Triclosan: When will enough be enough?

This Antibacterial Agent In Soap Could Be Causing Staph Infections — In Your Nose

By Lecia Bushak | Apr 8, 2014 01:21 PM EDT | Medical Daily

A new study has pinpointed the antimicrobial agent triclosan as a promoter of Staphylococcus aureusbacteria in human nasal passages, which may pose a risk for infection.

According to researchers at the University of Michigan, triclosan is a man-made agent found in common items like toothpastes, kitchen surface cleaners, soaps, clothes, and even medical devices. In the study, researchers found that triclosan was found in the noses of 41 percent of study participants.

“Triclosan has been used as a biocide for over 40 years, but the broader effects that it has on the human microbiome have not been investigated,” the authors of the study wrote. Blaise Boles, author of the study and an assistant professor of molecular, cellular, and developmental biology at University of Michigan, notes that triclosan has been used frequently in myriads of antibacterial household products, but that there is little to no evidence that “it does a better job than regular soap,” he said in a press release. Indeed, triclosan is so incorporated into our common items that some studies have actually found traces of it in human urine, milk, and serum. When high concentrations of triclosan are found in the endocrine system, it can be damaging to the heart and skeletal muscle function — not to mention that when it accumulates in the nasal passages, it can lead to potential staph infections.

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