Description: Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) are a large class of chemicals that includes high production volume substances that have been used for decades as antimicrobials, preservatives, and antistatic agents in cleaning, disinfecting, personal care products, and other consumer products. The use of QACs has surged in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, along with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s 2016 ban on certain antimicrobials like triclosan in personal care products. Environmental releases of these chemicals have also increased. Suspected or known adverse human health outcomes of QACs include dermal and respiratory effects, developmental and reproductive toxicity, metabolic disruption, and impairment of mitochondrial function. This talk will present our research on characterizing exposure to QACs during the COVID-19 pandemic, examine how increased disinfectant use has impacted indoor exposure, and share the first biomonitoring data for these chemicals.
About the speaker: Dr. Salamova is an Assistant Professor in the Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health in the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. Prior to joining Emory, Dr. Salamova was an Associate Scientist in the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University Bloomington. Dr. Salamova uses analytical chemistry and novel exposure assessment tools to investigate environmental exposures to harmful chemical contaminants and their effects on human health. She specifically focuses on exposures to a large group of organic contaminants, semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs), in vulnerable populations, such as children, older adults, indigenous and rural communities. Dr. Salamova’s research interests focus on determining exposure sources of well-known and emerging SVOCs and on developing effective interventions to prevent or reduce these exposures. Her research is funded by the United States National Institutes of Health, Environmental Protection Agency, and Department of Agriculture. Dr. Salamova has published over 50 peer-reviewed publications and presented her research at numerous national and international professional conferences. She received the Joan Daisey Outstanding Young Scientist Award from the International Society of Exposure Science in 2021.
Friday, October 4, 2024, 12:00-1:15pm Eastern
Field Auditorium, Room 1112, Grainger Hall (9 Circuit Drive, Durham, NC)
This seminar will also be presented live via Panopto. Click HERE for the livestream.