DEHRADUN: More than 50% of hand sanitiser samples failed in providing adequate protection, a survey conducted by a private agency in Uttarakhand has found. The survey was done by Dehradun-based Society of Pollution And Environmental Conservation Scientists (SPECS).
A total of 1,050 samples from all 13 districts of the hill state were inspected. As many as 578 turned out to be not up to the mark. “According to the prescribed norms, alcohol content in sanitiser should be 60-70% but more than half did not have that much concentration. Hydrogen per Oxide was found over 0.5% in 112 samples which is above the prescribed norms,” Brij Mohan Sharma, secretary of the SPECS said.
The chemical composition of the sanitisers was also found to be violating the norms. For instance in some of the samples the methanol content was above the prescribed limits. Dr NS Bisht, senior physician based in Dehradun commenting on the issue said, “Medical Council of India has set the norms for ingredient/chemical composition for sanitiser to be used in these pandemic times. Sub-standard quality of sanitiser is damaging for individual as well as collective society.”
Sixty-four per cent of samples from Champawat and Chamoli districts failed. Officials from the state health department said measures are in place to check quality of santisers. “The mechanisms for quality check is already in place. This will be looked into,” said an official of the department.