Hand Sanitizers Could Damage Critical Supporting Cells in the Brain

Retarded? Apparently, many on the “woke right” have gone full-retard with their anti-MAGA rhetoric. For REAL news, opinions, and videos that aren’t retarded, check out the fastest growing conservative and Christian news aggregator!

Toxic chemicals found in hand sanitizers and other disinfectants, as well as household items like furniture and electronics, could be harming brain development in children
Researchers at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio found quaternary compounds, or QACs, were damaging to oligodendrocytes, a type of glial cell in the central nervous system, including the brain and spinal cord
After 10 daily doses of a QAC called cetylpyridinium chloride — starting just five days after birth — mice had reduced numbers of oligodendrocytes in their brains
Typically, oligodendrocytes keep developing from before birth into adulthood, but the study suggests QACs may kill them
The researchers also analyzed levels of the flame retardant metabolite, BDCIPP, in children, revealing those with the highest levels were more likely to experience adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes

(Mercola)—Toxic chemicals found in hand sanitizers and other disinfectants, as well as household items like furniture and electronics, could be harming brain development in children and future generations. This includes quaternary compounds — used widely in disinfecting agents — and organophosphate flame retardants, which are found in many household items.

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio found quaternary compounds were damaging to oligodendrocytes, a type of glial cell in the central nervous system, including the brain and spinal cord, while flame retardants increased the risk of neurodevelopmental problems.¹ Both chemical classes are widespread in the environment, raising the risk of population-wide health risks.

Buy physical precious metals before the next gold and silver surge. Don’t buy numismatics! Buy pure bullion instead. Whether with cash or retirement funds, learn how we can help you prepare for financial turbulence ahead.

Hand Sanitizer Compound May Harm Brain Development

Quaternary ammonium compounds, also referred to as QACs or quats, are a popular ingredient in hand sanitizers and disinfectant wipes. Usage of both products has increased significantly in recent years.

Clorox increased production of its disinfectant wipes to 1.5 million packs per day during the pandemic,² while an industry trade group survey found 83% of households had used disinfectant wipes at least one time in the past week and 92% of consumers had used a cleaning, disinfecting or sanitizing wipe.³

Use of hand sanitizers also rose during the pandemic, with usage as high as 25 times per day in children and more than nine times daily for adults.⁴ You may also be exposed to QACs in a number of other common products, including wood preservatives, mouthwash, detergents, shampoos, fabric softeners, eye drops and herbicides.

The cumulative effects of such exposures are unknown, but in a study on mouse pups, researchers found the chemicals in the animals’ brain tissues just days after administering an oral dose. Not only does this suggest that QACs cross the blood-brain barrier, but they may also cause damage to oligodendrocytes in the brain.⁵

Oligodendrocytes play an important role in forming the myelin sheath, a fatty layer that surrounds the axons of nerve cells. This myelin sheath is essential for the fast transmission of electrical signals, allowing for efficient communication within the nervous system. Damage to oligodendrocytes, which act similar to insulation around electrical wires, can lead to several neurological disorders, including multiple sclerosis.

After 10 daily doses of a QAC called cetylpyridinium chloride — starting just five days after birth — the mice had reduced numbers of oligodendrocytes in their brains. Study author Paul Tesar noted, “Loss of oligodendrocytes underlies multiple sclerosis and other neurological diseases. We now show that specific chemicals in consumer products can directly harm oligodendrocytes, representing a previously unrecognized risk factor for neurological disease.”⁶

The scientists also tested QACs in brain organoids, which are three-dimensional cell cultures used as a model for studying brain development and disease mechanisms. Similar damage was found.⁷ Typically, oligodendrocytes keep developing from before birth into adulthood, but the study suggests QACs may kill them.

“We found that oligodendrocytes — but not other brain cells — are surprisingly vulnerable to quaternary ammonium compounds and organophosphate flame retardants,” study author Erin Cohn said in a news release. “Understanding human exposure to these chemicals may help explain a missing link in how some neurological diseases arise.”⁸

QACs Also Linked to Immune System, Respiratory and Reproductive Adverse Effects

When you use QAC-containing products like cleansers, disinfectants, personal care items and more, you can be exposed by ingesting the chemicals, inhaling them or absorbing them through your skin. Beyond damage to brain cells, QACs are also linked to multiple adverse health outcomes including:⁹

Dermal (skin) and respiratory effects
Developmental and reproductive toxicity
Disruption of metabolic function such as lipid homeostasis
Impairment of mitochondrial function

In fact, the National Pesticide Information Center states that children should not use antimicrobial wipes because they contain QACs, and children are more likely to have higher rates of exposure due to putting their hands in their mouths.¹⁰

Separate research found the chemicals also contribute to antimicrobial resistance and pollute the environment, including causing acute and chronic toxicity to aquatic organisms.¹¹ Writing in Environmental Science & Technology, researchers explained that QACs are a “chemical class of emerging concern”:¹²

“QAC use is increasing, without high-quality evidence of their effectiveness in reducing transmission of infectious disease in many settings and applications. Meanwhile, greater indoor usage is consistent with higher indoor exposure, which is a concern given the recent discovery of adverse health outcomes in laboratory animals at relatively low (ambient) exposure concentrations.

Increased production and usage is anticipated to result in higher QAC concentrations in wastewater, which is a pathway for broader environmental exposure and potential risks to biota. This is especially concerning given that some environmental concentrations already exceed protective aquatic toxicity thresholds.”

Flame Retardants Associated With Neurodevelopmental Disorders

The Case Western Reserve University researchers also analyzed levels of the flame retardant metabolite, BDCIPP, in children. Data from 1,763 children between the ages of 3 to 11 revealed that nearly all had BDCIPP in their urine.

However, Science Alert reported, “Those with the highest levels were two and six times more likely than those with low exposure to experience adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes such as motor dysfunction or requirements for educational assistance.”¹³

Past research also linked greater exposures to flame retardants during pregnancy with lower intelligence in the child. Specifically, for every 10-fold increase in prenatal exposure to another type of flame retardant, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), there was a 3.7-point decline in IQ test scores in children.¹⁴

Past research has also demonstrated that children born to mothers with higher levels of flame retardant chemicals in their body had a 4.5-point average decrease in IQ,¹⁵ while exposure in childhood is strongly associated with poor attention span, reduced fine motor coordination and a decrease in cognitive ability.¹⁶ Flame retardants may even change important processes, including tryptophan metabolism, in the placenta that can affect the developing brain.¹⁷

“Our findings suggest that more comprehensive scrutiny of the impacts of these common household chemicals on brain health is necessary,” Tesar said in a news release. “We hope our work will contribute to informed decisions regarding regulatory measures or behavioral interventions to minimize chemical exposure and protect human health.”¹⁸

What Else Is Lurking in Hand Sanitizer?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration maintains a running list of “hand sanitizers consumers should not use.”¹⁹ It includes products that were tested by the FDA and found to contain benzene, acetaldehyde, methanol, acetal or other toxins.

Others on the list were found to have microbial contamination, were made at the same facility as products that contain benzene and other toxins or were packaged in containers resembling food or beverage containers, posing an increased risk of accidental ingestion.²⁰

Valisure laboratory also tested 260 hand sanitizer products, including liquid and non-liquid products. They found that 44 batches, or 17%, contained benzene. The highest benzene level detected was 16.1 parts per million (ppm), which is more than eight times the FDA’s interim limit of 2 ppm.²¹

Benzene is found in crude oil, gasoline and cigarette smoke, and is also widely used to make chemicals used in the manufacture of plastics, synthetic fibers, lubricants, rubbers, dyes, detergents, drugs and pesticides. Benzene interferes with cells, causing bone marrow to not produce enough red blood cells, triggering anemia, for instance. It can also cause immune system damage, including changes in antibody levels and loss of white blood cells.

After long-term exposure, benzene causes cancer in humans, particularly leukemia, and is known to lead to irregular menstrual periods and a decrease in ovary size in women.²² In their guidance on how to use hand sanitizer safely, the FDA also states that hand sanitizers are drugs,²³ which can cause alcohol poisoning in children if even a small amount is consumed.

Writing in Critical Reviews in Toxicology, researchers with Vellore Institute of Technology in India called for the development of natural alternatives to replace toxic hand sanitizers, noting:²⁴

“The unintended exposure of children to hand sanitizers poses a high risk of potentially fatal complications. Skin irritation, dryness, cracking, peeling, hypoglycemia, apnea, and acidosis are examples of unintended consequences of hand sanitizer. The sanitizer reportedly kills normal microbial flora on hands, which usually promotes innate immunity among children under 12.

Children are more susceptible to the toxicity associated with the chemical constituents of marketed chemical-based hand sanitizers; however, the studies to develop sanitizer formulations for children are rudimentary … Additionally, it is reported that many chemical-based hand sanitizer formulations, especially alcohol-based ones may also contain contaminants like methanol, acetaldehyde, benzene, isopropanol, and ethyl-acetate.”

Use Hand Sanitizer Sparingly, If at All — Wash Your Hands Instead

Overuse of hand sanitizers and other disinfectants can backfire. There are potential adverse effects to human health from inhaling disinfectants, as such chemicals are known to accumulate in the lungs, liver, kidneys, stomach, brain and blood. Exposures were certainly elevated during the pandemic for many people, who were exposed to disinfectants by inhalation and oral routes, as well as via the skin and eyes.

There are also significant environmental concerns due to the “unusual release and dissemination of higher concentrations of biocide-based products into the surface and underground waters and also wastewater treatment systems.”²⁵ When disinfectants and biocides enter the environment, they can wipe out beneficial bacterial species that are keeping drug-resistant microorganisms in check.

“[I]f the biocide concentrations reach the sub-minimum inhibitory concentration (sub-MIC), this event may augment the selective pressure, boost the horizontal gene transfer (HGT), and drive the evolution of AMR [antimicrobial resistance],” scientists warn.²⁶

Remember, there’s little hand sanitizers and disinfectant wipes can do that soap and water can’t. Unless you’re in a hospital setting, where disinfectants are sometimes necessary, you should use hand sanitizers sparingly and only when truly necessary, which typically will be hardly at all.

In most cases, simple hand washing is all that’s necessary to keep your hands clean. In a study that compared the effect of alcohol-based hand sanitizer and hand washing using ozonized tap water or soap and water to remove E. coli, washing with soap and water was the most effective.²⁷

As an added bonus, one week of hand washing reduced individual exposure to flame retardants by about half. House cleaning for one week to reduce dust was also an effective way to significantly reduce exposure to dangerous flame retardant chemicals.

Two Storms, One Harvest

Every food crisis in living memory has been a one-shock event. The 2008 price spike was a commodity bubble. The 2020 shortages were a logistics failure. The 2022 grain scare was a war on one exporter’s ports. Each time, the system bent, adjusted, and recovered, and each time the experts assured us afterward that global markets are simply too big and too diversified to fail.

What nobody in Washington seems eager to discuss is that 2026 is shaping up to be something the modern food system has never actually faced. Two independent shocks, one climatic and one geopolitical, are converging on the same harvest cycle at the same time. Not sequentially. Simultaneously.

Start with the weather. The Pacific Ocean is currently building toward what forecasters now openly call a record event. NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center puts the odds of at least a strong El Niño near 88 percent, with roughly two in three odds it reaches “very strong” status, the tier reserved for perhaps three or four events in the entire satellite era. Every major global model now projects a median peak in Super El Niño territory, and most of them project it exceeding the 2015-16 event, which until now held the modern record. Sea surface anomalies were already brushing the super threshold in mid-July, months before these events normally peak. The atmosphere has already shifted into El Niño mode, and the event is forecast to crest in late fall and early winter.

This is not about “climate change.” It’s about the standard cycles of weather, and the cycle we’re currently in is one that has likely devastated societies in the past. We’re better prepared as a society today, but not all Americans are equally prepared.

Serious households have started doing the quiet math on their own. Grocery bills tell part of the story, and the forecast maps tell the rest, which is why long-term food storage has moved from fringe hobby to mainstream line item in the family budget, with established suppliers like Heaven’s Harvest seeing demand from people who five years ago would have rolled their eyes at the idea. That instinct is not paranoia. It is pattern recognition, and the pattern is worth walking through carefully.

Editor’s Note: Heaven’s Harvest IS a sponsor, but the warnings of this article are real and would be written even if we didn’t have a survival food sponsor. With that said, those who take advantage of what they offer can use promo code “Patriot” for 15% off.

The Fertilizer Clock Is Already Running

While the Pacific warms, the second shock has been unfolding in the Strait of Hormuz. The conflict with Iran turned the world’s most important energy chokepoint into a contested waterway, and the consequences reach far beyond the gas pump. Roughly a third of global fertilizer trade moves through Hormuz, and the disruption sent urea prices up 86 percent year over year by March, with a 53 percent jump in a single month.

The World Bank projects energy prices rising about 24 percent in 2026 and fertilizer about 31 percent. By its own accounting, fertilizer prices ran 35 percent higher in the first five months of this year than the same period last year.

Here is the mechanism the nightly news will not explain. Fertilizer is not a grocery item. It is a time-delayed input. The nitrogen a farmer in Iowa or Punjab could not afford to apply this spring does not show up as a problem this spring. It shows up as a thinner harvest six to twelve months later.

The World Bank’s own food security brief concedes that the effects of reduced applications earlier this season “are likely to become visible only later in harvest outcomes.” Translate that from institutional language into plain English and it means this. The damage is already done, it is already in the ground, and we are simply waiting for it to arrive on the shelf.

Now check the calendar. Six to twelve months from the spring planting season lands us squarely in late 2026 and early 2027. Which is precisely when the strongest El Niño in the instrumental record is forecast to peak, bringing its signature droughts to Southeast Asia, Australia, southern Africa, northern Brazil, and South Asia, the very regions that grow the world’s rice, sugar, and oilseeds.

The World Bank warns openly that a strong El Niño “could disrupt multiple crop belts simultaneously” on top of the conflict-driven input costs. Their baseline projection assumes the Middle East disruptions ease by autumn. What in the last two years of Middle East history suggests that assumption is safe?

The System Has No Slack Left

The comfortable answer is that global markets always adjust. But adjustment requires slack, and the slack is gone. Global cereal production is expected to decline from last year’s records even before El Niño does its work. The UN World Food Programme, hardly a den of right-wing preppers, is calling this the most significant disruption to its supply chains since Covid and the invasion of Ukraine, and its supply chain director put the stakes bluntly.

Today’s supply chain challenges are tomorrow’s hunger crisis.

There is also a political dimension that markets cannot price. When food gets scarce, governments do not behave like economists. They behave like politicians. Export bans, hoarding mandates, and panic buying at the national level turned the modest rice shortfall of 2008 into a global crisis, and analysts are already warning that import-dependent nations are the first dominoes.

The 2015-16 Super El Niño, a far weaker event than what is now forecast, threw tens of millions into food stress across Africa and Asia. This one is projected to be stronger, and it arrives with fertilizer already rationed by price and shipping lanes already contested by missiles.

What Joseph Knew

Scripture does not treat preparation for lean years as faithlessness. It treats it as wisdom delivered in advance to those willing to act on it.

Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt: And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt.

Joseph did not respond to that warning with a hashtag or a committee. He stored grain during the years of abundance, and when the famine came, Egypt stood while its neighbors begged. The lesson is not that famine is certain. It is that the time to prepare is precisely when preparation still looks optional.

Nobody who filled a pantry in a year of plenty has ever regretted it, and nobody standing in an empty aisle has ever been glad he waited for certainty.

None of this calls for panic, and panic is the enemy of sound judgment anyway. It calls for the same unglamorous prudence our grandparents considered ordinary. Keep some cash margin, know your local growers, and put real food in deep storage while it is cheap and available, because the entire arc of this story is that cheap and available is a closing window.

Families looking for a straightforward place to start can visit Heaven’s Harvest and use promo code Patriot for 15 percent off long-term storable food. The forecasts may yet soften, the strait may yet reopen, and we should pray they do. But hope is a fine thing to hold and a foolish thing to eat.

Hand Sanitizers Could Damage Critical Supporting Cells in the Brain

Over 90 Missiles and Drones Were Launched From Yemen in Past 48 Hours

Leave a Reply Cancel reply