Say No to Triclosan

In 2002, when B4 Brands was formed, it became the first company in the world to introduce a comprehensive line of bio-based hand hygiene products. Back when we started, bio-based or "green" products were not mainstream like they are today. The founders of B4 Brands developed these bio-based products using natural ingredients because it was the right thing to do in the interests of human health and the health of the environment. B4 Brands' leadership, in conjunction with the work of others in the environmental movement in hand hygiene, helped pave the way for institutions throughout the United States and the world to have more sustainable options in their hand hygiene products.

 

Triclosan is an antibacterial agent that has been used in hand soaps, toothpastes, deodorants, shaving creams, mouth washes, and cleaning supplies for years. Recently, it has also been infused into consumer products such as toys, dish soap, cosmetics, and clothing. It seems as though there is an antibacterial version of virtually every product in every consumer product category, yet the evidence against using Triclosan is compelling and growing every day.

 

Triclosan Dangers

• It is found in most human breast milk and the CDC has found that by the age of 7 almost everyone has significant levels in their blood and urine.
• It is a potent hormone disruptor including estrogen, androgen, and thyroid hormone systems. There is evidence that it may be involved in certain forms of breast cancer, early onset of puberty in girls, and delayed brain development.
• It accumulates in our fatty tissues (like DDT) and persists there for months to years.
• In the presence of sunlight and moisture it is readily converted into Dioxins which are among the most toxic and carcinogenic environmental contaminants.
• Most of it is washed down the drain where it passes through water treatment plants concentrated and bound to the sludge. The sludge is then sold as “biosolids,” which have been used as a fertilizer for food production for over 20 years. The bound Triclosan enters the food cycle as it is processed by worms, plants, and soil microbes – ultimately ending up in the fatty tissues of animals that live in the ecosystem where it is used.

Triclosan’s days as an antibacterial agent are clearly numbered. The EPA is currently reviewing health and safety data, a number of grocery store chains both in Europe and here in the U.S. have now banned products containing Triclosan and new research citing the various dangers of its use are being consistently released.

 

Sources:

The Environmental Working Group – “Antibacterial Agent No Better Than Soap and Water – And It’s Toxic” (July 2008) www.ewg.org/node/26885

 

Science Daily – “Antibacterial Chemical Disrupts Hormone Activities, Study Finds” (Dec. 2007)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071207150713.htm