SEPTEMBER, AN F-D-A
BAN ON 19 DIFFERENT ANTI-
MICROBIAL CHEMICALS FOUND IN
HAND SOAPS AND BODY WASHES
GOES INTO EFFECT. DID YOU
KNOW, THOUGH, THEY ARE STILL
IN MANY CONSUMER AND HOUSEHOLD
PRODUCTS? RESEARCHERS ARE
FINDING THESE CHEMICALS IN
INDOOR DUST. WHAT DOES IT
MEAN? WHAT SHOULD YOU KNOW?
ABC2 NEWS MALLORY
SOFASTAII WITH TONIGHT'S
CONSUMER INVESTIGATION.
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VERONICA HEWGLEY KEEPS A CLEAN
KITCHENa&AND IS PICKY ABOUT
THE GADGETS AND UTENSILS SHE
USES. Veronica
Hewgley//Concerned Consumer
"When shopping, I chose the
plastic cutting boards because
I could put them in the
dishwasher to make sure they
got clean and sanitized."WE
CHECKED a&AND AT LEAST ONE OF
HER CUTTING BOARDS HAS
ANTIMICROBIAL PROTECTION.
ANTIMICROBIALS ARE IN MANY
CONSUMER PRODUCTSa& FROM
SHOWER HEADS TO STAPLERSa&
KITCHEN COUNTERTOPS TO CUTTING
BOARDS. BY DEFINITION THE
CHEMICALS "CREATE AN
INHOSPITABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR
BACTERIA, MOLD, AND MILDEW
THAT KEEPS PRODUCTS CLEANER
BETWEEN CLEANINGS."Erica
Hartmann, Ph.D.Asst Professor,
Dept of Environmental and
Civil Engineering at
Northwestern University"When
we label something as
antimicrobial, I think the
public perception is really
that this product will keep
you healthy, and we have no
evidence to support that."
Veronica Hewgley//Concerned
ConsumerFor a product to
contain an antimicrobial, I
would think it's to keep the
bacteria off of me."
ANTIMICROBIALS IN PLASTICS AND
OTHER CONSUMER PRODUCTS ARE
REGULATED BY THE E-P-A AS
PESTICIDES.THE AGENCY DOESN'T
REQUIRE A PRODUCT REGISTERa&
IF THE PESTICIDE "IS INTENDED
TO PROTECT ONLY THE TREATED
ARTICLE OR SUBSTANCE ITSELF."
DR. ERICA HARTMANN SAYS, IN
THOSE CASES, IT'S UP TO A
COMPANY WHETHER TO TELL YOU
ANTIMICROBIALS ARE IN A
PRODUCT.Erica Hartmann, Ph.D.
Asst Professor, Dept of
Environmental and Civil
Engineering at Northwestern
University"My research
specifically looks at
concentrations of
antimicrobial chemicals in
indoor dust."AND SHE SAYS
THEY'RE SHOWING UP IN LARGE
QUANTITIES, BUT IT'S THE MAIN
CHEMICAL, TRICLOSAN (TRI-
clo-SAN), CAUSING THE BIGGEST
CONCERN.Erica Hartmann, Ph.D.
Asst Professor, Dept of
Environmental and Civil
Engineering at Northwestern
"What's really concerning
about my results is that where
we find more Triclosan, we
find more genes coding for
resistance to antibiotic drugs
that we use quite frequently. "
THERE'S A GROWING BODY OF
EVIDENCE THAT ANTIMICROBIALS,
ESPECIALLY TRICLOSAN,
CONTRIBUTE TO ANTIBIOTIC
RESISTANCE, WHICH MAY POSE A
PUBLIC HEALTH RISK.Erica
Hartmann, Ph.D.// Asst
Professor, Dept of
Environmental and Civil
Engineering at Northwestern
University"If we continue to
use these chemicals in such
high volumes for an extended
period of time, we could get
to the point where I would
say, actually, we do need to
really be concerned about
this."MICROBAN TELLS US IT
DOES NOT USE TRICLOSAN, AND
THEIR ANTIMICROBIAL SOLUTIONS
ARE "INTEGRATED INTO PRODUCTS
DURING THE MANUFACTURING
PROCESS" AND "WILL NOT
a&LEACH OUT UNCONTROLLABLY.'
DR. HARTMANN SAYS UNTIL MORE
RESEARCH IS DONE: Erica
Hartmann, Ph.D.Asst Professor,
Dept of Environmental and
Civil Engineering at University
"In the same way that the FDA
regulates ingredients lists
for personal care products, I
would like to see the
government also regulating
ingredients lists and making
sure manufacturers provide
that information to concerned
consumers." RIGHT NOW, DR
HARTMANN SAYSa& JUST LIKE
IT'S UP THE MANUFACTURER TO
TELL YOU WHETHER
ANTIMICROBIALS ARE USED AT
ALLa& IT'S ALSO UP TO THE
MANUFACTURER WHETHER TO
DISCLOSE WHICH SPECIFIC
CHEMICALS ARE USED.SHE SAYS IF
YOU WANT TO KNOW, CALL A
MANUFACTURER AND ASK QUESTIONS.
PRODUCTS THAT MAKE SPECIFIC
GERM-FIGHTING CLAIMS ARE
REQUIRED TO REGISTER WITH THE
EPA. FOR MORE ON THE RULES,
HEAD TO ABC2 NEWS DOT COM.
MALLORY SOFASTAII ABC2 NEWS.
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