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Lab finds benzene formation at ‘unacceptably high

levels’ in certain acne products

High levels of benzene, a known handled at high temperatures – such of benzene is substantially different
human carcinogen, can form in acne as when left in a hot car at more than than Valisure’s previous findings of
treatment products containing benzoyl 150°F for at least 14 days – they can benzene in sunscreens, hand sanitisers
peroxide, according to a new report generate high levels of benzene, the and other consumer products. The ben-
from Valisure, an independent laboratory lab said. zene we found in sunscreens and other
bases in the US. consumer products were impurities
Of 175 acne treatment products that came from contaminated ingredi-
In a petition filed with the US Food initially tested by Valisure, all 76 that ents; however, the benzene in benzoyl
and Drug Administration, Valisure said contained other ingredients – most peroxide products is coming from the
acne products from US brands includ- commonly salicylic acid or adapalene – benzoyl peroxide itself, sometimes at
ing Proactiv, Target Corp.’s Up & Up had benzene levels that were either un- hundreds of times the conditional FDA
and Clinique have elevated levels of detectable or below the US-FDA’s cur- limit. This means the problem broadly
benzene. The lab asked the US-FDA rent limit of 2 parts per million (ppm), affects benzoyl peroxide products, both
to recall the affected treatments, while the company said in its citizen petition. prescription and over-the-counter, and
regulators investigate. However, 94 of the 99 benzoyl per necessitates urgent action”.
oxide products contained benzene,
Benzene has been earlier detected often with values well above 2 ppm. Valisure also pointed to the past
in consumer products like hand sani- example of ranitidine. In 2019, Vali-
tisers, sunscreens, spray deodorants, The lab not only detected benzene sure filed a citizen petition to the
and dry shampoos. The Valisure report inside the product, benzene gas was USFDA “showing that the ranitidine
said benzene “can form at unaccept- found in the airspace around it – which molecule is fundamentally unstable
ably high levels” in both prescription was the equivalent of air typically and degrades to form high levels of
and over-the-counter benzoyl peroxide found in a compact car – at around the carcinogen NDMA (N-nitrosodi-
products, and results from Valisure’s 1,270 times the threshold that the US methylamine),” it stated. By 2020, the
tests showing that some products could Environmental Protection Agency has USFDA requested that manufacturers
form more than 800 times the “condi- for long-term inhalation exposure to withdraw all ranitidine products from
tionally restricted” US FDA concentra- benzene, according to the lab. the market because NDMA had been
tion limit for benzene. found to “increase significantly in
Mr. David Light, Valisure’s samples stored at higher temperatures,
Tests involving dozens of these Co-Founder and President, stated, including temperatures the product
products suggest that when benzoyl “This discovery of benzoyl peroxide’s may be exposed to during distribution
peroxide acne treatments are stored or fundamental instability and formation and handling by consumers”.

Chemical Weekly March 19, 2024 167

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