Commentary
As COVID-19 blazed its path across the world, it sparked an insatiable demand for hand sanitizer, creating a frenzied market that had more in common with a gold rush than a public health measure. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stepped in, relaxing regulations to meet this spiraling demand. However, this decision, akin to opening Pandora’s box, triggered a cascade of unintended consequences, culminating in an environmental catastrophe in Carson, California.