GEORGE TOWN: The Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) has urged the Health Ministry to urgently address the safety of sanitising liquids.
CAP president Mohideen Abdul Kader said this was because nano spray guns were commonly used at home and workplaces during the current Covid-19 pandemic.
He said information from the ministry on the sanitising liquids for these guns was scant, yet they were easily available.
He said many of them did not declare the ingredients on their labels and some even touted "proven active ingredients against virus listed in" the World Health Organisation (WHO), the National Environment Agency, and the ministry.
Mohideen said although chemicals may had been declared safe and efficacious by various agencies and organisations, they must also be treated with extreme care because the 'safety' aspect of a chemical hinged on the duration of exposure as well as its concentration.
"Moreover, a person may have adverse reaction to a particular chemical in the liquid. Some of the liquids sold do not even have a proper warning label, handling instructions, the name of the manufacturer or distributor, and the ingredients and their concentration.
"As such, we do not know if who and where these liquids were prepared and bottled. We are concerned because some people have used the gun to discharge the aerosolised liquid onto their entire body because inhalation of the aerosol may be detrimental to the respiratory system, or the liquid may come in contact with the eyes and mouth area.
"Is it safe to spray onto a surface meant for food? There are traders claiming that the liquid they sell is safe enough to be sprayed all over the body. People may innocently share the information via social media, misinforming others.
"The sanitising liquids available in the market should be investigated by the ministry urgently because of the widespread use of nano spray guns. We, therefore, reiterate our call to the ministry in particular to release information on nano spray guns and the sanitising liquids they use," he said today.
Mohideen said it would be helpful if the information could be in the form of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for a layperson to understand.
He added that nano spray guns were popular items because they were perceived as a viable sanitising method for personal use and people needed to know if the chemicals they were handling were safe.