Advertisement surveillance for swimming pool chemicals commercialized over the Internet

• Published in: Revista española de comunicación en salud Vol. 11; no. 2; pp. 193 - 202
• Main Authors: Joaquín Gámez de la Hoz, Ana Padilla Fortes, Marta Padilla-Ruiz
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Universidad Carlos III de Madrid 01.12.2020
• Subjects: comercio; comunicación en salud; etiquetado de productos; piscinas; productos químicos peligrosos; publicidad; salud pública; seguridad
• ISSN: 1989-9882
• DOI: 10.20318/recs.2020/5555

Introduction: Communication of hazards related to chemical products is an essential aspect for improving customer confidence in electronic commerce. Objective: To examine the regulated hazard statements for swimming pool chemicals advertised and sold to the public over the Internet.  Methodology: We randomly selected 40 hazardous chemicals for swimming pools sold in online stores over the Internet. Data were captured from 8 different companies’ websites with headquarters in Andalusia (Spain). Results: Chemical advertisements without visible hazard statements were predominant (n = 25). In all cases, hazard statements on product labels displayed on the websites were illegible. Only 3 chemical products showed codes and visible hazard statements on their website. Conclusion: The protection of e-commerce consumers and customers concerning chemical safety could be compromised due to the lack of relevant information about selling hazardous products over the Internet.