Hey New Englanders… Be Leary Of Toxic Hand Sanitizers
Some hand sanitizers may be more harmful than good. The Food and Drug Administration, via Newsweek, just released an advisory warning people about using "hand sanitizers that are manufactured in Mexico," because they could contain poisonous methanol. The specific hand sanitizer mentioned is manufactured in Eskbiochem SA de CV.
Methanol, or wood alcohol, can be deadly if it is "digested" or "absorbed through the skin," according to Newsweek. The report says exposure could lead to "nausea, vomiting, headache, blurred vision, permanent blindness, seizures, coma, permanent damage to the nervous system or death."
These are the nine hand sanitizers mentioned in the FDA report, as per Newsweek.:
(1) All-Clean Hand Sanitizer
(2) Esk Biochem Hand Sanitizer
(3) CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 75% Alcohol (NDC: 74589-008-04)
(4) Lavar 70 Gel Hand Sanitizer
(5) The Good Gel Antibacterial Gel Hand Sanitizer
(6) CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 80% Alcohol
(7) CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 75% Alcohol (NDC: 74589-009-01)
(8) CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 80% Alcohol
(9) Saniderm Advanced Hand Sanitizer
If you have any of these sanitizers, the FDA warns against flushing them down the toilet or pouring them into a drain. The agency says to put them in hazardous waste containers, instead.