The Benefits of Green Cleaning and Disinfecting for the Airline Industry

14 Nov The Benefits of Green Cleaning and Disinfecting for the Airline Industry

As the Wall Street Journal recently reported, to battle Covid-19, some airlines are betting on certain disinfectants that come with questions. “Many airlines have suspended beverage service because of the pandemic, but they are serving a new brew in passenger cabins: multiple doses of disinfectants,” the WSJ says.

Travelers see images of cleaning crews wrapped head to toe in PPE cleaning aircraft cabins and feel relieved that steps are being taken to protect them from Covid-19. But, as the old saying goes, sometimes the cure is worse than the disease. 

Cause for Concern?

We have all gotten used to seeing frontline workers wearing PPE, so people are probably assuming that the cleaning crews are relying on PPE to protect them from Covid-19 when, in fact, they are wearing it to protect themselves from the toxic chemicals they are using in the disinfecting process.

“Between flights, most [airlines] are spraying seats, armrests, tray tables, overhead bins and other areas with chemicals that come with toxicity warnings and require gloves and eye protection to apply,” the WSJ says. “The virus-killing mixtures have been approved by the Environmental Protection Agency, and manufacturers and airlines say they are safe. But they have never been used with such frequency and volume on aircraft.”

No one is saying that the airlines should not be disinfecting their aircraft or taking extra steps to protect the safety of their passengers and crews. Stopping the spread of Covid-19 is critical, but we must be cautious and consider the possible ramifications of the steps we are taking in that effort.

For example, as the WSJ reports, “Scientists say long-term effects of one chemical used by several airlines, including the three biggest U.S. carriers, aren’t well known, and multiple applications of it each day hasn’t been studied. The chemical is a quaternary ammonium compound. QACs, or quats, have been linked to lung damage and asthma.”

If you would like information about NanoGuard’s healthy and sustainable approach to disinfecting services – including the medical grade disinfecting properties of our patented BioProtect system – please contact us.