Volume-9 , Issue-3 , Jun 2022, ISSN 2455-3174 (Online) Go Back

• Open Access   Article

  Alcohols and Denaturants Hand Rub Sanitizers Used to Curb COVID-19 Pandemic in Kiambu County, Kenya

  Martha W. Gacuiga, Ruth N. Wanjau, Martin K. Murigi, Gerald W. Mbugua, Antony M. Ndiritu, Nicholas K. Gikonyo

  Research Paper | Journal-Paper (IJSRCS)

  Vol.9 , Issue.3 , pp.1-5, Jun-2022

  Abstract

  Full-Text HTML

  References

  Citation

  Abstract
  The coronavirus disease outbreak in 2019 (COVID-19) became a pandemic that led to tremendous increase in the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers globally. Governments and public health agencies across the world advocated for hand hygiene as one of the preventive measures against COVID-19 pandemic. Consequently, washing of hands with water and soap or use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers became mandatory. The efficacy of these sanitizers is dependent on the alcohol concentration in the hand sanitizer. Alcohols commonly used in sanitizers include ethanol and isopropyl alcohol at levels of 60% to 80%. Ethanol used to manufacture the sanitizers is of industrial grade and is usually denatured to prevent human consumption. Denaturants include methanol, pyridine, acetone and denatonium benzoate at levels of 630 ppm for methanol and 20 to 50 ppm for denatonium benzoate. This paper mull over comparing levels of alcohols and denaturants with label claims of alcohol-based hand sanitizers used to curb the COVID-19 pandemic in Kiambu County, Kenya. Samples of alcohol-based hand sanitizers of different brands were analyzed in triplicates using Attenuated Total Reflectance- Fourier Transform Infrared spectrometry (ATR-FTIR). Each hand sanitizer was given a unique sample identifier code ranging from HS1-HS12. The findings indicated that alcohol-based hand sanitizers contain significant amount of either ethanol or isopropyl alcohol and low concentration of methanol or denatonium benzoate. The percentage of ethanol ranged from 4.607±0.0 to 81.23±0.3. Nine samples showed concentrations above 70% ethanol. The levels found in the study were not in agreement with levels indicated on the labels. Isopropyl alcohol was found in only two samples contrary to the label claims in five samples. The analysis showed that all samples contained either isopropyl alcohol, methanol or denatonium benzoate as denaturants with levels ranging from 0.040±0.02% to 72.6857±0.4241%, while the label claim indicated the presence of denaturants in only five samples. However, two samples gave methanol levels that exceeded threshold limits of 630 ppm (0.063% v/v). In conclusion, the concentration levels of alcohols and denaturants in all alcohol-based hand sanitizers analysed in this study didn’t match with the label claim. This calls for stringent measures by regulatory bodies to ensure compliance with set standards in the manufacture of alcohol-based hand sanitizers.

  Key-Words / Index Term
  COVID-19, Alcohol-based hand sanitizers, Alcohols, Denaturants, Label claims, compliance

  References
  [1] Zhu, N., Zhang, D., Wang, W., Li, X., Yang, B., Song, J., Xiang, Z., Baoying, H., Weifeng, S., Roujian, L., Peihua, N., Faxian, Z., Xuejun, M., Dayan, W., Wenbo, X., Guizhen, W., George, F., Gao, D. and Wenjie, T. A novel coronavirus from patients with pneumonia in China, 2019. The New English journal of medicine vol 382, pp. 727–733, 2020.
  [2] Fernandos, S., Livia, R., Maria, F and Leila, B. Determination of ethanol in Gel hand sanitizers using mild and near infrared spectroscopy. Journal of Brazil chemical society, vol 31, issue 9, pp.1759-1763, 2020.
  [3] Doremalen, N., Bushmaker, T., Morris, D. H., Holbrook, M. G., Gamble, A., Williamson, B. N., Tamin, A., Harcourt, J. L., Thornburg, N. J., Gerber, S. I., Lloyd-Smith, J. O., de Wit, E., and Munster, V. J. Aerosol and Surface Stability of SARS-CoV-2 as Compared with SARS-CoV-1. The New England journal of medicine, vol 382, issue16, pp. 1564–1567, 2020.
  [4] Abuga, K., Nyamweya, N. and Obed, K. Quality of alcohol-based hand sanitizers marketed in Nairobi metropolitan area. East and Central African Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, vol 24, pp.29-37, 2021.
  [5] Kratzel, A., Todt, D., V`kovski, P., Steiner, S., Gultom, M., Thao, T., Ebert, N., Holwerda, M., Steinmann, J., Niemeyer, D., Dijkman, R., Kampf, G., Drosten, C., Steinmann, E., Thiel, V. and Pfaender, S. Inactivation of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 by WHO-Recommended Hand Rub Formulations and Alcohols. Emerging infectious diseases, vol 26, issue 7, pp. 1592–1595, 2020.
  [6] Alberto, B., Benaimino, C., Luca, G. and Deigo, R. Analysis of commercial hand sanitizers amid covid-19: are we getting the products that we need. AAPS Journal of Pharmaceutical sciences tech, vol 21, pp 286, 2020.
  [7] Dear, K., Grayson, L. and Nixon, R. Potential Methanol Toxicity and the Importance of Using a Standardised Alcohol-Based Hand Rub Formulation in the Era of COVID-19. Antimicrobial Resistance Infectious Control, vol 9, issue 1, pp 129, 2020.
  [8] Jaguga, F., Kwobah, E., Mwangi, A., Patel, K., Mwogi, T., Kiptoo, R., and Atwoli, L. Harmful Alcohol Use Among Healthcare Workers at the Beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Kenya. Frontiers in Psychiatry.vol 13. Issue 82, 2022.
  [9] Henderson, M. C., Neuman, C. M., and Buhler, D. Analysis of Denatonium Benzoate in Oregon consumer products by HPLC. Chemosphere vol 36 pp 203–210, 1998.
  [10] Dicken, R.D., Gallagher, T., and Perks, S. Overcoming the Regulatory Hurdles for the Production of Hand Sanitizer for Public Health Protection: The UK and US Academic Perspective. Journal of Chemical and Safety, vol 27, issue 4, pp 209–213, 2020.
  [11] Nasser, N. and Kennedy, O. A Survey of Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizers in Nairobi: Packaging, Labelling and Regulatory Compliance. East and Central African Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, vol. 23 pp. 72-76, 2020.
  [12 Kenya Bureau of Standards (2014) Instant Hand Sanitizers, KS EAS 789:2013.
  [13 Abuga, K. and Nyamweya, N. Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizers in COVID-19 Prevention: A Multidimensional Perspective. Pharmacy, vol 9, issue, 64, 2021.
  [14] Tse, T.J., Purdy, S.K., Shen, J., Nelson, F.B., Mustafa, R., Wiens, D. and Reaney, M. Toxicology of alcohol-based hand rubs formulated with technical-grade ethanol. Journal of Toxicology Report, vol 8, pp. 785-792, 2021.
  [15] Aomatsung, "Impact of Covid 19 on Socio-economic condition of the Small Businesses in Medziphema Sub-division, Dimapur: A Case Study," International Journal of Scientific Research in Multidisciplinary Studies, vol.8, Issue.4, pp.75-80, 2022
  [16] Luke, Y., Bixler, D., Brooks, D.E., Clarke, K.R., Datta, S.D., Dudley, S., Jr., Komatsu, K.K., Lind, J.N., Mayette, A. and Melgar, M. Serious Adverse Health Events, Including Death, Associated with Ingesting Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizers Containing Methanol— Arizona and New Mexico, May-June 2020. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report vol 69, issue 32 pp. 1070–1073, 2020.
  [17] Vonghia, L., Leggio, L., Ferrulli, A., Bertini, M., Gasbarrini, G. and Addolorato, G. Acute alcohol intoxication. European Journal of Internal Medicine, vol 19, issue 8, pp. 561-567, 2008.
  [18] Emadi, A., and Coberly, L. Intoxication of a hospitalized patient with an isopropanol-based hand sanitizer. The New England journal of medicine, vol 356 issue 5, pp. 530–531, 2007.
  [19] Aaron, B. and Clark, F. Death Caused by Ingestion of an Ethanol-Based Hand Sanitizer. Journal of Emergency Medicine, vol 45, issue 3, pp. 358-360,2013.
  [20] Prajapati, P., Desai, H. & Chandarana, C. Hand sanitizers as a preventive measure in COVID-19 pandemic, its characteristics, and harmful effects. Journal of Egypt. Public. Health. Assoiation, vol 6, issue 6 pp 97, 2022.
  [21] Celio, P., Maria, C., Cruz, A., Pereira, A. Monitoring the quality of ethanol-based hand sanitizers by low-cost near-infrared spectroscopy. Microchemical Journal, vol 159, Issue 105, 2020.
  [22] Nunnapat Thitisaksakul. Analysis of Alcohol Content in Alcohol-based Hand Sanitizer Product from Khon Kaen Province. Isan Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, vol 17 issue 3 pp 59-73, 2020.

  Citation
  Martha W. Gacuiga, Ruth N. Wanjau, Martin K. Murigi, Gerald W. Mbugua, Antony M. Ndiritu, Nicholas K. Gikonyo, "Alcohols and Denaturants Hand Rub Sanitizers Used to Curb COVID-19 Pandemic in Kiambu County, Kenya," International Journal of Scientific Research in Chemical Sciences, Vol.9, Issue.3, pp.1-5, 2022