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DCL
Bad news (more of it) confirmed on triclosan, the ubiquitous antibacterial agent in products ranging from Purell hand sanitizer to toothpaste.
Triclosan is an antibacterial and antifungal chemical thought to act as an endocrine disruptor in the body. It's also a suspected cause of the increase in antibiotic resistance [PDF] seen in recent years.
We already knew it was showing up in people's urine, but data released by the CDC last week show that concentration has jumped by more than 40 percent in two years. The jury's still out, however, on what exactly that means for human health.
New Scientist reports that according to CDC data on 212 chemicals in 2400 volunteers in the U.S., the average amount of triclosan increased from 13 micrograms per liter of urine in 2003-4 to 18.5 micrograms per liter [PDF] in 2005-6.
And that was four years ago—I haven't seen the use of antibacterials slowing down.
That doesn't bode well for the nation's health, although on the bright side, it's one health issue that doesn't disproportionately affect lower-income populations (it's actually the opposite).
The FDA is finally taking a harder look at the safety of triclosan—though too slowly for NRDC's liking and the organization is now suing for faster action. There are also calls for the EPA to act on triclosan.
Until those agencies act, however, it seems like a good idea to look closer at the ingredient labels on products you buy, and try to find substitutes for any of them that contain triclosan.
