The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has ordered EcoShield LLC, operating in San Diego, to stop selling the clip-on badge Eco AirDoctor Portable. This product is an unregistered product making false disinfectant claims in violation of federal law. Today’s stop sale order follows a series of enforcement actions the Agency has taken to protect human health and the environment from misleading and harmful claims during the COVID-19 public health emergency. Some of these actions include Amazon and eBay and the “Virus Shut Out” product imported into California.
“Unregistered disinfectant products, especially during a pandemic, may cause injury to consumers,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Administrator John Busterud. “EPA remains vigilant and will continue to protect the health and safety of Americans from products that falsely claim to be effective against COVID-19.”
Eco AirDoctor Portable, a self-described “personal air sanitizer,” directs users to hang the badge from their shirts or backpacks and releases chlorine dioxide gas to purportedly sanitize the air of pathogens. EcoShield also claims on its website and social media that the product is a “safe and effective germ-killing agent” and implies it protects against the coronavirus which causes COVID-19. Other concerns include prolonged exposure to and inhalation of chlorine dioxide gas, which can adversely affect the health of users.
EPA issued a Stop Sale, Use or Removal Order to prevent EcoShield from continuing to sell this product, which is not registered with EPA. Eco AirDoctor Portable has been available for sale on the company’s website and was sold to drug stores in the states of Washington and New Jersey.
Under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, products that claim to kill or repel bacteria or germs, including disinfectants, are considered pesticides and must be registered with the EPA. Public health claims can only be made regarding products that have been properly tested and are registered with the EPA. The agency will not register a disinfectant until it has been determined that it will not pose an unreasonable risk when used according to the label directions. Products not registered by EPA can be harmful to human health, cause adverse effects, and may not be effective against the spread of germs.
EPA has released an expanded list of EPA-registered disinfectant products that have qualified for use against SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. List-N contains over 460 additional products—including products that went through the expedited review process for emerging viral pathogens.
To view the most up-to-date list of EPA-registered disinfectant products, visit https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/list-n-disinfectants-use-against-sars-cov-2
For more information on EPA resources on the coronavirus disease (COVID-19): https://www.epa.gov/coronavirus
For more information on pesticides, please visit: http://www.epa.gov/pesticides
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Last modified: August 10, 2020