In this month of spring cleaning, we'd like to again focus our attention on some common but nevertheless dangerous substances found in household cleaning products. Today's spotlight turns to triclosan, a ubiquitous antibacterial agent found in everything from soaps and toothpastes to socks.
As antibiotic-resistant bacteria like MRSA claim lives, we see a culture emerging in which antibacterial products are becoming the norm. But these products are not only contributing to the problem, they also contain active ingredients, like triclosan, that are harmful to us in and of themselves.
In fact, Fox News reports today on Regulators Looking at Safety of Antibacterial in Soap, highlighting the possible dangers of triclosan. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, stressing that as of now there are no grounds to change the use of triclosan, is reviewing the safety of the substance based on some recent studies.
One such study is that the chemical may alter hormone regulation and also contributes to bacteria evolving so that they become antibiotic-resistant. Other research ties triclosan to liver damage. PureZing.com further describes,
‘Found in a lot of antimicrobial soaps and toothpaste products, it can react with chlorine in the tap water to create chloroform. This is a toxic chemical that can give you cancer. If you breathe enough chloroform, you will die. When you wash your hands with antibacterial soap that contains triclosan, you are getting the fumes emitted from this chemical reaction.’
Congressman Democrat Edward Markey has taken a strong stance on the matter, declaring,
‘I call upon the federal government to ban the use of triclosan in consumer soaps and hand-washes, products intended for use by children, and products intended to come into contact with food. In addition, I will soon introduce legislation to speed up the government's efforts to evaluate and regulate other substances that may pose similar public health concerns.’
Interestingly, as the Fox News article states, ‘Many experts agree that soap containing triclosan does little or nothing extra to remove bacteria that using soap without the ingredient, as washing the hands physically removes the excess bacteria.’
Dr. Sarah Janssen of the Natural Resources Defense Council agrees. ‘It's about time FDA has finally stated its concerns about antibacterial chemicals like triclosan,’ she says. ‘The public deserves to know that these so-called antibacterial products are no more effective in preventing infections than regular soap and water and may, in fact, be dangerous to their health in the long run.’
For more information about harmful chemicals found in household cleaning products, see Top Ten Cleaning Chemicals to Avoid.