TRICLOSAN

Swine flu, swine flu, swine flu! I can't even drop my daughter off at preschool without being scolded for failing to wash my hands before entering the classroom. "We'll be wearing face masks by the end of the year," my daughter's teacher tells me, "Swine flu is coming and we're really scared." Oooooo-kay.

Then, I read this article in the newspaper today: "Hand sanitizers a new schoolroom staple, but ingredients stir controversy." Apparently, the magic bullet to prevent swine flu from plaguing our public schools is hand sanitizer. This article worries about alcohol (!) in the hand sanitizer (kids might try to get their rocks off drinking hand sanitizer...kids these days!), but it neglects to mention an ingredient that worries some savvy parents: triclosan.

To some extent, it certainly makes sense to include triclosan in a hand sanitizer due to its well-known antifungal and antibacterial properties. 'Antifungal' and 'antibacterial' are health-minded adjectives, but these are the same words you would use to describe a pesticide, which is exactly how we would classify the chemical triclosan. Triclosan is actually classified as a "Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Bad Actor Pesticide," which means that triclosan is believed to have the following properties:

• Known or probable carcinogen, as designated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), U.S. EPA, U.S. National Toxicology Program, and the state of California's Proposition 65 list.
• Reproductive or developmental toxicants, as designated by the state of California's Proposition 65 list.
• Neurotoxic cholinesterase inhibitors, as designated by California Department of Pesticide Regulation, the Materials Safety Data Sheet for the particular chemical, or PAN staff evaluation of chemical structure (for organophosphorus compounds).
• Known groundwater contaminant, as designated by the state of California (for actively registered pesticides) or from historic groundwater monitoring records (for banned pesticides).
• Pesticides with high acute toxicity, as designated by the World Health Organization (WHO), the U.S. EPA, or the U.S. National Toxicology Program.

According to M. Angela McGee, Ph.D., triclosan is "a chemical used for its antibacterial properties, is an ingredient in many detergents, dish-washing liquids, soaps, deodorants, cosmetics, lotions, anti-microbial creams, various toothpastes, and an additive in various plastics and textiles. However, the safety of triclosan has been questioned in regard to environmental and human health. While the companies that manufacture products containing this chemical claim that it is safe, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has registered it as a pesticide. The chemical formulation and molecular structure of this compound are similar to some of the most toxic chemicals on earth, relating it to dioxins and PCBs. The EPA gives triclosan high scores both as a human health risk and as an environmental risk."

But what about killing evil swine flu germs with the hand sanitizer brigade?!? Dr. McGee writes the following: "Employing a strong antibiotic agent such as triclosan for everyday use is of questionable value. Many antimicrobial treatments are toxic and take a shotgun approach to killing all microscopic organisms to which they are applied. However, this approach includes the risk of toxicity to host organisms, that is, the plants or animals (including humans) exposed to treatment for microbial infections. Toxic exposure to living creatures can also occur when food items and objects such as utensils or hard surfaces are treated with disinfectants for microbial contamination. Additionally, the shotgun approach destroys the beneficial bacteria which occur naturally in the environment and in our bodies. These so-called friendly bacteria cause no harm and often produce beneficial effects such as aiding metabolism and inhibiting the invasion of harmful pathogens. Anti-microbial formulas and disinfectants can also cause genetic mutations resulting in drug-resistant bacterial and mutant viruses, producing new strains of harmful microbes for which the human immune system has no defense."

Just what the kids need in school.

Just what you need in your breast milk, too! According to the Environmental Working Group, triclosan is commonly used in 140 different consumer products, including children's toys, undergarments and toothpaste. By presenting so many opportunities for the modern consumer to be exposed to this pesticide, it has become quite common for women to have significant amounts of triclosan in their breast milk. Given that triclosan is often used in diaper cream, mattresses. baby clothes, etc., your average baby has significant exposure to this "antifungal" and "antibacterial" pesticide.

Well, at least I have a retort for my daughter's obsessive compulsive teacher tomorrow morning.