Chemical health risk assessment of commercial hand sanitizer for hand hygiene practice amid Covid-19 pandemic

HUZAIRI, HUSNA DAMIA (2021) Chemical health risk assessment of commercial hand sanitizer for hand hygiene practice amid Covid-19 pandemic. [Project Paper] (Submitted)

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Abstract

Introduction: As the new coronavirus, COVID-19, spreads throughout the world, demand for hand sanitizers is increasing, forcing merchants to restrict supply and online vendors to raise prices. Hand sanitizer sales in Malaysia reached almost 1 million Malaysian ringgit in the week ending January 26, over 800% more than what the country spends on the product in an average week. Regular hand hygiene by washing with soap and water or using hand sanitizer is one of the main personal hygiene practices highlighted by the World Health Organization (WHO) during the pandemic. It is well known that hand sanitizer can effectively kill human pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, fungi that can cause diseases. Many people prefer to use hand sanitizer to prevent infectious diseases, which contributes to the growth of the market. However, problems arose when some hand sanitizers sold in the Malaysian market do not have a proper ingredients label or do not register with the Ministry of Health (MOH). Considering the high demand for hand sanitizer and its usage as a hand hygiene practice the problem arises as to whether the use of hand sanitizer can cause any chronic or acute health effects to users as the daily routine amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Objective: To examine the health risks from commercial hand sanitizers used for hand hygiene practice amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology: Fifty alcohol-based hand sanitizer (ABHS) was purchased from various types of physical and online shop. The source of the information was gathered either based on the product’s label or Safety Data Sheet, (SDS) of the commercial hand sanitizer. This study adopted the Manual of Recommended Practice on Assessment of the Health Risk Arising from the Use of Chemicals Hazardous to Health at Workplace (2018) to evaluate potential health risks arising from the daily usage of commercial hand sanitizer. Results and Discussion: The commonly found active ingredients in ABHS contains the alcohol-based product. This study found that the concentration of ethanol in the ABHS varies from 60%~83% whilst isopropyl alcohol varies from 70%~75%. The concentration of alcohol in ABHS found in the market complied with the guidance of containing at least 60% alcohol as recommended by the Centre of Disease Control (CDC). It is known that the nature of the health hazard of ABHS causes irritation because of the presence of alcohol. All of the ABHS samples are classified as “Causes serious eye irritation” and some can cause skin irritation too. About 12 ABHS samples were classified as “May cause drowsiness” from its usage prior to inhalation of the contaminants (e.g., vapour, mist) release. Conclusion: We found that all 50 ABHS samples have moderate risk through either inhalation or dermal contact. Since all of the ABHS samples have dermal contact as the main route of exposure and are associated with the health risk of “Causes eye and skin irritation”, it is suggested that dermal exposure poses a significant health risk compared to inhalation exposure. With this information in mind, consumers are advised to read safety labels and understand the health hazards of the ingredients contained in the hand sanitizer for their daily usage. Keywords: alcohol-based hand sanitizer, COVID-19, hand hygiene

Item Type:	Project Paper
Faculty:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Science
Depositing User:	Mr Hafizzuddin Hamidon
Date Deposited:	24 Aug 2023 04:44
Last Modified:	24 Aug 2023 04:44
URI:	http://psaspb.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/932

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