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Dr. Shanna Swan, a professor of Environmental Medicine & Public Health at Mount Sinai Health System, has warned in a new book that phthalates, a chemical commonly used in the manufacturing of plastics, can shrink penises and decrease male fertility. A study listed in the National Center for Biotechnology Information, which operates under the National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, found that the microplastics used in the manufacturing of Covid face masks contain a number of toxic chemicals, including the penis-shrinking phthalates. Dr. Swans’s book “Count Down: How Our Modern World Is Threatening Sperm Counts, Altering...

Say goodbye to those "antibacterial" soaps. The Food and Drug Administration says they do little or nothing to make soap work any better and said the industry has failed to prove they're safe. Companies will have a year to take the ingredients out of the products, the FDA said. They include triclosan and triclocarban. Soap manufacturers will have an extra year to negotiate over other, less commonly used ingredients such as benzalkonium chloride.

Most studies have focused on triclosan, and as far as human health is concerned the research into its toxic effects has produced mixed results. For nearly every study that shows triclosan has some particular effect, another shows it does not. Yet one thing is clear: Several clinical studies, following several hundred households, have shown that triclosan-based soap does not prevent illness any better than regular soap and water alone. ...[P]lain soap and water simply dislodge bacteria from skin, triclosan weakens and kills the microorganisms. Until recently it was thought that triclosan acted indiscriminately—killing all bacteria in a number of ways—but...

Introduced in the 1970s, the compound triclosan has become an increasingly popular ingredient in many antibacterial soaps and other personal-care items, such as deodorants and mouthwashes. However, as the chemical’s popularity continues to grow, a recent report has raised concerns about some frightening risks that triclosan could pose to public health. A new study published in the "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences" has revealed that exposure to triclosan is linked with muscle function impairments in humans and mice, as well as slowing the swimming of fish. By reducing contractions in both cardiac and skeletal muscles, the chemical has...

You can’t blame Americans for feeling as though the government is increasingly crossing boundaries and reaching into their daily lives. The Obama administration and regulatory authorities such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) appear to be coming at us on all fronts. The Republican-led Congress has been steadfast in its efforts to beat back the EPA. Recent committee hearings have exposed the adverse consequences that the EPA’s regulation of greenhouse gas emissions will have on the job market. Unfortunately for hardworking Americans, the cost of the EPA’s action will make energy prices higher, drive jobs overseas and force more citizens...

Americans are living longer than ever due in large part to advancements in science, but you wouldn’t know it from listening to the wailing and gnashing of teeth by environmental extremists. It seems that every day brings news of some substance that will maim, injure or bring about Armageddon. The latest target of these extremists is the antibacterial agent Triclosan, a substance used safely and effectively for decades by millions of Americans.

For decades, Americans have safely used bacteria-killing products as we go about our daily routines. Anti-bacterial hand washes are routinely used in schools to prevent the spreading of germs. Hospitals use similar products to maintain sterile environments. Dentists have safely used anti-bacterial mouthwashes for years in the treatment of gum and other oral diseases. The welfare of Americans and the many businesses that make these products – from large corporations to small “mom and pop” enterprises --does not seem to be important to environmental extremists. They have set their sights on Triclosan, the product that makes our soaps and anti-bacterial...

FDA, EPA Studying Triclosan, A Key Ingredient Antibacterial Soaps. It is a key ingredient in many soaps, toothpastes, deodorants and other popular anti-bacterial products used by people every day. But could it be making people sick? Triclosan is a antimicrobial or germ-killing agent first used in hospital settings as a surgical scrub. Now, triclosan is found in hundreds of products because of its ability to stop the growth of bacteria, fungi and mildew. However, triclosan was first registered by the EPA as a pesticide in 1969 and the government admits it is toxic. Dr. Gerard Guillory... “My suspicion is that...

he antibacterial ingredient in some soaps, toothpastes, odor-fighting socks, and even computer keyboards is pointing scientists toward a long-sought new treatment for a parasitic disease that affects almost two billion people. Their report on how triclosan became the guiding light for future development of drugs for toxoplasmosis appears in ACS' monthly Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. In the study, Rima McLeod and colleagues point out that toxoplasmosis is one of the world's most common parasitic infections, affecting about one-third of the world population, including 80 percent of the population of Brazil. People can catch the infection, spread by the parasite Toxoplasma...