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FT-IR hand sanitiser now tests ethanol and isopropanol concentrations

8 September 2020 | Product
by Ian Michael

PerkinElmer’s Hand Sanitiser Analyser instrument can be used to test for the presence of methanol in alcohol-based hand sanitiser products with pass/fail results delivered in 30 s or less. Recent warnings and recalls from the FDA indicate that methanol can be toxic to consumers if absorbed through the skin and life threatening if ingested. The instrument, introduced in April 2020, also tests hand sanitisers for concentration levels of desired alcohols, such as ethanol and isopropanol, to help assure product efficacy per WHO, USP or FDA guidelines.

The compact and portable analyser is based on the Spectrum Two™ FT-IR spectrometer. The underlying technology allows for rapid detection of methanol contamination down to 0.03 % (or 300 ppm), which is more sensitive than the FDA-mandated detection limits.