Triclosan exploded on to the marketplace in hundreds of consumer products ranging from antibacterial soaps, deodorants, toothpastes, cosmetics, fabrics, toys, and other household and personal care products. While antibacterial products are marketed as agents that protect and safeguard against potential harmful bacteria, studies conclude that antibacterial soaps show no health benefits over plain soaps. The scientific literature has extensively linked the uses of triclosan, and its cousin triclocarban, to many health and environmental hazards. As an endocrine disruptor, triclosan has been shown to affect male and female reproductive hormones and possibly fetal development, and also shown to alter thyroid function.

Triclosan is not only an endocrine disruptor found at increasing concentrations in human urine and breast milk, but also contaminates waterways and possibly even drinking water. Despite industry claims, triclosan is not very effective against harmful bacteria, including those found in hospitals.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also has found that triclosan is present in the urine of 75% of the U.S. population, with concentrations that have increased by 42% since 2004. USDA scientists found that triclosan is only slowly degraded in biosolids and persists at low levels in the environment for long periods of time. Biosolids are typically recycled on to agricultural lands.

Triclosan can then be taken up and translocated in plants like the soybean, a cornerstone of the American diet. The prevalence of triclosan in the nation’s waterways is a cause for concern since triclosan is converted into several toxic compounds including various forms of dioxin and dioxin-like compounds when exposed to sunlight in an aqueous environment.

http://www.enewspf.com/latest-news/science-a-environmental/32108-canada-to-declare-triclosan-toxic-to-environment.html

(Washington, DC) In the wake of recent scandals involving mercury in face cream, formaldehyde in hair products and lead in lipstick, the House Energy and Commerce Committee has called the first official Congressional hearing on cosmetics safety in more than 30 years. The hearing will take place March 27.

“It’s time for Congress to overhaul the 1938 cosmetic regulations that are utterly failing to protect public health. Personal care products from deodorants, to lotions to baby shampoos contain chemicals linked to cancer, birth defects, learning disabilities and other health problems,” said Janet Nudelman, policy director of the Breast Cancer Fund.

“The FDA doesn’t even have the authority to recall unsafe products such as face creams linked to mercury poisoning or hair products with high levels of formaldehyde,” Nudelman said.

In a recent example, the California Attorney General forced the makers of Brazilian Blowout hair smoothing products to warn consumers about exposure to cancer-causing formaldehyde. But just last week, a hidden camera investigation by Good Morning America revealed that 16 of 16 salons failed to notify consumers about the risk.

http://www.rxforantiaging.com/anti-aging/cancer-and-make-up-is-here-a-link.php

Taken together, many studies now demonstrate that triclosan is certainly not the safe and healthy bacteria-fighting hand soap ingredient we once might have assumed….Triclosan tends to bioaccumulate….or become more concentrated in the fatty tissues of humans and other animals….Lab studies link triclosan to cancer, developmental defects, and liver and inhalation toxicity…Triclosan may affect the thyroid and other hormone systems… A recent lab study found the chemical to exert both estrogenic and androgenic effects on human breast cancer…Triclosan contaminates streams and is toxic to wildlife….Triclosan forms other dangerous compounds….[including] methyl triclosan, a form of dioxin, chloroform [Emphasis is editor’s]. ….The EPA has approved triclosan for use in 20 pesticide formulations applied to 140 types of consumer products, without ever assessing the safety of this pesticide for babies and children. [Emphasis is editor’s].

http://www.ewg.org/node/26701

http://www.organicconsumers.org/bytes/ob224.htm