Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on October 21, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
The EU is evaluating ethanol in biocides for cancer risks. ECHA's assessment could lead to its classification as dangerous.
(Reuters) -The European Union is considering classifying ethanol used in biocidal products such as hand sanitizers as a dangerous substance over increasing risks of cancer, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday.
An internal recommendation on October 10 by one of the working groups within the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) flagged ethanol as a toxic substance, which increased the risk of cancer and pregnancy complications and needed to be replaced in cleaning and other products, the FT said.
The ECHA's Biocidal Products Committee is set to meet between November 25 and November 27.
The ECHA told Reuters in an emailed statement that the regulator was currently assessing ethanol for biocidal use.
The regulator said if its expert committee concluded that ethanol had the potential to cause cancer or harm human reproduction, it would recommend its substitution.
It added that assessments were still ongoing and no conclusions had been made. The final decision will be taken by the European Commission following the committee's scientific opinion.
The World Health Organization classifies both ethanol and isopropanol as safe to use for hand hygiene.
(Reporting by Disha Mishra and Gnaneshwar Rajan in Bengaluru; additional reporting by Kanjyik Ghosh, Editing by Jamie Freed and Kate Mayberry)
Ethanol is a type of alcohol commonly used in various products, including hand sanitizers and cleaning agents. It is known for its antiseptic properties.
Biocidal products are substances intended to destroy or control harmful organisms, including bacteria and viruses. They are widely used in disinfectants and preservatives.
The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is an agency of the European Union responsible for regulating chemical substances and ensuring their safe use.
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