Edgewell Personal Care recently announced a nationwide voluntary recall of three lots of its Banana Boat sunscreen spray due to the detection of traces of carcinogenic benzene in the product!
It is reported that the three batches of sunscreen spray are Banana Boat's "hair and scalp hair and scalp" sunscreen series, the products are valid for December 2022, February 2023, April 2024, the specific batch for.
Edgewell Personal Care says the trace amounts of benzene, which come from the propellant that pushes the product out of the spray nozzle, are not an ingredient in the sunscreen and are "not expected to have adverse health consequences. They have now notified their retailers to remove the affected batches from their shelves. There have been no reports of illness or injury from the use of the product, but consumers are advised to stop using the affected products listed below as soon as they are found in their homes and to dispose of them properly.
Consumers with questions about this and other needs can contact Edgewell Personal Care at 1-888-686-3988 from 9 a.m. to 18 p.m. Eastern Time on weekdays.
Hazards of benzene
Benzene is a hydrocarbon organic compound, the simplest aromatic hydrocarbon, with the molecular formula C₆H₆, which is a sweet, flammable, carcinogenic and toxic colorless transparent liquid with a strong aromatic odor at room temperature. Benzene is insoluble in water, easily soluble in organic solvents and can be used as an organic solvent itself, and is a basic petrochemical raw material.
Car emissions, coal and oil combustion all release benzene; it is generally used in the manufacture of some plastics, rubber, dyes, detergents, drugs and pesticides
Because of its high volatility, benzene spreads easily when exposed to air. Short-term inhalation of small amounts of benzene in humans and animals can produce drowsiness, dizziness, rapid heart rate, headache, tremors, confusion, and delirium. Ingestion of food containing too much benzene can lead to vomiting, stomach pain, dizziness, insomnia, convulsions, rapid heart rate, and even death. Long-term exposure to benzene can cause great damage to the blood and cause chronic poisoning.
It causes neurasthenia syndrome, leads to leukemia, and even aplastic anemia. When women inhale excessive amounts of benzene, it can lead to menstrual disorders for several months and ovarian lesions. Inhalation of benzene in pregnant animals can lead to underweight hatchlings, delayed bone development, and bone marrow damage.
Some studies report that the latency period of benzene in the body can be as long as 12-15 years! Benzene has been confirmed as a Group 1 carcinogen (i.e., there is sufficient evidence that the substance is carcinogenic to humans) in the list of carcinogens published by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).