Apparently Antibacterial Soaps Threaten Human Life

Clean and healthy behaviors become the most important part of prevention and spread of infection in the environment and the home. These include washing hands and cleaning the various objects in a shared house. However, is it true that cleaning products containing antibacterial proven to prevent infection?

Promising antibacterial soap to kill germs seem familiar in the community. But already there are many studies which state that an antibacterial soap containing triclosan and triclocarban can endanger human health and the environment.

Agency for Food and Drug Administration of the United States declared, was not sufficient evidence of cleaning products like hand soap or antibacterial soap with more useful content than the products that do not contain antibacterial.

Director General of Pharmaceutical Services and Medical Devices Ministry of Health, Sri Indrawaty, also stated, it takes a lot of research to prove the impact of the use of antibacterial cleaning products with the problem of bacterial resistance.

"Products containing antibacterial cleaners have not been proven to prevent infections better than that do not contain antibacterial cleansers," he said.

Although studies in vitro or in controlled environments showed an association between antibacterial chemicals in cleaning products with bacterial resistance, but showed no impact on human health. "It required a lot of research to prove the impact of the use of antibacterial cleaning products."

Previous research has shown that antibacterial soaps containing triclosan and triclocarban suspected to damage the reproductive organs, lower sperm quality, and production of thyroid and sex hormones.

Triclosan and triclocarban has been associated with endocrine disorders, with potential adverse effects of sexual and neurological development.

Besides the antibacterial soaps, triclosan is also often used in toothpaste and cosmetics. Even when first discovered 50 years ago, these compounds are also used to clean the skin surface during surgery.

Other studies have found that the compound triclosan in toothpaste is supposed to prevent bacterial growth, even to cause the germs more resistant to antibiotics.

Laboratory studies indicate this compound may cause mutation of genes in several species of bacteria, including E coli, salmonella and listeria. It is feared mutation that would make the treatment of infections become ineffective.

Not only that, recent research also found that triclosan and triclocarban can damage the environment, especially water and soil pollution.

Medindia preached, triclosan and triclocarban wastes carried by water will be mixed with soil and natural water environment. Triclosan and triclocarban waste is dangerous because it can not be broken down for months even years.

Chemicals from these compounds consists of a chlorinated benzene ring structure, so that makes it very difficult to be broken or loose.

In addition, both compounds are also water-repellent or hydrophobic, tend to stick to the particles, resulting in decreased availability of process and damage the long-term transport facilitation in the water and air.

In fact, one study found that the accumulation of triclosan in water pollution at beaches which ultimately threatens the lives of dolphins.

Posted by Anggo82 on Thursday, April 21, 2011. Filed under Healthcare, Healty . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Feel free to leave a response