Popular Articles
Today Week Month Year


Cancer-causing chemical found in hand sanitizers made during the pandemic
By Divina Ramirez // Apr 05, 2021

Some hand sanitizers made to meet the surge in demand amid the coronavirus pandemic contain high levels of a cancer-causing chemical known as benzene, according to a study conducted by the online pharmacy, Valisure.

Brighteon.TV

Valisure analyzed 260 bottles of hand sanitizer across 168 brands in its laboratory in New Haven, Connecticut. The analysis showed that 44 bottles had detectable levels of benzene, while 21 bottles contained levels of benzene above the approved limit of two parts per million (ppm).

Valisure also detected "unacceptably high levels" of methanol and acetaldehyde. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies acetaldehyde as a Group 2B carcinogen, meaning it is possibly carcinogenic to humans. Methanol is a highly toxic alcohol that can cause death if ingested.

On March 24, the pharmacy filed a citizen petition with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) asking the agency to recall the products identified in the analysis. Valisure also asked the FDA to conduct its own analysis of hand sanitizers and to develop documents defining the limit of benzene for all hand sanitizers.

Valisure's analysis was verified by the Chemical and Biophysical Instrumentation Center at Yale University and Boston Analytics.

Benzene found in multiple hand sanitizer brands

Some of the most contaminated products identified in the Valisure report were from artnaturals, Candles Inc. and The Creme Shop. Among those sampled, the sanitizer made by artnaturals contained the most benzene at 16 parts per million, which is eight times higher than the the limit approved by the FDA.

Valisure also found that the products with the highest levels of benzene only appeared on shelves back in April or May 2020, when people began exhausting the supplies of bigger, more popular brands like Purell.

It isn't clear how benzene came to be present in the hand sanitizers. However, Valisure surmised that they may have been contaminated with benzene because the chemical is used to purify germ-killing alcohol. But benzene is supposed to be removed from the final products before they are sealed and packed.

"These findings are alarming and reveal a serious potential risk to public health," Valisure stated in its petition. The pharmacy previously found high levels of other cancer-causing chemicals in drug components manufactured overseas for products sold in the U.S. market.

Adverse health effects of benzene exposure

Benzene is a colorless and flammable liquid that evaporates when exposed to air. Natural sources of this highly toxic chemical include volcanoes and forest fires. Benzene is also a natural part of crude oil, gasoline and cigarette smoke.

Benzene is one of the 20 most commonly used chemicals in the United States. It is typically used as a starting material for producing other chemicals, including those used in plastic products, lubricants, rubbers, dyes, detergents, drugs and pesticides. In the past, benzene was also used to make industrial solvents.

Experts consider benzene a cancer-causing substance. In fact, the IARC classifies it as a Group 1 carcinogen. This group of cancer criminals includes asbestos, which is known to cause lung cancer.

Exposure to benzene can lead to several short- and long-term health effects. Below are the immediate or short-term adverse health effects of benzene exposure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

Benzene can also be ingested from contaminated foods or drinks. Ingesting benzene can lead to convulsions or, in extremely serious cases, death.

The long-term adverse effects of benzene exposure include anemia, a condition marked by low levels of healthy red blood cells; leukemia, a type of cancer that affects the body's blood-forming tissues; and excessive bleeding. Women who have been exposed to high levels of benzene for several months could also have irregular menstrual periods.

Some animal studies have shown that chronic exposure to benzene can lead to low birth weights, bone marrow damage and delayed bone formation. (Related: Longjack can stimulate bone formation by improving expression of mitogenic proteins.)

If you think you have been exposed to benzene, remove your clothes and wash your entire body with soap and water. Clothes that have to be pulled over the head should be cut open and thrown away properly.

Visit Chemicals.news to learn more about the short- and long-term adverse health effects of benzene exposure.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

Valisure.com

Emergency.CDC.gov



Take Action:
Support NewsTarget by linking to this article from your website.
Permalink to this article:
Copy
Embed article link:
Copy
Reprinting this article:
Non-commercial use is permitted with credit to NewsTarget.com (including a clickable link).
Please contact us for more information.
Free Email Alerts
Get independent news alerts on natural cures, food lab tests, cannabis medicine, science, robotics, drones, privacy and more.

NewsTarget.com © 2022 All Rights Reserved. All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. NewsTarget.com is not responsible for content written by contributing authors. The information on this site is provided for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional advice of any kind. NewsTarget.com assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. Your use of this website indicates your agreement to these terms and those published on this site. All trademarks, registered trademarks and servicemarks mentioned on this site are the property of their respective owners.

This site uses cookies
News Target uses cookies to improve your experience on our site. By using this site, you agree to our privacy policy.
Learn More
Close
Get 100% real, uncensored news delivered straight to your inbox
You can unsubscribe at any time. Your email privacy is completely protected.