If you take a look at the bottle of soap in your bathroom, triclosan might just be listed as one of the ingredients. Recent studies have shown that the chemical triclosan may impair muscle function. It is also commonly found in supplies that we use on a daily basis, such as deodorants and toothpastes. First developed in the 1960s, triclosan was used in hospitals to prevent bacterial infections. It was then included into other products such as kitchen utensils, trash bags and bedding once manufacturers were certain that triclosan was able to kill harmful bacteria.
Researchers from the University of California did a study and found that triclosan does impair muscle function in both humans and animals. In their study, they isolated human muscle cells from the heart and skeletal muscles and exposed them to triclosan. They also tested how mice and fathead minnows would react to triclosan. Results showed that in the isolated human muscle cells, triclosan interrupted two proteins, important for proper muscle functioning from communicating. In the mice, the function of the heart muscle was reduced by 25% and there was also an 18% reduction in grip strength. The fathead minnows exposed to triclosan were found to be worse swimmers when compared to fathead minnows that weren’t exposed to triclosan. These results definitely show that exposure to triclosan can impair muscle function, especially cardiac function. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, triclosan is not known to be any more hazardous than just washing with non-antibacterial soap, but further studies will be done and reviewed to the public in winter 2012.
There are certainly strong evidences provided to show how we should be concerned about triclosan being used in products. Experts are concerned that a resistant bacteria strain will develop with prolong use of this chemical. Although triclosan isn’t regulated as a drug, it should still be a concern to human health and the environment. Hospitals should continue using antibacterial soap that contains triclosan because it is important in preventing the spread of bacteria from one patient to another. But antibacterial soap that contains triclosan really isn’t needed for household hang washing. According to Dr. Peter N. Wenger, the most effective way of getting rid of bacteria on your hands is to wash thoroughly, making sure to also wash between the fingers. So try to buy triclosan free soap and remember to wash your hands thoroughly to prevent the spread of bacteria!
References:
– Pakalert Press
– Smithsonian
– Live Science
Post Submitted by Mandy Choi
