Benzene is a known human carcinogen, but still ranks in the top 20 most used chemicals in the US, based on production volume.first Despite its known toxicity, the US Food and Drug Administration issued interim guidance in March 2020, allowing it in hand sanitizers at levels up to 2 parts per million ( ppm).2
This subsidy was made possible due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused unprecedented demand for disinfectant products such as hand sanitizer. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol to prevent COVID-19 if soap and water are not available.3
This, combined with the panic and fear in the early days of the pandemic, has led to shortages of hand sanitizer and inadequate supplies to meet consumer demand. As proof of its popularity, calls to Hand Sanitizer-related Poison Control increased by 79% in March 2020 compared to March 2019.4
This led the FDA to relax guidelines for products, allowing levels of toxins like benzene to be increased, despite its carcinogenic potential.
The FDA has opened the door for Benzene-rimmed Hand Sanitizers
As hand sanitizer shortages emerged at the start of the pandemic, the FDA’s interim guidance allows manufacturers to make products from lower-grade ethanol, as long as any toxins in it are contained. within their temporary limits.
In addition to benzene at 2 ppm, acetaldehyde, which is a genotoxic and potentially carcinogenic substance, is allowed at levels up to 50 ppm, even as the agency states, “For a large number of applications of this product is expected by consumers and healthcare workers during a public health emergency, exposure to high acetaldehyde hand sanitizer poses a significant safety concern. . “5 To explain their relaxed restrictions, the FDA stated:6
“… FDA is working with industry to ensure that harmful levels of impurities are not present in the ethanol used in hand sanitizer. After reviewing more data, we are temporarily providing flexibility for certain impurities at established levels…
Based on our assessment of the available data, we have determined these transient contamination levels can be tolerated for a relatively short period of time, given the emphasis on hand hygiene in the event of an emergency. public health issues of COVID-19 and to avoid exacerbating access problems for alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Accordingly, during this public health emergency, the FDA has no intention of taking action against companies that produce technical grade ethanol or fuel for hand sanitizer that do not meet USP or FCC requirements or companies that use that ethanol to make makeshift hand sanitizers, as long as all other circumstances in the guidelines are present…”
The move has opened the door for the production of low-grade, cheap ethanol-based hand sanitizers that are dangerous to human health. The FDA finally withdrew its interim guidance for alcohol-based hand sanitizers on October 12, 2021, but it won’t take effect until December 31, 2021.7 – almost two years after it was released.
FDA warns consumers not to use hundreds of brands of detergents
So many hand sanitizers contain potentially harmful ingredients that they should have their own page on the FDA’s website, titled “FDA Update on Hand Sanitizers Consumers Shouldn’t Use.” .8 As of December 1, 2021, there are 270 items on their list, including products that have been inspected by the FDA and found to contain benzene, acetaldehyde, methanol, acetal, or other toxins.
Other hand sanitizers on the FDA’s “do not use” list were found to be contaminated with microorganisms, were manufactured in the same facility as products containing benzene and other toxins, or were packaged Packaged in containers similar to food or beverage containers, increasing the risk of accidental ingestion.9
In July 2020, the FDA warned that it had seen a dramatic increase in hand sanitizer products that were labeled as containing ethanol (ethyl alcohol) but tested positive for methanol contamination. .ten Methanol, or wood alcohol, is toxic and can be life-threatening if ingested.
In August 2020, they warned consumers and healthcare professionals about hand sanitizer products found to be contaminated with 1-propanol, which can cause central nervous system depression and death if eat right.
Another warning, this one issued in March 2021, relates to Durisan Antibacterial Solution Hand Sanitizer manufactured by Sanit Technologies LLC, which was found to contain high levels of Burkholderia cepacia and Ralstonia complexes. pickettii, bacteria that can cause serious infections, including infections of the skin, soft tissues, lungs, or blood vessels.11
Then, in October 2021, the FDA found “unacceptable” levels of benzene, acetaldehyde, and acetal in some hand sanitizers manufactured by Artnaturals.twelfth David Light, CEO of the Valisure lab, which tests hand sanitizer for contaminants, told NBC News:13
“The toxicity of benzene has been known for over 120 years. It is directly involved in causing leukemia in humans. This is a group one carcinogen, at the top of the FDA’s list of chemicals not used in manufacturing. Benzene is an extremely cheap solvent. From a chemistry perspective, it’s an excellent solvent, and it works very well to make chemicals. But as the FDA itself said, very clearly, it shouldn’t be used for that. ”
Benzene was found in 44 hand sanitizer products
Valisure tested 260 hand sanitizer products, both liquid and non-liquid. They found that 44 lots, or 17%, contained benzene. The highest level of benzene detected was 16.1 ppm, more than eight times the FDA’s interim limit of 2 ppm.14
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, rubber, dyes, detergents, and medicines. and pesticides. Benzene interferes with cells, causing the bone marrow to not produce enough red blood cells, such as causing anemia. It can also cause damage to the immune system, including changes in antibody levels and white blood cell loss.
After long-term exposure, benzene causes cancer in humans, especially leukemia, and is known to lead to menstrual irregularities and decreased ovarian size in women. Furthermore, as noted by the CDC:15
“The main effect of benzene with long-term exposure is on the blood. (Long-term exposure means one year or more exposure.) Benzene damages bone marrow and can reduce red blood cells, leading to anemia. It can also cause excessive bleeding and can affect the immune system, increasing the chance of infection.”
The use of benzene in hand sanitizers is particularly serious because it can be harmful when absorbed through the skin and inhaled, both of which can occur when hand sanitizers are used correctly and for the intended purpose. Valisure asked the FDA to immediately recall the contaminated batches of hand sanitizer it disclosed, and to update the agency’s guidance to include benzene exposure limits along with concentration limits.
They also found that at least 45 percent of benzene-contaminated hand sanitizer contained additional ingredients intended to improve its smell, taste or appearance, increasing the risk of ingestion by children. In fact, Valisure states, “Some of the highly contaminated batches that Valisure analyzed appear to have been specially formulated and marketed for children.”16
Antiperspirant recalled due to Benzene
On November 23, 2021, Procter & Gamble voluntarily recalled certain batches of Old Spice and Secret antiperspirant sprays and Old Spice Below Deck sprays sold in the United States due to the presence of benzene.17
It’s ironic that the FDA announced the voluntary recall, even acknowledging that “benzene exposure can occur by inhalation, by mouth, and by skin.”18 however, it intentionally allowed increased concentrations of benzene in hand sanitizer during the pandemic – a time when people were using these products with increasing frequency – without any warning.
Meanwhile, it warns that if you have any hand sanitizer on the “do not use” list, you should stop using it and “dispose of it, ideally in a hazardous waste container.” harmful”.19 The FDA does not have the authority to force a recall, although it can warn about contaminated products.
However, unless you’re in the habit of checking the FDA’s website for consumer warnings, or you happen to see something in the news, you’ll have no way of knowing that your hand sanitizer are using to “stay safe” can expose you to cancer-causing chemicals.
Do You Really Need Hand Sanitizer?
Overuse of hand sanitizers and other disinfectants can backfire. There are harmful effects to human health when inhaling disinfectants, as these chemicals are known to accumulate in the lungs, liver, kidneys, stomach, brain and blood. The potential for exposure has certainly increased during the pandemic for many people, who are exposed to disinfectants by inhalation and oral route, as well as through 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 surface and groundwater as well as wastewater treatment systems.” during the pandemic.20 When disinfectants and biocides enter the environment, they can wipe out beneficial bacteria that control resistant microorganisms.
“[I]If biocide concentrations reach sub-minimum inhibitory concentrations (sub-MICs), this event may increase selection pressure, promote horizontal gene transfer (HGT), and promote the development of AMR [antimicrobial resistance], scientists warn.21 Even in times of pandemic, there are few hand sanitizers that can do what soap and water can’t.
Unless you are in a hospital, where it is sometimes necessary to use hand sanitizer, you should use hand sanitizer sparingly and only when absolutely necessary, usually sparingly.
