Adult and children's use of hand sanitizer during a pandemic - an observational study.

BACKGROUND: The use of hand sanitizers has been one of the key public health measures recommended to reduce the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 during the pandemic. As such, its daily use among the general population has reportedly increased dramatically since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. OBJECTIVE: To better understand the impact of this recommendation, hand sanitizer use, including the frequency and amount handled, was examined among adults in a non-occupational setting and children in both the home and school/childcare settings. METHODS: An online survey of Canadians (conducted from September to October 2021) was employed to estimate use frequency, amount, and pattern of hand sanitizer use. RESULTS: Responses were received from 655 adults in the general population and 298 teachers of children up to the age of 18 years. The frequency of hand sanitizer use during the pandemic was found to be as high as 25 times per day in children and over 9 times per day in adults. Notable differences were found when comparing the frequency of hand sanitizer use by children in the home to children in a school or childcare setting. SIGNIFICANCE: This is the first study, known to the authors, examining hand sanitizer use among children during the pandemic, including use in a childcare or school setting. This study illustrates the importance of examining the change in consumer behaviors during a pandemic and the need to look beyond the home when attempting to understand product use patterns in children. IMPACT STATEMENT: This research explores uses of hand sanitizer, before and during pandemic conditions, in the general population of Canada with a particular focus on use among children. The results can be used to estimate exposure to chemicals in hand sanitizer from non-occupational use in Canada and among similar populations and signal the importance of examining changing consumer behaviors and use of consumer products in school settings, especially among children.

A review of human biomonitoring data used in regulatory risk assessment under Canada's Chemicals Management Program.

As a part of the Chemicals Management Plan launched in 2006, the Government of Canada is assessing and managing, where appropriate, the potential health and ecological risks associated with approximately 4300 substances under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (1999). Since that time, nearly 3000 substances have been assessed, with human biomonitoring (HBM) data playing an increasingly important role for some substances. Case studies are presented, including both inorganic and organic substances (i.e., selenium, triclosan, phthalates), which highlight the impact and overall role HBM has had in regulatory decision making in Canada for these three substances as well as criteria used in the application of HBM data in human health risk assessment. An overview of its limitations in terms of how and when HBM data can be applied, when assessing human health in a regulatory setting, is discussed as well as the role HBM data can play in priority setting.

Personal Care Product Use in Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period: Implications for Exposure Assessment.

Concern regarding the potential for developmental health risks associated with certain chemicals (e.g., phthalates, antibacterials) used in personal care products is well documented; however, current exposure data for pregnant women are limited. The objective of this study was to describe the pattern of personal care product use in pregnancy and the post-partum period. Usage patterns of personal care products were collected at six different time points during pregnancy and once in the postpartum period for a cohort of 80 pregnant women in Ottawa, Canada. The pattern of use was then described and groups of personal care product groups commonly used together were identified using hierarchical cluster analysis. The results showed that product use varied by income and country of birth. General hygiene products were the most commonly used products and were consistently used over time while cosmetic product use declined with advancing pregnancy and post-delivery. Hand soaps and baby products were reported as used more frequently after birth. This study is the first to track personal care product use across pregnancy and into the postpartum period, and suggests that pregnant populations may be a unique group of personal care product users. This information will be useful for exposure assessments.