Health workers exposed to high triclosan levels

HANDWASHING with antibacterial soap exposes hospital workers in the United States to significant and potentially unsafe levels of triclosan, finds a study led by researchers from University of California in San Francisco (UCSF).

Female surgeons scrubbing hands and arms (Photo © Leaf | Dreamstime.com)

Triclosan is found in thousands of consumer products, including soaps, cosmetics, acne creams and some brands of toothpaste. A growing body of research suggests that widely used chemical is a hormone disruptor that could cause developmental problems in fetuses and newborns, and triclosan is currently under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

In the current study, published in the August issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, urine samples from two groups of 38 doctors and nurses (three-fourths of them women) at two hospitals, identified as Hospital 1 and Hospital 2, were analyzed. The scientists also asked the study participants if they used a popular commercial toothpaste containing triclosan.

Hospital 1 used an antibacterial soap containing 0.3% triclosan, while Hospital 2 used plain soap and water.

Workers at Hospital 1 had significantly higher levels of triclosan in their urine than workers at Hospital 2.

The researchers also found that washing with antibacterial soap accounted for even higher triclosan levels than did brushing with the toothpaste even among those who used the toothpaste

“Antimicrobial soaps can carry unknown risks, and triclosan is of particular concern,” said co-investigator Paul Blanc, MD, a professor of medicine at UCSF who holds the Endowed Chair in Occupational and Environmental Medicine. “Our study shows that people absorb this chemical at work and at home, depending on the products that they use.”

For people who want to replace antibacterial products in their home with something safer, Dr. Blanc said plain soap and water “is a pretty good alternative.”

“This is based on the precautionary principle – that is, if you don’t know for certain that something is unsafe, it’s better to err on the side of caution,” he noted.