The EU is considering banning ethanol as an active ingredient in biocidal products, including hand sanitizers, due to concerns about its cancer risk, according to a news report by the Financial Times on Tuesday.
On October 10, a working group within the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) issued an internal recommendation labeling ethanol as toxic. The group raised concerns that ethanol could increase the risk of cancer and pregnancy complications, suggesting it should be replaced in cleaning products and other products, the FT reported.
The ECHA’s Biocidal Products Committee is scheduled to meet from November 25 to 28 to discuss the issue. In a statement to Reuters, the agency confirmed it is evaluating the safety of ethanol for use in biocidal products.
The regulator said if its expert committee concluded that ethanol had the potential to cause cancer or harm human reproduction, it would recommend its substitution, according to the news report by Reuters.
However, the ECHA emphasized that the assessment is ongoing and no final conclusions have been made yet. The European Commission will make the final decision after receiving the committee’s scientific opinion.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization still classifies both ethanol and isopropanol as safe for hand hygiene purposes.
