Posted on 04/16/2005 6:33:14 PM PDT by Paleo Conservative
Dozens of toothpastes sold at supermarkets are at the centre of a cancer alert today.
Anti-bacterial cleaning products, including dishwashing liquid and handwash, are also affected.
Researchers have discovered that triclosan, a chemical in the products, can react with water to produce chloroform gas. If inhaled in large enough quantities, chloroform can cause depression, liver problems and, in some cases, cancer.
An Evening Standard investigation found dozens of products on supermarket shelves containing the chemical, from brand names including Colgate, Aquafresh, Dentyl and Sensodyne.
Marks& Spencer confirmed today it was removing products containing triclosan from all its stores and has been working with Greenpeace to develop alternative products.
Asda said it was investigating the problem and would be urgently talking to its suppliers.
Giles Watson, a toxicology expert at wildlife charity WWF, warned that the long-term effects of exposure to chloroform were still unknown and advised consumers to check the bottles before buying products.
"These products produce low levels of chloroform, but that adds up over time. The amount of gas formed is very low but I think the key thing is that we just don't know what the effects are. However, manufacturers do have to list triclosan on their ingredients, so if consumers are worried the best advice is to avoid products with the chemical."
A Tesco spokesman said: "We do not use triclosan in any of our own-brand products, apart from one anti-bacterial handwash, which is being reformulated, and our toothpaste. We
believe that triclosan is a very effective ingredient in toothpaste as it helps fight gum disease and improve overall oral care."
The Department of Trade and Industry said use of triclosan was tightly controlled under EU laws brought in last year, but that they were under constant review.
Researchers in the US found that the chlorine added to water in Britain reacted with
triclosan to
produce chloroform-gas. They found that it was possible for the chloroform produced when soap containing the chemical mixes
with chlorinated water to be absorbed through the skin or inhaled.
Professor Peter Vikesland, of Virginia Tech University, who carried out the research, said: "This is the first work that we know of that suggests that consumer products, such as antimicrobial soap, can produce significant quantities of chloroform." He has called for governments around the world to regulate the chemical more closely.
Products affected
Triclosan is in:
Dentyl mouthwash Colgate Total fresh stripe Colgate Total Sensodyne Total Care Tesco own brand toothpaste Mentadent P; Aquafresh
The British use toothpaste?
The problem is chlorinated city water, not the hygiene products, is it not?
You had me going for a bit there.
World Wrestling Federation? Never knew they took an interest in this kind of stuff.
The problem is clearly the chlorine (a poison), not the tricoslan. Demand that your water company stop adding chlorine, and sue them if they refuse.
But let's create a scare just to bring attention to ourselves, just in case.
Everything causes cancer.
I knew one who did ;-)
Here's a stupid question: Who's "inhaling" toothpaste?
>>If inhaled in __large enough quantities__, chloroform can cause depression, liver problems and, in some cases, cancer.
If you give a rat 20 gallons of soda it might get cancer.
The truth is that Europeans won't use the toilet without getting permission from Greenpeace -- one of the most powerful pushers of global socialism and corporate conformity.
the key thing is that we just don't know what the effects are.
The key word is the *key thing*. The key thing is that they admit they have no idea but create a public scare anyway.
Didn't toothpaste used to come in lead tubes?
I think it is the additive "Triclosan"
I recommend Biotene.
Biotene toothpaste and mouthwash.
I never have "dry mouth" in the morning anymore. The stuff is unreal. No sweeteners or foaming agents added like in Crest, etc so you don't look like a rabid dog
oh no!..combined with the arsenic in the water....we're DOOMED !
I recently asked my dentist which toothpastes are best. He recommends either Colgate or Crest (the old standby's) and said a lot of the others are just gimmicks. He also said Listerine is the best mouthwash bar none.
Thank goodness I put my teeffers in a cup! ;-)
The latest rage in the arsenal of antibacterial chemicals, triclosan is included in detergents, dish soaps, laundry soaps, deodorants, cosmetics, lotions, creams, and toothpastes and mouthwashes. In 1998, Americans snatched up $540 million of these products, without proof that they even do what they claim.
But, is triclosan safe? The EPA registers it as a pesticide, giving it high scores as a risk to both human health and the environment. The USP recently proposed a new monograph for the specific testing of triclosan. It is a chlorinated aromatic, similar in molecular structure and chemical formula to some of the most toxic chemicals on earth: dioxins, PCB’s, and Agent Orange. Its manufacturing process may produce dioxin, a powerful hormone-disrupting chemical with toxic effects in the parts per trillion (one drop in 300 Olympic-sized swimming pools!). Hormone disruptors pose enormous long-term chronic health risks, because they interfere with the way hormones perform (such as changing genetic material, or fostering birth defects).
Triclosan is a chlorophenol, a class of chemicals suspected of causing cancer in humans. Externally, it can cause skin irritations, but since "….phenols can temporarily deactivate the sensory nerve endings….contact with [triclosan] often causes little or no pain". "Internally, it can lead to cold sweats, circulatory collapse, convulsions, coma, and even death". Stored in body fat, it can accumulate to toxic levels, damaging the liver, kidneys, and lungs, and can cause paralysis, sterility, suppression of immune function, brain hemorrhage, decreased fertility and sexual function, heart problems, and coma."
Employing a strong antibiotic agent such as triclosan for everyday use is of questionable value, as it takes a shotgun approach to killing all microscopic organisms while also destroying the beneficial bacteria in the environment and in our bodies. These friendly bacteria cause no harm, and often produce beneficial effects, such as aiding metabolism and inhibiting the invasion of the harmful pathogens.
Boston-based microbiologist Laura McMurray and colleagues at the Tufts University School of Medicine, say that "triclosan is capable of forcing the emergency of ‘superbugs’ that it cannot kill. Experiments have shown that it may not be the all-out germ killer that scientists once thought it was….using triclosan daily in the home, in products ranging from children’s soaps to toothpaste to ‘germ-free’ cutting boards, may be unwise. In "New Products Feared Breeding Tougher Germs", J.B. Verrengia says "Public health officials have blamed the indiscriminate prescription of antibiotics for the spread of drug-resistant bacteria. The Tufts study suggests the recent widespread use of antibacterial agents in everyday products might have similar results". Doctors say that washing your hands with soap and water is the best preventative, and some doctors admit that including triclosan in the soap is an additional, unjustified expense; plain soap does just as well.
http://www.lindachae.com/triclosan.htm
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