Biocide:
1) A substance that is poisonous to living organisms, such as a pesticide.
2) The destruction of life. ▼
Antimicrobial pesticides destroy or suppress growth of bacteria, viruses, or fungi on surfaces.
These are regulated by the EPA.
A loophole in federal law allows identical active ingredients to be used in food, food wrappers, and personal care products without being called pesticides.
Biocides in these products are regulated by the FDA.
The toxicology is the same.
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Triclosan (Microban®, Biofresh®) is a synthetic, broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent with some antifungal and antiviral properties.
It works by blocking an enzyme that is essential for fatty acid synthesis in microbes. This affects the microbe's cells and reproduction. It is very potent.
Research has shown that triclosan can rapidly photodegrade into dioxin.
Dioxin causes cancer, fertility loss, altered sex hormones, miscarriage, birth defects, and impaired immunity.
There is evidence that triclosan causes photoallergic contact dermatitis (PACD), which occurs when the part of the skin exposed to triclosan is also exposed to sunlight. PACD symptoms include an eczema rash on sun-exposed areas such as the face, neck, back of the hands, and arms.
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Triclosan is lipophilic; it bioaccumulates in fatty tissue. After reaching water ecosystems it bioaccumulates up the food chain starting with algae, progresses to fish and amphibians, then eventually into humans.
It is present in human breast milk. It is present in the blood of nearly 100% of people tested.
Triclosan is an endocrine disruptor.
Chemically, triclosan closely resembles some estrogens and can disrupt hormone processes. For example this research demonstrated that triclosan hastens the transformation of tadpoles into adult frogs. Effects included
- Significant weight loss
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- Accelerated hind-limb development
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- Brain activity linked with uncontrolled cell growth
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- Altered gene activity
Concentrations as low as 0.15 ppb are capable of disrupting a hormone mechanism that is nearly identical in frogs and humans.
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Products containing triclosan react with chlorinated water to produce chloroform. This happens under normal household conditions.
So far, all products tested produce either chloroform or other chlorinated byproducts.
In some cases a person’s annual exposure to chloroform may increase 40% above levels already found in tap water alone.
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Triclosan's interaction with other body burden toxins is not well understood. Structurally, triclosan is very similar to PBDEs and PCBs.
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Triclosan is used in over 5,000 common personal care products including toothpastes, cosmetics, deodorants, and ~50% of all commercial soaps.
The FDA does not review or approve cosmetic ingredients and products before they are sold to the public. Companies are not required to perform safety testing in advance. Recalls are voluntary.
Triclosan is also used in clothing, plastics, toys, countertops, and other products.
Tons of triclosan are released into the environment every year. Triclosan effluents affect both the structure and the function of water ecosystems.
And, after a systematic review of studies conducted between 1980 and 2006, it's becoming clear that the antibacterial soaps containing triclosan sold to consumers are no better at preventing infections than plain soaps.
Instead, these products increase the likelihood for antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria to emerge.
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Sources for learning more about triclosan include