Anti-Bacterial Compounds Harmful for Fetuses
A new research shows that antibacterial compounds might be harmful for pregnant women and their babies.
Researchers said they studied the effects of triclosan and triclocarban, two of the most commonly used germ-killers in soaps and other products. "We found triclosan in all of the urine samples from the pregnant women that we screened. We also detected it in about half of the umbilical cord blood samples we took, which means it transfers to fetuses. Triclocarban was also in many of the samples," said Benny Pycke, Ph.D. a research scientist at Arizona State University.
These compounds can have a deep impact on development and can cause reproductive problems in animals and possibly in humans. Although the human body is efficient at flushing out triclosan and triclocarban, a person's constant exposure to them can be potentially dangerous.
"If you cut off the source of exposure, eventually triclosan and triclocarban would quickly be diluted out, but the truth is that we have universal use of these chemicals, and therefore also universal exposure," Rolf Halden, Ph.D., the lead investigator of the study at ASU, said in a press release.
At least 2,000 products of daily use have these compounds and are marketed as antimicrobial, including toothpastes, soaps, detergents, carpets, paints, school supplies and toys, the researchers say.
The study results showed that the compounds are linked to smaller newborns. The long-term consequences of this are not clear.
The study findings will be presented at the 248th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society.
