Chemical found in common household items could be behind painful skin condition
A study led by scientists at Brown University and the University of Massachusetts Amherst found children with higher levels of triclosan in their bodies were more likely to have allergy-related health issues, suffering from eczema, a group of conditions that cause dry, flaky and cracked skin.
Eczema, suffered by 32million Americans, can also lead to bumps and red, oozing and irritated skin. There is no cure but symptoms can be managed with medications and lifestyle changes.
Triclosan, commonly found in antibacterial soap, deodorant, detergent and toothpaste, was widely used in personal hygiene products as an antibacterial and antifungal agent.
However, in 2016, the FDA limited its use in consumer products after determining it offered no added benefit over regular soap and water.
The FDA said manufacturers hadn't provided the data necessary to demonstrate the ingredient was both safe for daily use over a long period of time or any more effective than soap and water in preventing illnesses and the spread of certain infections.
And more recently, experts have raised concerns over triclosan's health impacts on the endocrine system, as well as its potential toxic effects on the environment.
Despite the FDA's limitation, the Cleveland Clinic notes that triclosan may still be present in certain toothpastes, deodorants, cosmetics, and detergents.
The new study tracked 347 mothers and their children from pregnancy through the children's 12th birthdays. Researchers measured triclosan levels in urine of the mother-child pairs up to age 5, with additional assessments at ages 8 and 12.
Between 6 months and 12 years of age, caregivers completed surveys reporting any allergy-related symptoms, such as eczema, allergic rhinitis, and wheezing.
The study, published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, found that children with twice the levels of baseline triclosan in their urine - researchers did not reveal the baseline - were 23 percent more likely to report eczema symptoms.
This risk increased to nearly 40 percent by the time they were 8 to 12 years old.
Additionally, children with double the urinary triclosan levels were 12 percent more likely to show allergy symptoms, such as sneezing or congestion.
Researchers found that among boys, every two-fold increase in triclosan levels in the mother's urine during pregnancy was linked to a 1.9 times risk of the child experiencing allergic rhinitis symptoms, such as sneezing, a runny nose, and itchy eyes.
In the same increase for young girls, the risk of reporting rhinitis symptoms was nine percent lower.
'One hypothesis we have is that triclosan kills off helpful bacteria that live on our skin and in our bodies that help us form healthy immune responses,' said Hannah Laue, study author and assistant professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
According to Beyond Pesticides, which tracks chemicals in consumer products, triclosan has been found in mouthwashes, deodorants, skincare and body lotions made by Colgate, Murad, Arm and Hammer and Bath and Body Works.
It can be also found in clothes, cosmetics, kitchenware and humidifiers.
'Triclosan is effective at killing many bacteria, fungi and viruses,' Laue said.
'While that's useful for extending product shelf life or reducing odors in athletic wear, it can be harmful to humans. Our bodies rely on beneficial microbes to aid digestion and protect against pathogens.
'Exposure to triclosan may disrupt that healthy balance, leaving us more vulnerable to disease.'
Laue also noted that triclosan has the potential to disrupt hormonal systems.
She added: 'Some chemicals, including triclosan, can mimic or block hormones, potentially throwing essential systems into overdrive or shutting them down.
'Triclosan has also been linked to reduced thyroid hormone levels, which are critical for healthy growth and development.'
Specifically, triclosan affects levels of estrogen as well as androgen, the male sex hormone.
Triclosan is structurally very similar to thyroxine (T4), a hormone produced by the thyroid that governs crucial bodily processes including metabolism and growth.
Studies suggest that the compound competes with T4 for binding to proteins, which disrupts the distribution of hormones in the bloodstream. Triclosan may also mimic or block hormones secreted by the thyroid gland at crucial receptor sites, scrambling their signaling to other parts of the body.
A sweeping analysis of rodent studies showed that as triclosan exposure increased, levels of T4 decreased, as well as levels of total triiodothyronine (T3), a more potent cousin of T4.
The compound's affects on humans has not been studied extensively, but lab studies have shown its deleterious affects on animals.
The results of previous human studies were inconsistent, though. While one US study linked triclosan to higher T3 in adolescents, others found lower free T4 in obese women and pregnant women in their third trimester.
When hormone levels are affected by triclosan, the metabolism might slow down, causing weight gain and fatigue. Thyroid dysfunction can also affect unborn babies, disrupting puberty and future fertility.
Endocrine disrupting chemicals are believed to play a role in the development of breast cancer.
A study out in February found that women with moderate to high levels of triclosan in their urine, after accounding for their ages and lifestyles, had roughly 1.9 to 2.3 times higher risk of developing breast cancer compared to women with low levels of the compound in their bodies.
And low levels of T3 and/or T4 trigger the release of thyroid-stimulating hormones that can lead to an enlarged thyroid (commonly called a goiter) or lasting thyroid dysfunction.
'We hope that this will prompt companies to consider using safer antimicrobial chemicals or avoiding them altogether in their products,' Braun said. 'Some companies do offer products that are labeled "triclosan-free." But we need better regulations to protect people from harmful chemicals.'
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Ambika Kamath is trained as a behavioral ecologist and evolutionary biologist. She lives, works, and grows community in Oakland, California, on Ohlone land Melina Packer is Assistant Professor of Race, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, on Ho-Chunk Nation land. She is the author of Toxic Sexual Politics: Economic Poisons and Endocrine Disruptions
