A chemical widely used in antibacterial hand soaps and cutting boards is being reviewed by the FDA for safety after studies have shown that it may cause antibiotic resistance or alter hormone regulation.
The chemical triclosan is so widespread that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that it is present in the urine of 75 percent of Americans over the age of 5. Triclosan is even used in a bestselling toothpaste, Colgate Total, The New York Times reports.
The FDA has said that soaps with the chemical are no more effective than plain soap and water.
The outcome of the FDA investigation carries high stakes for the makers of antibacterial hand soaps, which represent about half of the $750 million market for liquid hand soaps in the U.S.
There is no real evidence that triclosan is dangerous to humans, according to Richard Theiler, senior vice president for research and development at Henkel, the maker of Dial Complete, which contains the chemical and is the fifth-best-selling liquid hand soap in the nation.
“It has been used now in products safely for decades,” Mr. Theiler told the Times.
However, other manufacturers have removed triclosan from their formulations. Colgate-Palmolive now uses lactic acid instead of triclosan in Palmolive Antibacterial Dish Liquid and Softsoap hand soap. Colgate has not removed the chemical from its Colgate Total toothpaste because it has proven effective against gingivitis.
The company issued a statement saying: “The safety and efficacy of Colgate Total toothpaste is fully supported in over 70 clinical studies.”
Consumer groups and scientists have warned against triclosan for years. Studies have shown that triclosan alters sex hormones in lab animals, disrupts the thyroid hormone in frogs and rats, and can cause some bacteria to become resistant to antibiotics.
What's more, research by the University of Michigan School of Public Health suggests that kids with higher exposure to triclosan may cause them to be more frequently diagnosed with allergies, National Public Radio reported.
The evidence against triclosan causing antibiotic resistance is not convincing, according to Brian Sansoni, spokesman for the American Cleaning Institute. “You would think after heavy use in hospital setting over several decades it would have shown up by now,” Sansoni told the Times. “This is one of those big urban myths.”
In 2005, an FDA advisory panel said that soaps with triclosan were no better at preventing illness than regular soap and water.
Said Sarah Janssen, senior scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council: “A lot of people mistakenly believe that if they buy something with a chemical in it that is antibacterial that it’s a plus.”
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