Forget protecting youself from Covid-19, the hand sanitisers you use may contain nothing but a lethal chemical, methanol, known to cause life-threatening ailments in pregnant women, the elderly, alcoholics, individuals having poor-quality diet and persons on certain medication.
Any hand sanitiser should contain 80 per cent ethanol or 75 per cent isopropyl alcohol, as per the WHO standards.
The FDA is warning people to avoid dozens of hand sanitizers because they may contain methanol, a substance that can be toxic when absorbed through the skin. Many were labeled as containing ethanol, which is safe, but tested positive instead for methanol, also known as wood alcohol.
Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol, is a chemical with the formula CH3OH. It is a light, volatile, colourless, flammable liquid with a distinctive alcoholic odour similar to that of ethanol. It is a toxic alcohol used industrially as a solvent, pesticide and alternative fuel source.
The WHO has established that methanol is irritating to the eyes, skin and respiratory tract. Acute oral and inhalation exposures and, to a lesser extent, percutaneous (through skin) absorption of high concentrations of methanol have resulted in central nervous system depression, blindness, coma and death.
The FDA said on July 2 it is aware of adults and children who ingested hand sanitizers contaminated with methanol that caused blindness, hospitalizations and death. The FDA warns consumers to beware of any sanitizer marked as being FDA-approved. The agency has not approved any hand sanitizer.
In addition to the original nine brands of sanitizer originally flagged, the FDA recently added 50 more. Many have since been voluntarily recalled by the manufacturer.
As per FDA, the products made by Eskbiochem SA de CV in Mexico and by Grupo Insoma, S.A.P.I de CV have tested positive for methanol and the agency has asked the company to recall the products. The agency has also asked for voluntary recalls of several other products.
See a full list at this FDA website.
The FDA says in a statement it asked Eskbiochem to stop selling the sanitizers, but the company has yet to do so.
Anyone who has been exposed to a hand sanitizer with methanol should seek medical treatment right away.
“FDA reminds consumers to wash their hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after coughing, sneezing, or blowing one’s nose,” the agency said in the release. “If soap and water are not readily available, the CDC recommends consumers use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent ethanol.”
The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) India, has issued an advisory to licensing authorities and drug Controllers of homoeopathy in all States and Union Territories, to expedite the application process for grant of approval, license, and renewal of license for hand sanitisers, since they are already using ethanol (ethyl) in the manufacturing of homoeopathic medicines. In the case of homoeopathic medicine, the percentage of alcohol needs to be mentioned on the label but in the case of cosmetics, it is not mandatory. The letter of DCGI is clear to the extent that they can manufacture hand sanitisers only by using ethanol and not by using isopropyl alcohol. A bottleneck is Rule 106-B, which prohibits the sale of homoeopathic medicine which contains more than 12 per cent ethanol, in a bottle of more than 30 ml.
Article on methanol in hand rubs: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6069146/
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