Smartphones are reservoirs of allergens

Recent research reveals the true extent of allergen buildup on smartphones.

According to the 2018 United States Census, smartphones are present in 85% of American homes. They are reportedly viewed 14 million times a day, making them potential receptacles for environmental hazards like allergens. A new study being presented at this year’s American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting in Louisville, Kentucky, shows elevated levels of cat and dog allergens, as well as beta-D glucans (BDGs) and endotoxins in simulated telephone models.

“Smartphones showed elevated and variable levels of BDG and endotoxins, and cat and dog allergens were found on pet owners’ smartphones,” explains Hana Ruran, lead author of the study. “BDGs are found in the walls of fungal cells and have been found in many environments and surfaces, causing irritating and chronic respiratory symptoms and making BDGs a constant marker for studying problematic mold. Endotoxin is a potent inflammatory agent and a marker of exposure to gram-negative bacteria.”

The researchers created phone models that were similar in size and surface area to a real phone, and the front surface of the phone model was cleaned as part of the test. Electrostatic wipes were used to sample simulated phone models from 15 volunteers, and the levels of allergens, BDG, and endotoxins in the “phones” were then measured.

The chemicals used in the cleaning mix solutions (chlorhexidine, cetylpyridinium chloride, tannic acid, and benzyl benzoate) can be purchased from laboratories or chemical suppliers, but are not commercially available in the same concentrations as those used in the study. Isopropyl alcohol wipes were also tested for cleaning properties.

A smartphone. (Image: Amazings/NCYT)

“The chlorhexidine/cetylpyridinium combination was the most effective in reducing BDG and endotoxins, and the benzyl benzoate/tannic acid combination most effectively reduced dog and cat allergens on smartphones,” explains Peter Thorne, professor at the Department of Public Health at the University of Iowa in the United States and co-author of the study. “The study demonstrates exposure to inhalant allergens and molecules that trigger innate immune reactions at a source most people have not considered. If you have allergies or asthma, you may want to clean your smartphone more frequently to minimize exposure to these allergens and asthma triggers.”

The study is titled “Innovative Compounds to Reduce ß-D-glucans, Endotoxin, and Allergens Newly Discovered on Smartphones”. And it appears in the Annals of Allergy Asthma & Immunology. (Source: American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology)