ECHA Flags Ethanol as Potential Carcinogen

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is reviewing ethanol after an internal working-group recommendation on October 10 flagged the chemical as potentially toxic, citing links to increased cancer risk and pregnancy complications and suggesting it be replaced in cleaning and disinfectant products. ECHA’s Biocidal Products Committee will consider the issue at a meeting from November 25–28 and could recommend substitution if it concludes ethanol is carcinogenic; any final decision would be taken by the European Commission. Regulators have stressed ethanol might still be approved for biocidal uses if expected exposure levels are judged safe or if no viable alternatives exist. The World Health Organization and other experts note ethanol and isopropanol remain safe for hand hygiene when used as directed, and much of the cancer evidence comes from ingesting alcoholic beverages rather than topical use. Reclassification could disrupt supply chains and affect hospitals and manufacturers that have depended on ethanol-based sanitisers since the COVID-19 pandemic, but no conclusive decision has been made yet.