It's in anti-bacterial soap, some toothpastes, and even socks. Triclosan is an antimicrobial additive you probably never heard of, but it's raising eyebrows at the Food and Drug Administration after recent animal studies have shown it could alter hormone regulation.
The last time the FDA reviewed the chemical it found it caused no harm to humans.
But yesterday the agency said it would reexamine it in response to a letter from Rep. Edward J. Markey, a Mass. Democrat and chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment, who has been pushing for stricter federal regulation of the chemical.
Recent studies warrant a further review of triclosan, the agency said.
The chemical is added to products to reduce bacterial contamination. But when it comes to washing your hands, the FDA has said that anti-bacterial soaps work no better than the regular old sudsy variety.
Meanwhile, the agency did find advantages to the chemical. A review in 1997 found triclocan in Colgate Total toothpaste to help prevent gingivitis.
Still, Markey thinks the chemical should be banned from use in consumer products, particularly those marketed to children and those used in food preparation.
"The proliferation of triclosan in everyday consumer products is so enormous, it is literally in almost every type of product -- most soaps, toothpaste, cosmetics, clothes and toys," Markey told The Washington Post. "It's in our drinking water, it's in our rivers and as a result, it's in our bodies. . . . I don't think a lot of additional data has to be collected in order to make the simple decisions about children's toys and soaps that people use. It clearly is something that creates a danger."
EDITED to add:
The Soap and Detergent Association, which represents the $30 billion cleaning products market in the U.S., contacted us and offered this statement about the FDA's concerns about the chemical...
The group says that other research shows that anti-bacterial products are effective and safe. According to the statement:
"These ingredients are known quantities. They have been safely and effectively used for decades. Extensive research shared with authorities in the U.S. and abroad shows wide margins of safety when it comes to human, aquatic or animal exposure."