tagged w/ triclosan
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Antibacterial soaps and body washes containing the chemical triclosan don’t have extra health benefits compared with regular soap and water, the Food and Drug Administration said today on its Web site.
In light of animal studies raising questions about triclosan’s safety — the chemical may affect hormone regulation -- the FDA has been reviewing its widespread use. Triclosan, a commonly used pesticide, also has been added to toothpaste, computer keyboards, clothing, shopping bags and hundreds of other consumer products.
There’s also some concern that triclosan contributes to bacteria’s increasing resistance to antibiotics, the FDA said. The Environmental Protection Agency, meanwhile, is updating its own assessment of triclosan and has said it plans to work with the FDA to “better characterize the endocrine-related effects” of the compound.
http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/features_julieshealthclub/2010/04/fda-antibacterial-soaps-not-healthier-than-regular-soap.htmlAntibacterial soaps and body washes containing the chemical triclosan don’t have... more
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15th October was the Global Handwashing day but I want to take the chance to bring to people's attention the alarming, dangers of TRICLOSAN.
Every day we wash our hands and use this harmful substance present in all kinds of antibacterial products.
Excerpt:
"Today, the market is dominated by antibacterial hand washes. They make reassuring claims like "kills 99.99999% of germs." Most of them contain a hazardous chemical called Triclosan."
Triclosan is DANGEROUS!
Here's one more excerpt:
"There is a growing body of evidence that suggests that the rampant use of antibacterial soaps not only doesn't make us any healthier, but in fact, may make us worse off. Dr. Stuart Levy is one of the leading researchers on the health effects of using antibacterials (see references 1 and 2 below), and he recommends against their widespread use. And don't forget the environmental effects that persistent and toxic chemicals like Triclosan have.
This is one example of how our current habits can be driven more by the false sense of security the marketing of these products gives us, rather than the real health benefits they deliver."
Two more articles I'd like to quote as well:
"Triclosan, widely used in soaps and toothpastes for its ability to kill bacteria, has been found to hasten the transformation of tadpoles into adult frogs. The new research, "published online September 29 in Aquatic Toxicology , is the first to show that triclosan can act as an endocrine disrupter at concentrations found in North American streams... More than 55% of streams examined in 2002 had a median concentration of 0.14 parts per billion (ppb) (Environ. Sci. Technol. 2002, 36, 2322–2329)". The concern is not just with aquatic life, due to triclosan’s structural similarity to thyroid hormones, which orchestrate growth and development in wildlife and humans."
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/08/cma-calls-for-triclosan-ban.php
"Triclosan is found in a huge number of products, including soaps, toothpastes, cosmetics, laundry detergents, footwear, clothing, toys, facial tissues, adhesives, and pesticides. But you may not know you're even using triclosan because it's marketed under several names, including:
Irgasan DP-300
Lexol 300
Ster-Zac
Cloxifenolum
BioFresh
Microban
About three-quarters of Americans have detectable levels of triclosan in their urine, and people in their 30s and among the highest household income bracket tested for the highest levels of the bactericide. Urine detection isn't necessarily cause for concern--it simply means they body is filtering the product. But other studies show the chemical may not be as harmless as we once thought.
A study of 36 mothers found those who used toothpaste, deodorant or soap containing triclosan had higher levels of the chemical in their breast milk than mothers who did not use personal care products containing triclosan. (The study also analyzed triclosan levels in plasma and found they were higher than those in the milk.) Another study also showed that triclosan lowers body temperature and has a "nonspecific depressant effect on the central nervous system."
And it's not just potentially harmful for humans. Triclosan is highly toxic to some types of algae and Japanese medaka fish (in early life stage), and it bioaccumulates in fish. It also accelerates the rate at which tadpoles grow into frogs, and has been found in the blood of bottlenose dolphins."
http://planetgreen.discovery.com/food-health/overdosing-triclosan.html?campaign=daylife-article
For more info on which products contain this dangerous substance see:
http://drbenkim.com/articles/triclosan-products.htm
I might not argue the use of it in hospitals but not in households.
Take action below and for goodness' sake just try to use simple old fashioned soap instead.15th October was the Global Handwashing day but I want to take the chance to bring to... more
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Germ-killing chemical from soaps, toothpaste building up in dolphins
Triclosan is the germ-killing chemical of choice in hundreds of products, including liquid hand soaps, toothpaste and deodorants. Now some scientists are calling for its removal from consumer products because it is building up in the ocean's food web. A new study found that one-third of the bottlenose dolphins tested off South Carolina and almost one-quarter of those tested off Florida carried traces of triclosan in their blood. The concentrations found in the dolphins are known to disrupt the hormones and growth and development of other animals.
By Brett Israel
Environmental Health News
August 11, 2009
Dolphins are swimming in waters tainted with germ-killing soaps, but they aren't winding up squeaky clean.
Triclosan, an antibacterial chemical found in everyday bathroom and kitchen products, is accumulating in dolphins at concentrations known to disrupt the hormones and growth and development of other animals.
Scientists have found that one-third of the bottlenose dolphins tested off South Carolina and almost one-quarter of those tested off Florida carried traces of triclosan in their blood. It is the first time the chemical has been reported in a wild marine mammal – a worrisome finding, researchers say, because it shows it is building up in the ocean’s food web.
Triclosan is the germ-killing chemical of choice in hundreds of products, including liquid hand soaps, toothpaste, deodorants and cutting boards. Now some scientists are calling for its removal from consumer products.
“The fact that this chemical is found in the environment and is being detected in a top level predator certainly warrants concern,” said Patricia Fair, a research physiologist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and lead author of the dolphin study, which was published online in the journal Environmental Pollution in May.
Scientists cannot say what effect triclosan might have on dolphins, but lab studies conducted on other animals suggest that it could be jeopardizing their health. Studies in bullfrogs found that triclosan disrupts the endocrine system — blocking the tadpoles’ development into frogs at concentrations found in the environment. Another study found triclosan alters thyroid hormones in rats, which is another sign of endocrine system disruption.
Many scientists weren’t surprised to see triclosan turn up in dolphins, due to the chemical’s widespread use. In the United States, 76 percent of liquid soaps and 26 percent of bar soaps contain triclosan, according to a 2001 study in the American Journal of Infection Control. In Europe, approximately 350 tons are used in commercial products.
“With the sheer amount being used, it’s actually starting to accumulate [in more top predators],” said Caren Helbing, a molecular biologist at the University of Victoria, in British Columbia, Canada, who was not involved with the dolphin study.
After spitting your toothpaste down the sink or washing your liquid soap down the drain, it ends up in a sewage treatment plant, where 90 to 98 percent of the chemical is broken down, before the wastewater is discharged into freshwater or directly into oceans along the coasts. Triclosan was one of the most frequently detected chemicals in a survey of streams in 30 states conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey.
Triclosan builds up in fatty tissues, so it passes up the food chain from animal to animal, including humans.
Three-quarters of people tested in the United States have triclosan in their urine, according to a 2008 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It also has been found in breast milk of Swedish women. The concentrations reported in humans are similar to those found in dolphins.
Both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration regulate triclosan in consumer products.Germ-killing chemical from soaps, toothpaste building up in dolphins
Triclosan is... more
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