Hand Sanitizers: How Toxic Are They?

Hand sanitizers are very commonly used these days in schools, workplaces, homes, hospitals and other public places such as stores and libraries. In the past, studies have shown that the use of hand sanitizers reduces illnesses in house­holds and universities, and lowers absentee rates in schools. While hand sanitizers have contributed to cleanliness, it is still important to be careful when choosing to use them.

 

Most hand sanitizers contain ethanol, while some contain isopropyl alcohol. The concentration of alcohol in these products varies from 45% to 95%, with the most commonly used products in the range of 60-65%. In­gestions of toxic amounts of ethanol and isopropyl alcohol produce central nervous system depression ranging from inebriation to coma, vomiting, respiratory depression, hypothermia, hypotension, and hypoglycemia (with ethanol; in infants and children) or hyperglycemia (with isopropyl alcohol) may also occur.

Emails and news stories have surfaced recently alleging that children have developed toxic effects from in­gesting small amounts of hand sanitizers off of their hands. These accounts have resulted in questions to poi­son centers about whether they should be used in schools and other locations where children, and in some cases adults, frequent. While these products can be harmful if children ingest them in large quantities, they are safe when used in the correct amount and for the reason they were made. Most children remain asymptomatic or develop mild symptoms such as oral irritation and gastric upset.

How much hand sanitizer would be dangerous?

 

A hand sanitizer pump dispenses approximately 2.5 mL of liquid. If one pump of a 62% ethanol-containing hand sanitizer was ingested by an average two-year-old weigh­ing 15kg, a blood alcohol level of 17.3 mg/dL would be expected, considerably below a toxic level of 80-100 mg/dL. This same child would have to drink approximately 4-5 teaspoonfuls of the sanitizer in order to produce toxic effects that would require medical attention.

If you have any concerns regarding hand sanitizers, please call the Texas Poison Center Network at 1-800-222-1222. They are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to answer your calls. These specialists answer poison-related questions about medications, household products and other potentially dangerous substances and can provide poison education materials like brochures and stickers.  Poison information is also available at the Texas Poison Center Network website, www.poisoncontrol.org