Triclosan side effects

Triclosan, an antibacterial agent found in many personal care products, is currently under review by the FDA. Troubling results from animal studies showed that it could reduce levels of thyroid hormones, which play a key role in regulating metabolism. Other recent studies suggest that long-term use of products containing triclosan can increase bacteria's resistance to antibiotics. It may be risky to have triclosan in your toothpaste since it can readily be absorbed through the mouth. 

FDA Targets Antibacterial Soaps, May Finally Submit Triclosan Safety Review 
Triclosan is found in many household items and may be dangerous

After taking its sweet time, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will make a decision on whether a chemical found in household antibacterial soaps is safe or not.

The chemical triclosan, which is found in about 75 percent of liquid antibacterial soaps in the United States, has been in question for quite some time now. Animal studies have shown that it could lead to infertility and early puberty -- and lawmakers and advocates want the FDA to make a decision now.

The case involving triclosan dates back as far as 1972. At that time, Congress passed a law that made the FDA set guidelines for antibacterial chemicals. The FDA published its first tentative set of guidelines in 1978 for the liquid soaps, which said that triclosan was not seen as "safe and effective" due to lack of research proving otherwise.

The FDA made many drafts since then, but none were ever finalized. Hence, triclosan was never removed from household products like antibacterial soap, toothpaste, deodorants, bedding, and even toys.

Last summer, the FDA said the review would be complete by the end of 2012, but that was later pushed to February 2013. We are now in May 2013, and the FDA is being pushed to finalize the review.

^{Triclosan is found in antibacterial soap [Image Source: Chicago Tribune]}

The FDA was even threatened with a lawsuit by the nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council in March of this year.

Right now, the FDA's website states that "the agency does not have evidence that triclosan in antibacterial soaps and body washes provides any benefit over washing with regular soap and water."

In August 2012, researchers at the University of California - Davis and the University of Colorado discovered that triclosan actually affects muscular strength in mice, swimming in fish and muscular contractions in skeletal and cardiac cells.

The researchers reached these conclusions by first exposing living mice to doses of triclosan similar to that humans and animals would be in contact with on a daily basis. After 20 minutes of exposure, the mice had a 25 percent drop in heart function. They also had an 18 percent decrease in grip strength after an hour of exposure.

While the removal of triclosan could prove to be a nuisance for many industries, companies like Johnson & Johnson have already vowed to remove triclosan from all adult products by 2015.

There's no exact date planned for the final review by the FDA, but it's expected to come this year -- hopefully. 

Triclosan is a chemical used to help reduce or prevent bacterial contamination, and it's commonly added to antibacterial soaps and body washes, toothpastes and certain cosmetics, as well as furniture, kitchenware, clothing and toys. If you see triclosan on a product label, I suggest putting that product back on the shelf, as this chemical is linked to a number of concerning side effects to human health and the environment.

Triclosan May Cause Hormone Disruption

You may be aware that many girls are now reaching puberty at younger ages, a trend that has been linked back to chemicals that disrupt the human endocrine system and affect your hormones, which control development and other important functions in your body. One such chemical is triclosan, a chlorinated phenolic compound that has been found to have both estrogenic and androgenic activity and has been linked to hormone disruption in animals.

The Toxicological Sciences study noted above found that triclosan affected estrogen-mediated responses, and chemicals that imitate estrogen are known to increase breast cancer risk. Triclosan also suppressed thyroid hormone in rats, and this is only one study of many showing this chemical to be a potent endocrine disrupter.

Past research has also shown:

• Exposure to triclosan disrupts thyroid hormone-associated gene expressionin frogs, even at low levels (triclosan exposure at 0.15 parts per billion was enough to disrupt a hormone-signaling system in frogs)
• Triclosan decreases circulating concentrations of the thyroid hormonethyroxine (T4) in rats

Concerning findings such as these have triggered the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates triclosan in consumer products, to conduct a review of the chemical, the results of which they expect to release to the public in the winter of 2012.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which regulates triclosan as a pesticide, has also announced it will undertake a comprehensive review of triclosan beginning in 2013, and notes they will "pay close attention to the ongoing endocrine research and will amend the regulatory decision if the science supports such a change." Unfortunately, what this means for you for now is that essentiallynothing is being done in the immediacy to get this chemical out of your hand soap, body wash and toothpaste.

The Rise of Antibiotic-Resistant Disease

The very idea that we must protect ourselves from any and all bacteria at every turn, by eradicating them from every orifice, inch of skin, every utensil and every surface you ever come in contact with, is fundamentally flawed. And we're now living with the ramifications of this misguided line of thinking

Antibiotic-resistant diseases, for example, have sharply increased and now pose a greater threat than modern plagues like HIV/AIDS. The widespread, excessive use of antibacterial products, in addition to the routine use of antibiotics in our food supply, is likely a significant part of the problem. As the conservativeAmerican Medical Association (AMA) stated more than a decade ago in the year 2000:

"Despite their recent proliferation in consumer products, the use of antimicrobial agents such as triclosan has not been studied extensively. No data exist to support their efficacy when used in such products or any need for them, but increasing data now suggest growing acquired resistance to these commonly used antimicrobial agents.

… In light of these findings, there is little evidence to support the use of antimicrobials in consumer products such as topical hand lotions and soaps."

Unfortunately, triclosan is still being used widely despite these concerns raised more than 10 years ago.  The Emerging Contaminants Workgroup of the Santa Clara Basin Watershed Management Initiative (SCBWMI) also issued a white paper on triclosan more than five years ago, where they explain, in layman's terms, the mechanism by which triclosan may cause resistance:

"Unlike bleach and soap that destroy and dislodge bacteria microbes, triclosan works by interfering with a specific bacterial enzyme. Non-specific antiseptics, such as alcohol, merely break open the cell and, therefore, are not the type of chemical to which bacteria could develop resistance.

On the other hand, triclosan's mode of action is different from alcohols and peroxide. Triclosan is fat-soluble and easily penetrates the bacterial cell wall. And once inside the cell it attacks an enzyme that is used to produce fatty acids that are vital to cell function.

This mode-of-action could ultimately lead to the development of antibiotic resistance. Through continual use of triclosan, non-bacterial strains would be killed, leaving only the bacteria whose enzyme system has evolved to resist the presence of triclosan. Some microbiologists fear that the commercial and personal overuse of triclosan could reduce the effectiveness of currently useful antibiotics. For instance, an antibiotic used to treat tuberculosis targets the same enzyme system.

If you are not yet aware of the potential dangers of triclosan, you should know that this antibacterial agent has been strongly linked to the following effects on human health:

* Abnormalities with the endocrine system, particularly with thyroid hormone signaling
* Weakening of the immune system
* Birth defects
* Uncontrolled cell growth
* Unhealthy weight loss

Products That Contain Triclosan

Although triclosan is best known for its presence in many brands of antibacterial soap, it is also found in a wide variety of personal care and household products. According to BeyondPesticides.org, triclosan is found in the following products:

Soaps:

* Dial® Liquid Soap
* Softsoap® Antibacterial Liquid Hand Soap
* Tea Tree Therapy™ Liquid Soap
* Provon® Soap
* Clearasil® Daily Face Wash
* Dermatologica® Skin Purifying Wipes
* Clean & Clear Foaming Facial Cleanser
* DermaKleen™ Antibacterial Lotion Soap
* Naturade Aloe Vera 80® Antibacterial Soap
* CVS Antibacterial Soap
* pHisoderm Antibacterial Skin Cleanser

Dental Care:

* Colgate Total®; Breeze™ Triclosan Mouthwash
* Reach® Antibacterial Toothbrush
* Janina Diamond Whitening Toothpaste

Cosmetics:

* Supre® Café Bronzer™
* TotalSkinCare Makeup Kit
* Garden Botanika® Powder Foundation
* Mavala Lip Base
* Jason Natural Cosmetics
* Blemish Cover Stick
* Movate® Skin Litening Cream HQ
* Paul Mitchell Detangler Comb
* Revlon ColorStay LipSHINE Lipcolor Plus Gloss
* Dazzle

Deodorant:

* Old Spice High Endurance Stick Deodorant
* Right Guard Sport Deodorant
* Queen Helene® Tea Trea Oil Deodorant and Aloe Deodorant
* Nature De France Le Stick Natural Stick Deodorant
* DeCleor Deodorant Stick
* Epoch® Deodorant with Citrisomes
* X Air Maximum Strength Deodorant

Other Personal Care Products:

* Gillette® Complete Skin Care MultiGel Aerosol Shave Gel
* Murad Acne Complex® Kit®
* Diabet-x™ Cream
* T.Taio™ sponges and wipes
* Aveeno Therapeutic Shave Gel

First Aid:

* SyDERMA® Skin Protectant plus First Aid Antiseptic
* Solarcaine®
* First Aid Medicated Spray;
Nexcare™ First Aid
* Skin Crack Care
* First Aid/Burn Cream
* HealWell® Night Splint
* 11-1X1: Universal Cervical Collar with Microban

Kitchenware:

* Farberware® Microban Steakknife Set and Cutting Boards
* Franklin Machine Products FMP Ice Cream Scoop SZ 20 Microban
* Hobart Semi-Automatic Slicer
* Chix® Food Service Wipes with Microban
* Compact Web Foot® Wet Mop Heads

Computer Equipment:

* Fellowes Cordless Microban Keyboard and Microban Mouse Pad

Clothes:

* Merrell Shoes
* Sabatier Chef's Apron
* Dickies Socks
* Fruit of the Loom Socks
* Biofresh® Socks

Children's Toys:

* Playskool® :
o Stack 'n Scoop Whale
o Rockin' Radio
o Hourglass
o Sounds Around Driver
o Roll 'n' Rattle Ball
o Animal Sounds Phone
o Busy Beads Pal
o Pop 'n' Spin Top
o Lights 'n' Surprise Laptop

Other:

* Bionare® Cool Mist Humidifier
* Microban® All Weather Reinforced Hose
* Thomasville® Furniture
* Deciguard AB Ear Plugs
* Bauer® 5000 Helmet
* Aquatic Whirlpools
* Miller Paint Interior Paint
* QVC® Collapsible 40-Can Cooler
* Holmes Foot Buddy™ Foot Warmer
* Blue Mountain Wall Coverings
* California Paints®
* EHC AMRail Escalator Handrails
* Dupont™ Air Filters
* Durelle™ Carpet Cushions
* Advanta One Laminate Floors
* San Luis Blankets
* J Cloth® towels
* JERMEX mops

Source: BeyondPesticides.org