Healthline: Carcinogen benzene reportedly in hand sanitizer
UC expert offers thoughts for avoiding problematic hand sanitizers
Hand sanitizer has become a staple in the battle to contain COVID-19, but not all brands are made to the same standards. Some can contain products like methanol, which can be toxic when used on the skin. Consumers took note when an online pharmacy Valisure sounded the alarm over concern that batches of hand sanitizer were contaminated with the cancer-causing chemical benzene.
Mary Beth Genter, PhD. Photo by University of Cincinnati.
Mary Beth Genter, PhD, a professor in the UC College of Medicine, provided her expertise for a story with Healthline on this subject. She advised against using brands of hand sanitizer that contain denatured alcohol.
“Denatured, in this context, means that the alcohol, generally ethanol, is modified to make it taste bad, smell bad, or be toxic if ingested,” Genter told Healthline, adding that benzene has been used in the past to do this.
“There’s no way to tell by looking at a label if benzene was the additive used to denature the ethanol, so just avoiding denatured ethanol might be the soundest advice,” she added.
Learn more about Mary Beth Genter, PhD.
Featured image of hand sanitizer use courtesy of Unsplash.
Related Stories
OTR mural celebrates UC alumni success
April 4, 2025
The UC Alumni Association, UCAA, will mark its annual Alumni Celebration during its upcoming Alumni Week, April 7-13, with a community art project commemorating this year’s slate of alumni honorees receiving the organization’s top awards.
Study: Platform-predicted treatments improve outcomes for...
April 4, 2025
Results from a new Phase 3 trial published in the journal npj Precision Oncology found that an assay that includes an assessment of cancer stem cell sensitivity to chemotherapy can accurately decide more effective treatments and lead to increased outcomes for patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer.
Pediatrician celebrates 30th UC College of Medicine reunion with...
April 3, 2025
There’s a vital thread woven into the fabric of Chris Peltier’s life. It’s black and red, and it knits all things Bearcat together into a life that was transformed by the University of Cincinnati and the UC College of Medicine.