An international group of more than 200 scientists and medical professionals signed a statement calling on the Food and Drug Administration and other regulatory bodies to increase restrictions on the use of two antimicrobial chemicals found in common household items.
The statement, published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, argues the FDA's decision to ban the use of triclosan and triclocarban in antibacterial soap does not go far enough. The final rule, issued by the agency in September 2016, said soap manufacturers had not demonstrated the ingredients were safe for long-term daily use or more effective than plain soap and water in preventing the spread of illness.
While the final rule gave manufacturers of these soaps a year to discontinue the products, manufacturers still use the chemicals in multitudes of other household items like toothpastes, detergents, clothing, toys, carpets, plastics and paints.
The scientists and medical professionals argue the FDA's prolonged efforts to implement a final rule on the substances — and the final rule's narrow scope — "indicate existing regulatory practices are not sufficient to protect human and ecosystem health from adverse impacts of antimicrobial chemicals," according to the statement.
To read the full statement, click here.
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