Cheng Chieh-An, Tsai Shih-Wei
Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, No. 17, Xuzhou Road, Taipei 100, Taiwan.
Toxics. 2025 Jun 26;13(7):537. doi: 10.3390/toxics13070537.
The widespread use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers (ABHS) during and after the COVID-19 pandemic has raised concerns about potential exposure to harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as benzene, acetaldehyde, and other impurities, which may pose health risks. This study investigated the concentrations of ethanol, isopropanol, and 12 impurities, including benzene, acetaldehyde, and methanol, in 85 commercially available ABHS products in Taiwan using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results revealed that 12 samples contained alcohol concentrations below the recommended 60% (/) threshold. Benzene and acetaldehyde were identified as the primary impurities, with mean concentrations of 0.84 μg/g and 22.39 μg/g, respectively, exceeding the US FDA interim limits. For frequent ABHS users, the average dermal exposure doses (DEDs) to benzene ranged from 3.17 × 10 to 15.5 μg/kg-bw/day, with children aged 2-11 years showing the highest non-carcinogenic risk (Hazard Quotient > 1) and cancer risk (6.37 × 10 to 9.33 × 10). The findings emphasize the need for stringent quality control of ABHS products and caution in their selection and use. This study provides critical insights into the health risks associated with ABHS in Taiwan, underscoring the importance of regulatory oversight to ensure consumer safety.
在新冠疫情期间及之后，含酒精洗手液（ABHS）的广泛使用引发了人们对潜在接触有害挥发性有机化合物（VOCs）的担忧，如苯、乙醛和其他杂质，这些可能会带来健康风险。本研究使用气相色谱-质谱联用仪（GC-MS）对台湾85种市售ABHS产品中的乙醇、异丙醇以及包括苯、乙醛和甲醇在内的12种杂质的浓度进行了调查。结果显示，有12个样品的酒精浓度低于建议的60%（/）阈值。苯和乙醛被确定为主要杂质，平均浓度分别为0.84μg/g和22.39μg/g，超过了美国食品药品监督管理局（US FDA）的临时限值。对于频繁使用ABHS的人群，皮肤对苯的平均暴露剂量（DEDs）范围为3.17×10至15.5μg/kg体重/天，2至11岁的儿童显示出最高的非致癌风险（危害商数>1）和致癌风险（6.37×10至9.33×10）。研究结果强调了对ABHS产品进行严格质量控制以及在选择和使用时保持谨慎的必要性。本研究为台湾地区与ABHS相关的健康风险提供了关键见解，凸显了监管监督对于确保消费者安全的重要性。
