Innovative compounds to reduce β-D-glucans, endotoxin, and allergens newly discovered on smartphones.

Background: Eight-four percent of people own smartphones and view them 14 billion times daily, making them potential vectors for environmental hazards such as allergens, -D-glucans (BDGs), and endotoxin. Whether these toxins are prevalent and the effectiveness of cleaning solutions targeting these agents on smartphones have not been studied.

Objective: We sought to determine (1) whether phones are reservoirs of allergen, endotoxin, and BDGs and (2) if present, whether their levels can be effectively reduced by using specific cleaning methods.