Hand-sanitizing practices during COVID-19 are a threat to the environment

The environment and the environment’s health has been adversely affected by the increased use hand sanitizing and hand-washing practices in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Scientists have highlighted that the environmental damage done has been substantial and that more ecofriendly options are needed. This is the first study of its type.

The main findings are that hand sanitizing Gels have contributed around 2% to our usual carbon footprint. Also, based on a detailed disability-adjusted Life Years (DALYs), people could lose between 16 and 112 hours each year.

Hand hygiene is an important way to prevent or reduce pathogen transmission. The World Health Organization (WHO), and NHS England recommend hand washing with soap, water, or using alcohol sanitizer to protect against COVID-19.

These practices have an impact upon planetary health (the well-being and health of the human civilisation and all natural systems that depend on it). For example, washing your hands requires water. However, the production of sanitizing cream packaging, as well as the active ingredients, contributes to carbon emission and global climate changes.

These impacts were not yet understood.

The study was published in the journal. Environmental Science and Pollution ResearchThe scientists did a detailed analysis that modeled the impact of the UK population using each of the following four handwashing practices over the course a year. 1) Ethanol-based Sanitizing Gel; 2) Isopropanol Based Sanitizing Gel; 3) Liquid soap and Water; and 4) Bar soap and Water.

They compared 16 different categories of impacts (which included climate change and freshwater ecotoxicity, ozone depletion, water usage, etc.).

Key findings

• Hand hygiene in all forms has an environmental impact
• The lowest impact was seen in 14 of the 16 categories that included isopropanol-based cleansing gels
• These gels had a lower climate change impact than liquid soap hand washing (4x less impact). This is equivalent to 1,060 million kg CO₂Comparable to 4,240 million Kg CO₂)
• The lower end of this scale would see an individual lose 16 hours in disability-adjusted years (a small decrease in life expectancy) by using isopropanol based sanitizing products.
• The upper end would see a loss of 114 hours per person using liquid soap and hand-washing (roughly five days in life expectancy).

The journal article was first published by Dr. Brett Duane. Duane is an associate professor in Trinity College Dublin’s School of Dental Science. He said that hand hygiene has made a huge difference in slowing the transmissions of COVID-19 in the past two decades. However, this research-the first to quantify the effects on human and planet health of increased hand-washing and the use sanitizing gels-shows that these practices do cause significant harm.

“Importantly,” the work shows that sanitizing products cause less harm to the environment than soap-and water practices. Isopropanol based gels have a lower impact. This is useful information to reduce further damage, but it also highlights the need for more environmentally friendly gels.