Mario Anzuoni/ Reuters
- The Illinois Department of Public Health has warned of a last-minute recall of eclipse glasses.
- The glasses potentially do not meet ISO safety standards for gazing directly at the sun.
- The glasses were sold at several Southern Illinois retailers, and are available on Amazon.
Eclipse spectators, take heed: The Illinois Department of Public Health issued a recall alert Monday for a pair of eclipse glasses that were sold on Amazon and several Southern Illinois retailers.
On Amazon, the glasses are listed as "Biniki Solar Eclipse Glasses AAS Approved 2024 — CE & ISO Certified Safe Shades for Direct Sun Viewing (6 Packs)," according to the department's notice.
They're also listed as a #1 bestseller on Amazon and were still available Monday afternoon as the eclipse began.
But the glasses potentially do not meet the ISO 12312-2 safety standard — a designation by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) for glasses that make them safe to directly gaze at the sun with, according to CBS News.
In addition to Amazon, the glasses were sold at a handful of local retailers — several of which have posted notices on social media, per CBS.
An Amazon spokesperson told Business Insider that the brand referenced by the department was recently added to the American Astronomical Society's (AAS) approved list of glasses, which is why it is available for purchase.
"We continuously monitor our store for non-compliant products, and when we discover a product was undetected by our proactive checks, we address the issue immediately and refine our controls," the spokesperson said in a statement. "If customers have concerns about an item they've purchased, we encourage them to contact our Customer Service directly so we can address any questions they may have. We regret any inconvenience this may have caused our customers."
Customers were initially notified and provided a refund for the glasses "out of an abundance of caution" before the glasses were added to the AAS list, the spokesperson said.
Customers are notified by Amazon if a product they've purchased has been recalled.
"When we learn of a recall, we stop all impacted product offerings and hold any related stock in our Fulfillment Centers," the company says on its site. "We also contact customers that bought such products and sellers that may have offered such products, to tell them about the recall."