How Safe is Your Soap?

As the number of children diagnosed with autism continues to rise, so does the controversy around possible causes.  Added to the list of suspects is triclosan, a chemical found in antibacterial soaps and several other household products.  Recent research conducted at the University of California, Davis, on the effects of triclosan and similar chemicals that we use daily to fight germs, suggests these chemicals may be hazardous.   

The study, which was published in Environmental Health Perspectives in September of 2008, was part of the national Superfund Basic Research Program that is assessing the effects of environmental substances on human health.  Daniel Chang, of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at U.C. Davis, says their studies indicate that “there may be sensitive periods in development (such as pregnancy, early childhood and adolescence) when these compounds could have a very subtle detrimental effect”       

Isaac Pessah Ph.D., director of the U.C. Davis Children’s Center for Environmental Health, looked at how triclosan may affect brain development.  The studies found that the chemical attaches to certain molecules on the surface of brain cells, raising calcium levels inside the cells, causing the cells to get overexcited and burn neural circuits.  This is the reason Pessah named triclosan as a “prime target for research into environmental factors that might cause autism.”

Scientists, trying to identify what causes autism, agree that it is probably a combination of factors.  One theory is that certain genes make individuals more sensitive to or less able to rid the body of environmental toxins which affect neurological development. The U.C. Davis M.I.N.D. Institute, a multidisciplinary research center dedicated to studying and treating autism, responded to media coverage about the studies in June with a press release stating that “there is no evidence that triclosan is implicated in promoting autism.”  However, while “triclosan was previously believed to affect only bacterial cells, it also has diverse biological activities in mammalian cells … and has been found to accumulate in the environment and in human tissue” which is “cause for concern.”     

It is estimated that consumers spend about $! billion dollars a year on antibacterial products.  Triclosan is found in 76% of all liquid soap sold and is also added to toothpaste, mouthwash, cosmetics, fabrics and plastic kitchenware.   Triclocarban, the other subject of the U.C. Davis study, is a common additive in antibacterial bar soap and deodorant and was found to amplify the effects of hormones.  Triclosan and triclocarban were developed in the 1950s to be used as antiseptic agents in hospitals.    

Concerns about both of these chemicals have been raised before.  The American Medical Association has opposed routine use of antibacterial soaps since 2002.  In 2005, the Food and Drug Administration concluded that antibacterial soaps don’t prevent illness any better than ordinary soap and may be contributing to the rise of antibiotic resistant bacteria.  In 2007, a study by A.D.Dayan found triclosan in a majority of breast milk samples.  Another study published in Environmental Health Perspectives in March 2008, found triclosan in 75% of urine samples.  The chemicals are absorbed into the body from personal care products.  Exposure can also occur through food.  These chemicals are building up in the environment, where over a million pounds are dumped every year.  Sewage treatment captures only a small percentage.  The rest ends up in the waterways and in sludge which is spread on farm fields.

The Environmental Protection Agency is in the process of reevaluating triclosan.  A draft report published in the Federal Register in May 2008 concludes that it doesn’t pose any serious safety concerns for consumers.  In light of the fact that the U.C. Davis researchers are realizing effects on the nervous and endocrine systems that were not detected before, the general consensus seems to be that further research is warranted.  In the meantime, it may be a good idea to start reading labels and questioning why we spend so much money on these products when washing hands with chemical free soap and warm water is just as effective.