3 ms·
Mounting poisonings, blindness, deaths as toxic hand sanitizers flood market
- interestica 6y agoI've had to walk into grocery stores where they force you to use a squirt of their unlabeled bottle. I've seen a place use an "anti-microbial" liquid that contained no alcohol at all (I was intrigued by it and found that it used benzalkonium chloride ...and I'm not sure it's at all effective against the covid-19 virus). It's like we're at the point of hand-sanitizer-theatre. I think an earlier shortage meant that businesses were just purchasing whatever that could get their hands on.
- xkcd-sucks 6y agoAre these people drinking it? Everyone in my grad school chem lab washed hands with methanol to no ill effect
- wutangson1 6y agoLol, kids, do not try this at home!
- sohkamyung 6y ago> Are these people drinking it? Apparently, yes [1]: "The agency is aware of adults and children ingesting hand sanitizer products contaminated with methanol that has led to recent adverse events including blindness, hospitalizations and death." [1] https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-updates-hand-sanitizers-methanol https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-u...
- bzb3 6y agoI'm a huge supporter of Darwin.
- jml7c5 6y agoFrom the FDA's 2 July press release[1], it sounds like ingestion was the culprit. While it is absorbed through the skin, the rate is low: I found a study[2] that suggests 8 mg/cm^2/h. I'd be more concerned about the vapors. [1]: https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-takes-action-warn-protect-consumers-dangerous-alcohol-based-hand https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavi... [2]: https://doi.org/10.1007/s004200050228 https://doi.org/10.1007/s004200050228