Too Clean: Antibacterial Linked to Disease, So Why is It Still Around?

Cleanliness may be next to godliness, but too much of a good thing can be hazardous to our health. And the overuse of antibacterials in everything from soaps and cutting boards may not only be leading to the development of harmful superbugs, it can also lead to an increase in disease.

A new study by researchers at the University of Michigan School of Public Health showed that young people heavily exposed to the anti-infective product triclosan have an increased incidence of developing allergies. The study contributes to the growing body of research showing that triclosan does more harm than good.

As change.org reported last week, triclosan is found in everything from soaps and face wash to toothpaste and children's toys. Items marked as "antibacterial" may contain the chemical.

A recent report by the CDC found that triclosan was present in the urine of 75 percent of the population it tested. In the Michigan study, researchers measured also urinary triclosan levels, and for those under 18, higher levels were linked to allergies and hay fever.

According to Allison Aiello, principal investigator of the study, "The triclosan findings in the younger age groups may support the hygiene hypothesis, which maintains living in very clean and hygienic environments may impact our exposure to microorganisms that are beneficial for development of the immune system."

The hygiene hypothesis is bolstered by research showing that kids that grow up on farms and in highly social situations are less likely to develop allergies and other autoimmune diseases. In contrast, kids that are kept in a sterile environment or those excessively exposed to antibacterials may have a suppressed immune system that can overreact when confronted with microorganisms; this overreaction can lead to disease. The antibacterials also kill off beneficial bacteria, which help to shape the immune system.

Like BPA, which the authors also were investigating, triclosan is also a known endocrine disruptor. But exposures levels were thought to be too low to present problems.

Although the FDA doesn't believe that triclosan presents a current health hazard, they are reviewing the scientific evidence to determine its safety in consumer products. They do recognize that it can lead to the development of drug-resistant bacteria and has caused hormone disruption in laboratory animals.

But some countries have taken the precautionary principle and banned the substance. Even the FDA concludes that it "does not have evidence that triclosan in antibacterial soaps and body washes provides any benefit over washing with regular soap and water."

So why it is so ubiquitously added to products? Probably so that companies can play into consumer fears about infections, though they may be putting themselves at greater harm by using the products.

Without any large benefits and very real risks, it's foolish to keep adding triclosan to consumer products. We're unnecessarily exposing ourselves to a potential hormone disruptor, contributing to the creation of superbugs and increasing allergies and hay fever in young people.

The FDA is conducting an ongoing scientific review of triclosan and are supposed to present their findings to the public in spring 2011. In the meantime, they need to hear from concerned consumers that we don't want this chemical in our goods. Sign this petition telling the FDA to ban the unnecessary triclosan from consumer products.

Photo credit: Italian voice