The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently banned the sale of 19 different chemicals used in antibacterial hand soaps. The ruling came after years of waiting for some kind of evidence that chemicals containing antibacterial properties such as triclosan, were more effective at preventing the spread of disease than soap and water.
In 2003 the FDA proposed a new rule that required manufacturers to provide data on the safety and effectiveness of their products. It wasn’t until 2010 that the FDA acknowledged that chemicals such as triclosan show no advantage over soap and water. In fact, further research collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) into the effectiveness of such chemicals yielded startling data. Chemicals like triclocarban can disrupt and amplify the effects of hormones such as estrogen and testosterone, which could negatively impact natural development. Perhaps even more disturbing, is that the use of chemicals like triclosan only add to the problem of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The combination of physicians overprescribing antibiotics and patients misusing antibiotics, has led to an increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Blackburn professor of biology Dr. David Reid stated that “once we started realizing we were creating triclosan-resistant bacteria, it should have been instantly banned.”
Chemicals such as triclosan and triclocarban are among the most widely used in antibacterial soaps, toothpastes, makeup and many other personal care products. Research conducted by the National Institutes of Health reported finding residual amounts of triclosan in 75 percent of individuals tested and estimate the same percentage for the entire U.S. Additionally, triclosan has been found throughout the U.S. in groundwater, drinking water and breast milk, according to experts at the Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC). The NRDC played a major role in the ban of antibacterial chemicals and pushed for the FDA to act in the public’s interest.
For now, the ban only applies to over-the-counter hand soaps that claim to be antibacterial and contain one of the 19 chemicals on the FDA’s list. Manufacturers will have until Sept. 6, 2017, to comply with the new ruling.