Soap, shampoo and toothpaste may endanger the health of users as scientists at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine report risks related to chemical they contain, called Triclosan. Triclosan can cause cancer and fibrosis according to a new research study.
The study, tabbed "The Dirty Side of Soap" by UCSD, was written based on research by Robert H. Tukey, PhD, professor in the departments of Chemistry, and Biochemistry and Pharmacology, along with two teams of scientists.
"Triclosan's increasing detection in environmental samples and its increasingly broad use in consumer products may overcome its moderate benefit and present a very real risk of liver toxicity for people, as it does in mice, particularly when combined with other compounds with similar action," Tukey said in a release UCSD issued.
Triclosan is an antimicrobial additive and has been found in 97 percent of breast milk samples of lactating women and 75 percent of urine from people tested, according to UCSD. It is one of the most commonly found compounds in streams in the United States.
In the UCSD study, mice were exposed to triclosan for six months and were found to be more susceptible to chemical-induced liver tumors. The tumors of the exposed mice were larger and more frequent than in mice who were not exposed to triclosan.
Triclosan does damage by interfering with the protein that clears away foreign chemicals in the body, the study suggests. As a result, liver cells multiply and turn fibrous over time. The repeated exposure to triclosan creates continued fibrosis which eventually promotes tumor formation.
The consumer group Beyond Pesticides has a list of products it has determined to contain triclosan listed on its website.
The group advises to read labels and pay particular attention to labels that contain terms like "antimicrobial protection." The group also suggests triclocarban, a chemical closely-related "cousin" chemical is used in place of triclosan in many products.
