EU weighs ban on ethanol used in hand sanitizers over cancer fears, FT reports
THE European Union (EU) is considering classifying ethanol, an ingredient used in many hand sanitizers, as a dangerous substance that increases the risk of cancer, the Financial Times (FT) reported on Tuesday.
An internal recommendation on Oct. 10 by one of the working groups within the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) flagged ethanol as a toxic substance, which increased the risk of cancer and pregnancy complications, the FT said, and needed to be replaced in cleaning and other products.
The ECHA鈥檚 Biocidal Products Committee is set to meet between Nov. 25 and Nov. 28.
The regulator said that if its expert committee 鈥渃oncludes that ethanol is carcinogenic,鈥 it would recommend its substitution, the FT said, adding that the final decision would be made by the European Commission.
The ECHA did not immediately respond to a Reuters鈥 request for comment.
The agency told the FT that ethanol might 鈥渟till be approved for the intended biocidal uses, if these are considered safe in the light of expected exposure levels or no alternatives are found,鈥 stressing that no decision had yet been made.
The World Health Organization classifies both ethanol and isopropanol as safe to use for hand hygiene. 鈥 Reuters
