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Breaking News
Triclosan Ban: Liquid Soaps & Body Wash
Sue Kowaleski
Coordinator
Southern Adirondack Child Care Network
In September, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned most antibacterial soaps and body washes from being sold in stores. According to the FDA, antibacterial cleaners are no more effective than regular soap options and the antibacterial products pose health risks. Manufacturers have a year to take triclosan, triclocarban, and 17 other chemicals out of their products.
Currently, about 93% of liquid soaps include
triclosan which can be found in about 2,000 liquid products labeled “antibacterial” or “antimicrobial.”
What is triclosan?
Triclosan is an antibacterial chemical. According to the FDA, “triclosan is an ingredient added to many consumer products intended to reduce or prevent bacterial contamination. It is added to some antibacterial soaps and body washes, toothpastes, and some cosmetics—products regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It also can be found in clothing, kitchenware, furniture, and toys—products not regulated by the FDA.”
What are the dangers of triclosan?
There is no scientific evidence that antibacterial soaps are more effective than plain soap and water, (studies show that antibacterials offer no benefit over handwashing with just soap and water); however, there is evidence of several potential health risks associated with triclosan. The bad far outweighs the good!
The greatest health concerns associated with triclosan are disruption of thyroid function which effects hormones, bacterial resistance to antibiotics, and superbugs. There are other studies in progress which point to additional potential risks, such as skin cancer, liver and inhalation toxicity, heart failure, and muscle impairment.
Therefore, with no indication that antibacterial soaps do any good, and potential risks being quite serious, the FDA chose to ban triclosan and 18 other potentially harmful chemicals from soaps and body wash.
This ban does not include the use of triclosan in hospitals.
Where else can triclosan be found?
This ban only includes antibacterial soaps and body wash for home use, but triclosan can be found in many other products which are still allowed on store shelves. As such, some advocacy groups are fighting for a ban on triclosan across the board.
Triclosan has been thought to be an “odor fighter” in shoes, a stabilizer to “keep foods fresher, longer” and “germ killers” in Over the Counter (OTC) antiseptic, health care and food handling supplies.
Triclosan may be present in several products found everyday in most homes and child care programs. They include, and are not limited to:
- Toys
- Clothes & Shoes
- Phones
- Personal care products
- In the kitchen (soap, dish liquid, sponges, plastic food containers, cutting boards)
- In the bathroom (shower curtains, toothbrushes, towels)
- In the naproom/bedroom (mattresses, carpets, window treatments)
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Triclosan and Children
According to a Connecticut Department of Health, “An antibacterial chemical in consumer products called triclosan may be a health risk to children. There is widespread exposure, yet no known benefit to children. Recent studies suggest triclosan may increase a child’s risk of allergy. It is also an endocrine disruptor. It is wise for parents to make sure that personal care products purchased for use by children are free of triclosan. This includes toothpaste, mouthwash, hand soap, shampoo, lotions, crèmes and deodorant. Adults who do not have a medical or dental need for antibacterial products should also avoid triclosan. Several manufacturers are phasing out triclosan but it is still present in many products.”
How to avoid triclosan:
1. Stop using antibacterial and antimicrobial soaps!
2. Read ingredient labels on personal care products and do not buy or use those with triclosan.
3. Steer clear of everyday products (toys, clothes, kitchenware, furniture) labeled antibacterial.
More information can be found at:
References:
CT Department of Health: http://www.ct.gov/dph/lib/dph/environmental_health/eoha/pdf/triclosan_tech_fs.pdf
Environmental Working Group: http://www.ewg.org/release/fda-finally-bans-toxic-triclosan-antibacterial-hand-soaps
US Food & Drug Administration: www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm205999.htm
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EPA Celebrates Children's Health Month
with Events around the Country
October is Children’s Health Month!
The Environmental Protection Agency celebrates Children’s Health Month! Throughout the country, the agency hosts and participates in a number of activities and events to raise awareness about children’s environmental health. See a list of events that could be happening in your state: Children's-health-month
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Tip of the Month:
Choose safer eco-friendly products for Fall Festivals and Halloween.
By choosing safer products you can reduce toxic chemical exposures for yourself and your family, and help support responsible companies and the growing green economy. For tips and resources to help you find safer products see:
Safer Cosmetics
Safer Product Recommendation:
Natural Face Paint: Natural face paints are non-toxic, vegan, made-in-USA, and made largely from Certified Organic ingredients. You can purchase natural organic kids face paint at Pure Play Kids
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Check out Pretty Scary. Could Halloween Face Paint Cause Lifelong Health Problems?
A Report on Heavy Metals in Face Paints by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics
- For this report, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics sent popular children’s face paints to an independent laboratory to test them for heavy metals, and we reviewed the labels of cosmetic products at seasonal Halloween stores. Our findings paint a frightful picture: Due to the lack of cosmetic industry regulation in the United States, face paint, hair color and other products on U.S. shelves contain dangerous heavy metals and toxic substances that are banned or restricted in other countries. Disturbingly, parents have no way of knowing what’s really in these products just by reading the labels. See Pretty-Scary
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Eco-Healthy Child Care Spotlights My Second Home family child care, located in Bradford, Vermont.
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This month’s edition of the Eco-Healthy Child Care® Spotlight is on My Second Home family child care, located in Bradford, Vermont.
My Second Home has been an Eco-Healthy Child Care® (EHCC) endorsed facility for 5 years. Director Meri Saladino cares for toddlers and preschoolers and has always been committed to making her child care program as eco-healthy as possible. Wanting to provide the best care possible, Meri is motivated to “always improve and go beyond state requirements”. It is very apparent that Meri goes the extra mile to benefit the health and well-being of the children in her care.
When My Second Home began filling out the Eco-Healthy Child Care® Checklist, Meri and her staff realized that they were already complying with many of the best practices listed! One of the checklist standards that they weren’t yet meeting, was being a “carpet free” facility. As such, they have been removing as much carpet as possible, and replacing it with bamboo flooring along the way. Using the Checklist as a guide and the informational resources provided by EHCC, Meri has spearheaded the implementation of many new eco-healthy practices. My Second Home now uses only no- or low-VOC paint for art supplies and construction projects. Additionally, she and her staff created a mercury spill kit, which came in handy when they needed to safely clean up a broken compact florescent light bulb.
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'ERIN BROCKOVICH' CARCINOGEN IN TAP WATER OF MORE THAN 200 MILLION AMERICANS
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What is AmazonSmile?
AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support IGS every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at
https://smile.amazon.com/ch/26-4427379
Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to us.
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In the film "Erin Brockovich," the environmental crusader confronts the lawyer of a power company that polluted the tap water of Hinkley, Calif., with a carcinogenic chemical called chromium-6. When the lawyer picks up a glass of water, Brockovich says: “We had that water brought in ‘specially for you folks. Came from a well in Hinkley.”
The lawyer sets down the glass and says, "I think this meeting’s over."
But almost 25 years after that real-life confrontation,[1] the conflict over chromium-6 is not over. A new EWG analysis of federal data from nationwide drinking water tests shows that the compound contaminates water supplies for more than 200 million Americans in all 50 states. Yet federal regulations are stalled by a chemical industry challenge that could mean no national regulation of a chemical state scientists in California and elsewhere say causes cancer when ingested at even extraordinarily low levels.
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