Triclosan: 'a stupid use of a chemical'
Do soaps with triclosan do more harm than good?
Critics call on FDA and EPA to review popular anti-microbial's safety in light of new science
Critics call on FDA and EPA to review popular anti-microbial's safety in light of new science
February 10, 2013 | By Monica Eng, Chicago Tribune reporter
If co-workers and family members are coming down with infections this winter, you may be tempted to turn to an anti-bacterial soap for protection.
But some scientists are increasingly concerned that a common anti-bacterial ingredient called triclosan may harm people's health. Laboratory studies have found that it may disrupt hormones, interfere with muscle function and promote the growth of stronger bacteria — and other research suggests it is building up in the environment to the possible peril of wildlife.
What's more, there is no evidence that hand-washing with soap containing triclosan or other anti-microbial ingredients offers any health advantages over regular soap and water, according to advisory committees for the American Medical Association and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
"Triclosan is what we call a stupid use of a chemical," said Dr. Sarah Janssen, a physician and senior scientist with the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental advocacy group. "It doesn't work, it's not safe and it is not being regulated."
The nation's main trade association for soap manufacturers, the American Cleaning Institute, says triclosan is effective against certain infectious bacteria and the health concerns are overblown.
Yet the FDA, which oversees the use of chemicals in food and drugs, has never completed a safety review and issued binding usage rules for triclosan. For nearly 40 years, manufacturers have been free to make and market products using the chemical even as evidence of potential health and environmental problems mounted.
(Continued here.)
If co-workers and family members are coming down with infections this winter, you may be tempted to turn to an anti-bacterial soap for protection.
But some scientists are increasingly concerned that a common anti-bacterial ingredient called triclosan may harm people's health. Laboratory studies have found that it may disrupt hormones, interfere with muscle function and promote the growth of stronger bacteria — and other research suggests it is building up in the environment to the possible peril of wildlife.
What's more, there is no evidence that hand-washing with soap containing triclosan or other anti-microbial ingredients offers any health advantages over regular soap and water, according to advisory committees for the American Medical Association and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
"Triclosan is what we call a stupid use of a chemical," said Dr. Sarah Janssen, a physician and senior scientist with the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental advocacy group. "It doesn't work, it's not safe and it is not being regulated."
The nation's main trade association for soap manufacturers, the American Cleaning Institute, says triclosan is effective against certain infectious bacteria and the health concerns are overblown.
Yet the FDA, which oversees the use of chemicals in food and drugs, has never completed a safety review and issued binding usage rules for triclosan. For nearly 40 years, manufacturers have been free to make and market products using the chemical even as evidence of potential health and environmental problems mounted.
(Continued here.)
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