belong to organic ionic chemical agents which display unique properties of both surfactants and disinfectants. Their wide distribution in the work environment and also in private households brings about new occupational hazards. This paper reviews reports about the health effects of QACs. QACs could play a role of sensitizers and irritants to the skin and mucous membranes. It is suspected that particular QACs can display an immunologic cross-reactivity between each other and with other chemical compounds containing ammonium ion, such as muscle relaxants widely used in anesthesia. They may promote the development of airway allergy, however, the background mechanisms are still unclear and need to be further investigated. Until now, a few cases of occupational asthma induced by QACs have been described and their involvement in contact dermatitis has been documented. The possibility of anaphylaxis due to QACs cannot be excluded as well.
季铵化合物（QACs，季铵盐）属于有机离子化学制剂，兼具表面活性剂和消毒剂的独特性质。它们在工作环境以及家庭中广泛存在，带来了新的职业危害。本文综述了关于季铵化合物健康影响的报告。季铵化合物可能对皮肤和黏膜起到致敏剂和刺激物的作用。据推测，特定的季铵化合物之间以及与其他含铵离子的化合物（如麻醉中广泛使用的肌肉松弛剂）可能存在免疫交叉反应。它们可能会促进气道过敏的发展，然而，其背后的机制仍不清楚，需要进一步研究。到目前为止，已经描述了一些由季铵化合物引起的职业性哮喘病例，并且它们与接触性皮炎的关联也有文献记载。季铵化合物导致过敏反应的可能性也不能排除。
