Harvard Environmental Health and Safety, a department of Campus Services, advised University affiliates to suspend use of hand sanitizers containing the human carcinogen benzene, including one brand purchased by Harvard, in a Monday email.
The guidance comes after pharmaceutical testing company Valisure published a March 24 citizen petition identifying brands of hand sanitizer that it found contain benzene, a chemical known to cause cancer in humans.
Though temporary U.S. Food and Drug Administration policies during the Covid-19 pandemic currently permit the concentration of up to two parts per million of benzene in hand sanitizer products, HEHS Managing Director William VanSchalkwyk issued a notice in the email to Harvard affiliates to forgo use of hand sanitizers containing any detectable amount of benzene based on Valisure’s data.
The coronavirus pandemic has brought a plethora of new measures to Harvardâs campus, including social distancing, mask wearing, and avoiding in-person gatherings. Among the most disruptive is leaving campus for isolation housing upon testing positive for the coronavirus.
Consistent with the fall semester, students living on campus self-administer three polymerase chain reaction tests â known as PCR tests â per week using kits designed by Color Genomics, a health and technology company. Students then drop off their tests in designated gray bins around campus. The Broad Institute processes their test kits, and Color Genomics notifies students of their test results on the companyâs online portal, often within a day.
Despite reductions in campus greenhouse gas emissions, Harvard failed to meet 2020 waste and water reduction goals set forth by the Universityâs 2014 Sustainability Plan.
The plan â introduced by former University President Drew G. Faust â set forth 12 goals, commitments, and standards to be met by 2020 aimed at reconfiguring campus operations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, conserve resources, and promote âhealth and well-being.â
The University achieved most of its 2020 pledges, including several before the deadline. The Green Restaurant Association awarded each of the 13 undergraduate dining halls operated by Harvard University Dining Services a two or three star certification for sustainability in 2014. In 2016, the League of American Cyclists designated Harvard as a gold-level âBike Friendly University.â
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The coronavirus pandemic has been nothing short of a call to action for many. Students, teachers, and administrators are all doing their part in the fight against COVID-19. This effort extends beyond Harvardâs campus to Surprise Valley, Calif., where co-captain Caroline Noble of the Radcliffe Womenâs Heavyweight Crew team is doing her part.
For the past three years, Noble has contributed to the Radcliffe squad on and off the water. One of Nobleâs favorite Radcliffe memories on the water was rowing six-seat in the Club Eight at Head of the Charles her sophomore fall. But the San Anselmo, Calif., nativeâs career has been anything but smooth.