Public Backlash Against Triclosan Builds Momentum as Many Participate in Food & Water Watch's Wash Your Hands of Triclosan Drop-Off
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Public Backlash Against Triclosan Builds Momentum as Many Participate in Food & Water Watch’s Wash Your Hands of Triclosan Drop-Off
Washington, D.C.–Consumers in Washington, D.C. today took steps to rid their homes of a dangerous chemical when they participated in Food & Water Watch’s Wash Your Hands of Triclosan Drop-Off. The national consumer advocacy group collected personal care products containing the pesticide triclosan at the Whole Foods in Logan Circle, and later brought them to the Fort Totten Trash Transfer Station, the local Department of Public Works-approved hazardous waste collection facility for proper disposal.
Regulated by both the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), triclosan is commonly found in hand soaps, toothpastes, deodorants, laundry detergents, fabric softeners, facial tissues, antiseptics, fabrics and toys. Scientific studies indicate that widespread use of triclosan causes a number of health and environmental problems. Chief among those is resistance to antibiotic medications and bacterial cleansers and disruption of hormone cycles. Accumulation of triclosan in waterways has also been shown to threaten the health of ecosystems and produce hazardous residues in algae, fish and other marine mammals. There is also cause for concern as triclosan remains in sludge destined for land application and may taint food crops.
“Although marketed as an anti-bacterial agent, triclosan is actually no more effective in preventing illness than washing with soap and water,” said Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch. “Given its demonstrated health and environmental hazards, triclosan may actually be causing both its users and the planet more harm than good. That is why Food & Water Watch is working to educate consumers in Washington, D.C. about its many dangers, while helping them rid their homes of products that contain this unnecessary product.”
The event paralleled a mounting backlash against the chemical. In July of this year, Food & Water Watch partnered with the environmental and public health organization, Beyond Pesticides, to submit a petition to FDA asking that it ban triclosan from all non-medical applications on the basis that those uses violate the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act. As of September, 2009, some 2,050 activists have taken Food & Water Watch’s pledge to avoid purchasing products that contain triclosan.