03.30.12
The Canadian government said Friday it will press companies to remove voluntarily a bacteria killer from toothpaste and other personal-care products after concluding triclosan is toxic to the environment.
In light of a Canadian government review of a key antibacterial ingredient, the American Cleaning Institute reminded consumers that triclosan has a decades-long track record of safe and effective use in personal care and hand hygiene products.
“Antibacterial soaps and washes play a beneficial role in the daily hygiene routines of millions of people throughout the U.S. and worldwide,” said Richard Sedlak, ACI Senior Vice President, Technical & International Affairs. “They have been and are used safely and effectively in homes, hospitals, and workplaces every single day.
“Furthermore, a number of governmental bodies in the U.S. and around the world have determined the safe uses of triclosan and the products containing it; product manufacturers must abide by those safety rules.”
And pending the results of "voluntary action," to include looking for a substitute ingredient, the government's newly published draft risk assessment says "risk management measures" may be proposed.
Consumer advocates, also concerned about potential health risks, welcomed Friday's development but said a ban should be the end game if toiletry manufacturers don't move on their own to remove triclosan from toothpastes, mouthwashes, body washes and anti-bacterial soaps.
Health Canada has been probing the effects of triclosan on the body's endocrine system and whether the antibacterial agent contributes to the development of antibiotic resistance. Environment Canada has been studying the effect of the widely used chemical on the environment.
The government's draft risk assessment, published Friday, says the current levels of triclosan in products such as toothpaste, shampoo and soap do not pose a risk to human health and Canadians can continue to safely use these products.
Triclosan, however, is harmful to the environment, the draft assessment says. When personal-care items are rinsed and washed down the drain, the amount of triclosan released into the environment through wastewater treatment plants can affect plants and animals in lakes, streams and rivers, it says.
Adverse effects includes reduction in growth, reproduction and survival. Triclosan may also interfere with the action of thyroid hormones in amphibians.
The formal proposal to list the chemical as toxic to the environment under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act is now subject to consultations before the government publishes a final risk assessment and risk-management strategy, expected in the fall of 2013.
"We're looking primarily at this point developing voluntary controls with industry, but the alternatives are varied and those will be discussed as we move forward on the assessment and risk management," Robert Chenier, the director of the ecological assessment division at Environment Canada, said in an interview.
"If we want to reduce the risk in the environment, then we'll have to look at the utilization," added Dr. Paul Gully, a senior medical adviser at Health Canada.
In light of a Canadian government review of a key antibacterial ingredient, the American Cleaning Institute reminded consumers that triclosan has a decades-long track record of safe and effective use in personal care and hand hygiene products.
“Antibacterial soaps and washes play a beneficial role in the daily hygiene routines of millions of people throughout the U.S. and worldwide,” said Richard Sedlak, ACI Senior Vice President, Technical & International Affairs. “They have been and are used safely and effectively in homes, hospitals, and workplaces every single day.
“Furthermore, a number of governmental bodies in the U.S. and around the world have determined the safe uses of triclosan and the products containing it; product manufacturers must abide by those safety rules.”