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CDietvorst gravatar image
Safe Water Strategy

Is handwashingwith ash safe?

When I suggested that changing Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Indicator 6.2.2 “Population with a hand washing facility with soap and water in the household” to “Population with a hand washing facility with soap or ash and water in the household”, it was brought to my attention to that this would be unwise because ash may be contaminated and therefore pose an unacceptable health risk.

My questions are:

  • Is the ash commonly used for handwashing likely to be contaminated? My assumption is that the ash comes from cooking stoves using firewood (twigs). This wood is likely to be safe unless it is sourced from a contaminated industrial site.

  • If the ash does contain trace contaminants like heavy metals, what is the risk that they may be absorbed by the skin taking into account that a only a small amount of ash is used for a very short period (the handwashing duration guideline is 20-30 seconds) and that the ash is then washed away with water?

  • If there are serious health risks, why does an organisation like UNICEF still promote handwashing with ash? In 2014 UNICEF promoted it in South Sudan - https://www.unicef.org/southsudan/media_15566.html.

  • Is there direct or indirect pressure from the soap-making private sector to discourage the use of (free) wood ash for handwashing?

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No.2 Revision

Is handwashingwith handwashing with ash safe?

When I suggested that changing Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Indicator 6.2.2 “Population with a hand washing facility with soap and water in the household” to “Population with a hand washing facility with soap or ash and water in the household”, it was brought to my attention to that this would be unwise because ash may be contaminated and therefore pose an unacceptable health risk.

My questions are:

  • Is the ash commonly used for handwashing likely to be contaminated? My assumption is that the ash comes from cooking stoves using firewood (twigs). This wood is likely to be safe unless it is sourced from a contaminated industrial site.

  • If the ash does contain trace contaminants like heavy metals, what is the risk that they may be absorbed by the skin taking into account that a only a small amount of ash is used for a very short period (the handwashing duration guideline is 20-30 seconds) and that the ash is then washed away with water?

  • If there are serious health risks, why does an organisation like UNICEF still promote handwashing with ash? In 2014 UNICEF promoted it in South Sudan - https://www.unicef.org/southsudan/media_15566.html.

  • Is there direct or indirect pressure from the soap-making private sector to discourage the use of (free) wood ash for handwashing?

click to hide/show revision 3
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KnowledgePointAdmin gravatar image
RedR CCDRR

Is handwashing with ash safe?

When I suggested that changing Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Indicator 6.2.2 “Population with a hand washing facility with soap and water in the household” to “Population with a hand washing facility with soap or ash and water in the household”, it was brought to my attention to that this would be unwise because ash may be contaminated and therefore pose an unacceptable health risk.

My questions are:

  • Is the ash commonly used for handwashing likely to be contaminated? My assumption is that the ash comes from cooking stoves using firewood (twigs). This wood is likely to be safe unless it is sourced from a contaminated industrial site.

  • If the ash does contain trace contaminants like heavy metals, what is the risk that they may be absorbed by the skin taking into account that a only a small amount of ash is used for a very short period (the handwashing duration guideline is 20-30 seconds) and that the ash is then washed away with water?

  • If there are serious health risks, why does an organisation like UNICEF still promote handwashing with ash? In 2014 UNICEF promoted it in South Sudan - https://www.unicef.org/southsudan/media_15566.html.

  • Is there direct or indirect pressure from the soap-making private sector to discourage the use of (free) wood ash for handwashing?