While the news is making a bit of a deal about this I don’t think it’s all that big a threat. One, I don’t use hand sanitizer. And two, the problem is not widespread. The real kicker to me is did anyone know the FDA changed its regulations allowing more of the cancer causing chemical benzene in hand sanitizer in the first place?
Benzene causes cancer, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The World Health Organization’s cancer research arm puts it in the highest risk category, on par with asbestos.
Valisure analyzed 260 bottles from 168 brands and found 17% of the samples contained detectable levels of benzene. Twenty-one bottles, or 8%, contained benzene above two parts per million, a temporary limit the FDA set for liquid hand sanitizers to ease the supply squeeze.
That level “can be tolerated for a relatively short period of time,” the FDA said in June. Fifteen brands were represented among the 21 bottles with the highest levels of contamination. The samples came from the shelves of stores nearby its headquarters and online outlets, Valisure said.
Chicago Tribune
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