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chemical in cosmetics
In the 1930’s, skin was
thought to be essentially an
impermeable barrier, a more
attractive version of
armadillo plate. But since
at least the 1960’s, it has
been widely known that the
barrier can be breached,
partly as a result of
demonstrations that some
pesticides could enter the
body through the skin. In
the 1980’s, in particular,
molecular biologists began
piecing together a new
understanding of the skin as
a reactive, dynamic organ.
This view led to the
development of transdermal
patches, which deliver drugs
into the body through the
skin.
Not all chemicals can
pass through the skin,
however. Many ingredients in
cosmetic creams are designed
to sit on the surface,
helping to keep the skin
moist by holding in water,
says Jim Riviere, Director
of the Cutaneous
Pharmacology and Toxicology
Center at North Carolina
State University in Raleigh.
Many ingredients in these
products, such as fatty
acids, are identical to
chemicals that occur
naturally in the human body.
"Most ingredients I’ve come
across in cosmetics are
fairly benign compounds.",
Riviere says.
But there is a
controversial class of
chemicals in cosmetics that
may be absorbed through the
skin. These are the color
additives, derived from
petroleum, known as coal
tars. Coal tar colors (they
are also found in foods,
like M&Ms) are the single
group of ingredients in
cosmetics required to be
tested for safety.
In 1960, there were about
200 on the market. But
because so many have been
found to be carcinogenic,
such as Red No. 2, which was
banned in 1976, today the
list of approved colors
numbers about 45.
Hair dyes derived from
coal tars are mostly exempt
from federal rules. Women
who use dark dye for many
years might increase their
risk of dying from cancer.
The FDA’s Bailey says these
remaining dyes have been so
widely tested that he has
"very high confidence that
they’re safe". Not everyone
is so sure. Dr. Andrew Weil,
the natural health maven,
advises avoiding the color
additives whenever possible.
"[Many] are energetic
molecules that can interact
with DNA, potentially
causing mutations that lead
to cancer", he writes.
There is an extraordinary
loophole in the FDA
regulations regarding
testing and approval of
colors. In 1938, the
industry managed to win an
exemption so that hair dyes
derived from coal tars don’t
have to meet the standard
that products not be harmful
under normal use. As the
FDA’s own publication on
hair dye points out,
"Compounds suspected of
causing cancer are found in
temporary, semi permanent,
and permanent dyes."
Bad hair daze.
Does that mean hair dyes
cause cancer in people who
use them? The
epidemiological studies are
mostly reassuring. In 1994,
a large survey found that
dye users had a slightly
lower rate of fatal cancers
than women who didn’t color
their hair. But there is one
exception: Women who used
dark hair dye for two
decades or more had a four
times greater risk of dying
from two cancers of the
immune system, non-Hodgkin’s
Lymphoma and multiple
myeloma.
The FDA itself is looking
into Alpha Hydroxy Acids
(AHA), which are added to
skin creams to help smooth
out fine wrinkles. "We’ve
demonstrated that the use of
AHAs increases sensitivity
to sunlight", says Bailey.
He speculates that the
chemicals may also make skin
more susceptible to skin
cancer and perversely to
even more wrinkling from sun
damage.
Of course the question
arises, how much do we
really want to know about
the safety of our cosmetics?
We face so many dangers in
life, do we have to live in
fear of our moisturizers,
too? As an experiment, I
cross-checked the
ingredients in my Anti-Aging
face cream with A
Consumer’s Dictionary of
Cosmetic Ingredients.
Most seemed fairly harmless.
Until I got to zinc sulfate,
about which the dictionary
noted that "injection under
the skin of 2.5 milligrams
per kilogram of body weight
caused tumors in rabbits."
That’s when I began to
wonder if the Anti-Aging
moniker was a macabre joke.
Is the idea that if I use
it, I won’t live long enough
to get my full complement of
wrinkles? But I’ve already
paid good money for it, and
I’m still using it.
In 1978, the General
Accounting Office, the
investigative arm of
Congress, did an analysis of
how the laws should be
changed to improve cosmetics
safety. The office suggested
reforms like establishing
industry-wide standards for
safety testing and reviewing
data from countries that
have banned particular
ingredients to see whether
similar actions should be
taken here. Those are just
the kinds of reforms
industry critics are seeking
today—and will be seeking
for a long time to come.
Back to top
SAFE IN THE SHOWER?
(The Unbelievable Story of
Propylene Glycol)
Fasten your
seat belts folks, you won’t
believe what you are about
to read:
Bob Folsom, a Field
Hydrographer in the High
Sierra Nevada mountains, has
to work with propylene
glycol on his job. Even
though the PG is used in a
solution of about 80% water,
20% PG and 1% mineral oil,
there are rigid rules about
how it must be disposed of,
because it is considered so
hazardous.
The Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA)
issues "Material Safety Data
Sheets" that must accompany
all hazardous chemicals. The
data sheet for propylene
glycol warns of severe
health consequences and
reactions, because PG has
systemic consequences such
as brain, liver, and kidney
abnormalities.
(1) If the
solution makes contact with
the skin, immediate action
must be taken, and the
incident should be reported
to the supervisor.
(2) If the
solution spills on the
ground, it must be contained
and the contaminated earth
dug up and hauled to a toxic
waste dump.
When Bob is finished
using the solution, he is
required to empty it into a
55-gallon drum labeled
"Hazardous Waste." While
doing so, he must wear
rubber gloves, goggles, and
protective clothing. When
the barrel is full, it must
be transported to a special
collection site, and the
driver of the truck is
required to maintain a
commercial driver’s license
with a "hazardous material
endorsement." Improper
paperwork or mishandling of
this toxic solution can
result in severe fines and
even imprisonment. It costs
between $500-$1,000 to get
rid of each 55-gallon drum.
Yet when Bob gets off
work and goes home, he is
free to shower with soaps
and shampoos and then use a
stick deodorant containing
much higher
concentrations of propylene
glycol than the toxic
solution he just shipped to
the dump. If it was so
hazardous at work, why is it
"safe" at home?
Used as a solvent,
propylene glycol is probably
THE most common ingredient
found in personal-care
items, such as make-up, hair
products, lotions,
after-shave, deodorants,
mouthwashes, and toothpaste.
(Check the labels of your
favorite products!!) It is
also the active component in
antifreeze; and there is
no difference between
what’s used in industry and
what you apply to your skin!
Industry uses it to break
down protein and cellular
structure (what the skin is
made of); it’s so strong
that it can take barnacles
off the bottom of boats.
But because it is so
inexpensive, it is widely
used in very high
concentrations in most
personal care
formulations—even ones from
"natural food" stores.
You CAN choose healthful
alternatives:
Dare To Care What Touches
Your Skin And Hair
Back to top
ARE FOAM AND BUBBLES WORTH
BAD HEALTH?
The Truth about Sodium
Lauryl Sulfate
Do you enjoy a shampoo
with a rich lather? A
shaving cream that really
foams? How about relaxing in
a tub full of bubbles? These
may seem like some of life’s
simple, innocent
pleasures…until you look at
WHAT is causing all that
foam and lather. Once you
find out, you may decide
it’s not so simple or
pleasurable after all.
Check the labels of your
shampoo, soap, facial
cleanser, shaving cream,
body wash, or shower gel: Do
you see either Sodium Lauryl
Sulfate (SLS) or Sodium
Laureth Sulfate (SLES)
listed? Or one of their
cousins: Ammonium Lauryl
Sulfate, Sodium Myreth
Sulfate, etc.? Most
manufacturers use these
anionic detergents because
they produce a lot of foam
very inexpensively. But SLS
is so strong that it’s also
used to scrub garage floors.
Worse, it has been proven to
cause cancer in the long
run. And the American
College of Toxicology says
SLS stays in the body up to
five days. Other studies
show it easily penetrates
the skin and enters and
maintains residual levels in
the heart, liver, the lungs,
and the brain. Yet SLS is
found in most cleansing,
foaming products—even in
some toothpastes! (Note: SLS
may be disguised in
pseudo-natural cosmetics
with the parenthetical
explanation "comes from
coconut." Let's save the
coconut from defamation of
character!)
One woman who examined
labels found that all
the shampoos she checked had
SLS—even health food store
brands. Many listed Sodium
Laureth Sulfate as the
first ingredient on the
label, meaning it’s the
single most prevalent
ingredient. So this lady
called one company to
complain that their product
contains a substance that
will cause people to have
cancer. Their response was,
"Yeah, we knew about it, but
there’s nothing we can do
about it because we need
that substance to produce
foam."
Try contacting some
manufacturers yourself: The
typical responses might be:
(1) Denial: "It’s
completely safe."
(2) Avoidance: "You'll
have to talk to someone
else" or "We can't talk
about that."
(3) Ignorance: "I've
never heard about that."
Most people selling
products with this and other
harmful ingredients really
just don't know. The FDA has
a GRAS list (Generally
Regarded As Safe), and
almost everything is on
there, so most people
selling these products just
focus on the marketing hype
and what the product is
supposed to do for skin
(clean it, make it feel
soft, etc.). Sadly, of the
7000 ingredients used on the
skin, only 5-6 have been
tested for LONG-TERM safety,
and none have been tested
TOGETHER. Currently, 125 are
strongly suspected
carcinogens, 20 cause
adverse nervous system
reactions, and 25 are
connected to birth defects.
So why
exactly is SLS so bad?
Here
are what tests show about
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate:
(1) SLS PENETRATES EYES
AND TISSUES. Tests show that
SLS can penetrate into the
eyes as well as systemic
tissues (brain, heart,
liver, etc.) and shows
long-term retention in those
tissues. Especially when
used in soaps and shampoos,
there is an immediate
concern relating to the
penetration of SLS into the
eyes and other tissues. This
is especially important in
infants, where considerable
growth is occurring, because
a much greater uptake occurs
by tissues of younger eyes,
and SLS changes the amounts
of some proteins in cells
from eye tissues. Tissues of
young eyes may be more
susceptible to alteration by
SLS[1]
(2) SLS FORMS NITRATES:
When SLS is used in shampoos
and cleansers containing
nitrogen-based ingredients,
it can form carcinogenic
nitrates that can enter the
blood stream in large
numbers. They can cause eye
irritations, skin rashes,
hair loss, scalp scurf
similar to dandruff, and
allergic reactions.[2]
(3) SLS PRODUCES
NITROSAMINES (potent
carcinogens that cause the
body to absorb nitrates at
higher levels than eating
nitrate-contaminated food
like hot dogs or lunch
meat): Dr. David H. Fine,
the chemist who uncovered
NDELA contamination in
cosmetics, estimates that a
person would be applying 50
to 100 micrograms of
nitrosamine to the skin each
time he or she used a
nitrosamine-contaminated
cosmetic. By comparison, a
person consuming sodium
nitrate-preserved bacon is
exposed to less than one
microgram of nitrosamine.
[3]
(4) SLS STRIPS MOISTURE
AND OIL FROM THE SKIN.
According to the Journal of
Investigative Dermatology,
SLS produced skin and hair
damage, including cracking
and severe inflammation of
the derma-epidermal tissue.
Skin layers may separate and
inflame due to its
protein-denaturing
properties.[4]
(5) SLS IRRITATES SCALP
AND MAY PROMOTE HAIR LOSS[5]
(6) SLS CAN DAMAGE DNA IN
CELLS—according to Japanese
studies.[6]
CONCLUSION:
SLS and all its cousins
are very harsh detergents
that strip the skin's
moisture barrier (which is
linked to immunity and skin
health) and causes serious
health problems during
testing on animals. It is
linked to harming children's
eyes, denaturing protein
(thereby possibly
contributing to hair loss or
thinning), and combines with
DEA, MEA and TEA (often
found in the same shampoo)
to form nitrosamines, a
potent carcinogen. Since it
is only included in products
because of its potent
foaming action, the question
you must consider is:
What’s more important:
the foam or your health?
You CAN
choose healthful
alternatives:
Dare To Care What Touches
Your Skin and Hair!
References for above
information:
[1] Green, Dr. Keith.
Detergent Penetration into
Young and Adult Eyes.
Department of Ophthalmology
Medical College of GA,
Augusta GA
[2] Hampton, Aubrey.
Dictionary of Cosmetic
Ingredients. Organica Press
Metarasso, or Hampton,
Aubrey. Natural Organic Hair
and Skin Care. Organica
Press, Tampa FL
[3] ibid.
[4] Journal of Invest.
Dermatology, 32-581, 1959
"Denaturation of Epidermal
Keratin by Surface Active
Agents"
[5]Wright, Camille S.
Shampoo Report. Images
International, Inc. 1989
[6]Vance, Judi. Beauty to
Die For. Promotion
Publishing, San Diego, CA
1998. Page 23.
Back to top
DO YOU USE THESE PRODUCTS
By David Steinman,
Natural Health Magazine,
September/October, 1997 pp.
54 - 56
"If so, you
may want to rethink how much
you use them. Studies point
to their possible dangers."
"Ron Owens’ parents never
imagined what would happen
to their son after they sent
him to summer camp in 1972.
Ron was like every other
teenager at this mountain
camp in California: He swam,
played sports, slept in a
cabin with other campers.
Unlike the other boys,
though, Ron slept a few feet
from a no-pest strip. Night
after night, he was exposed
to dichlorvos (DDVP), a
toxic pesticide. Not long
after camp ended, the boy
died of a fatal blood
disease—aplastic anemia—that
the family’s attorneys
argued was caused by the
boy’s exposure to chemicals
in the no-pest strip. (The
manufacturer admitted no
wrongdoing, but did give the
Owens family a small
settlement.) Today, twenty
five years after Ron’s
death, you can still buy
no-pest strips containing
the chemicals suspected of
having caused the boy’s
death.
As a consumer advocate
who has investigated the
safety of thousands of
products over the past
fifteen years, I’ve heard
too many accounts of people,
often children, felled by
dangerous products. Every
day we use products that we
think are safe—we assume the
product has been tested and
any dangerous ingredients
labeled. The truth is,
products are not always safe
and manufacturers don’t have
to tell us so. (The warning
statement on the no-pest
strip makes no mention of
these health risks: bone
marrow damage and aplastic
anemia, as reported in 1980
in Clinical Research;
immune system suppression,
as determined by the World
Health Organization in 1986;
and cancer and birth
defects, as reported by
Shirley A. Briggs and the
Rachel Carson Council in
Basic Guide to Pesticides
[Hemisphere, 1992].)
Cosmetic products are
notorious. Hair dyes with
suspected cancer-causing
ingredients are not required
to carry warning labels.
Products often list
fragrances, which can
contain up to 600 different
compounds, many carcinogenic
or otherwise toxic, but the
label only says they contain
a "fragrance". And while
cosmetic makers are required
to list ingredients, they
are not required to conduct
pre-market safety tests.
"Even if the [Food and
Drug Administration]
suspects that serious
adverse health effects are
caused by a cosmetic
product, they can’t require
the manufacturer to provide
test data to prove the
product safety", says Oregon
Senator Ron Wyden.
It should be said that
products with even very
toxic ingredients are not
likely to kill you—or even
cause illness—with one-time
or short-term use. But when
so many different products
on the market contain toxic
ingredients, come claim that
they may endanger the health
of immunologically
vulnerable people who use
them regularly. If you or
your children frequently use
such products, the risks
climb. Guarding yourself is
simple: the less you
breathe, eat, or absorb a
toxic chemical, the less
chance there is that it can
harm your health. I
recommend that people act on
the side of safety and
simply not use—or radically
reduce their use of—products
whose ingredients are proven
to be dangerous, or even
suspected of being dangerous
based on the available
research.
In 1995, with the help of
consumer advocate Ralph
Nader and
Samuel Epstein, M.D.,
the coauthor of my book
The Safe Shopper’s Bible
(Macmillan, 1995), I
compiled a list of those
products that I personally
choose to avoid or use
sparingly.
Personal Hygiene Products
1. CREST toothpaste lists
saccharin and FD&C Blue No.
1 on its label. A clear-cut
bladder carcinogen in animal
studies (with some evidence
from human studies),
saccharin has been rated
carcinogenic by the
International Agency for
Research on Cancer (IARC)
for a decade. (Cancer
warnings for saccharin are
required on artificial
sweeteners.) Children and
adults absorb the saccharin
by swallowing or through the
tissue in their mouths. FD&C
Blue No. 1 has also caused
tumors in experimental
animals. Crest should not be
singled out. Many other
brands, including Colgate,
also contain these two toxic
substances.
2. The main ingredient in
JOHNSON’S BABY POWDER is
talc. In 1982, Daniel
Cramer, M.D., an
obstetrician and
gynecologist, found that
women who used talc for
feminine hygiene had a
three-fold increase in their
risk of ovarian cancer.
Additional reports in
Lancet (1979), Cancer
(1982), and Obstetrics &
Gynecology (1992)
confirm the risk associated
with frequent and prolonged
use of talcum powder in the
genital area. In 1994 the
Cancer Prevention Coalition
in Chicago petitioned the
Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) to require a label
warning on this product. The
FDA has not acted on this
matter.
Household Products
3. ORTHO WEED-B-GON LAWN
WEED KILLER contains 2,4-D
Agricultural studies by
National Cancer Institute
(NCI) researchers strongly
link exposure to this
chemical with high cancer
rates. Another NCI study
found that dogs whose owners
use 2,4-D weed killers have
higher rates of cancer.
4. LYSOL DISINFECTANT
SPRAY may contain
ortho-phenylphenol. This
germ killer is carcinogenic,
according to both the
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) and IARC.
Lyson’s manufacturer stopped
using this ingredient in
1995, but I still see cans
of Lysol containing
ortho-phenylphenol on store
shelves. Be sure to read the
label when buying this
product. The older formula
of Lysol, which does contain
this chemical, is
particularly troubling
because as a spray it can be
inhaled deeply into the
lungs.
Cosmetics
5. BONNE BELL GRAPE LIP
SMACKER FLAVORED LIP GLOSS,
which is marketed to
teenagers, contains
saccharin and FD&C Blue No.
1 (both of which are
discussed on page 56).
Although this product is not
directly ingested, these
ingredients can be absorbed
through the skin on the
lips, or through the mucous
membrane in the mouth. This
lip gloss also contains
fragrances and propylene
glycol, two of the leading
causes of contact
dermatitis, an allergic skin
reaction.
6. COVER GIRL
REPLENISHING NATURAL FINISH
MAKE-UP contains several
potentially toxic
ingredients, but no
warnings. The first is
butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA),
which is carcinogenic,
according to IARC. The
second, triethanolamine,
which keeps the makeup
moist, can combine with
nitrite contaminants to form
carcinogenic nitrosamines.
An FDA report done in 1988
found 30 percent of cosmetic
products contained these
carcinogens. A third
ingredient, lanolin, is
perfectly safe by itself;
however, it may be
contaminated with
pesticides. According to a
1993 report from the
National Research Council,
some 16 pesticides were
identified in lanolin;
diazinon [sic], a
neurotoxin, was found in 21
of 25 samples.
7. CLAIROL NICE ‘N EASY
hair dye contains par-phenylenediamine,
a dye that was recently
shown to induce breast
cancer in animals. It also
contains quaternium 15, a
preservative that often
causes allergic reactions.
One-fifth of cases of
non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma among
women are linked to hair-dye
use. Indeed, more than a
dozen studies link hair dyes
with cancer, yet the FDA
requires no warning of this
hazard on product labels.
Clairol is not the only hair
dye to pose these risks.
Many other brands, including
L’Oreal, and Revlon, contain
similar chemicals.
8. GRECIAN FORMULA for
men contains lead acetate.
Lead damages the nervous,
circulatory, and
reproductive systems. And
this particular form of lead
can penetrate skin.
Recently, researchers at
Xavier University found that
large amounts of lead are
left on the fingers of
adults and children who rub
their hands through the hair
of men using lead-based
anti-gray products. The FDA
has suggested it will
"study" the situation,
according to a February 5,
1997 Associated Press
report. While they do that,
Karen Filkins, M.D.,
director of reproductive
genetics at West Penn
Hospital in Pittsburgh,
says, "Avoid products that
could contain lead,
especially if you are
pregnant. And prevent
exposure to young children".
Pet
Products
9. ZODIAC CAT & DOG FLEA
COLLAR contains propoxur.
This chemical is a
carcinogen, according to a
1989 report done by
researchers at Cornell
University, University of
California, and Michigan and
Oregon State Universities.
It may also cause learning
disabilities, according to
Basic Guide to Pesticides.
David Steinman, a former
representative of the public
interest at the National
Academy of Sciences, is
co-author of the forthcoming
Breast Cancer Prevention
Program (Macmillan,
1997). He is author of
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
(Ballantine, 1992), and
co-author of The Safe
Shopper’s Bible
(Macmillan, 1995) and
Living Healthy in a Toxic
World (Perigee, 1996)."
Back to top
TRICLOSAN
by M. Angela McGehee, Ph.D.,
Biology and Marine Sciences
Triclosan, a chemical
used for its antibacterial
properties, is an ingredient
in many detergents,
dish-washing liquids, soaps,
deodorants, cosmetics,
lotions, antimicrobial
creams, at least one brand
of toothpaste, and an
additive in various plastics
and textiles. However, the
safety of triclosan has been
questioned in regard to
environmental and human
health. While the companies
that manufacture products
containing this chemical
claim that it is safe, the
United States Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) has
registered it as a
pesticide. The chemical
formulation and molecular
structure of this compound
are similar to some of the
most toxic chemicals on
earth, relating it to
dioxins and PCBs. The EPA
gives triclosan high scores
both as a human health risk
and as an environmental
risk.
Triclosan is a
chlorophenol, a class of
chemicals which is suspected
of causing cancer in humans.
Externally, phenol can cause
a variety of skin
irritations, but since it
can temporarily deactivate
sensory nerve endings,
contact with it may cause
little or no pain. Taken
internally, even in small
amounts, phenol can lead to
cold sweats, circulatory
collapse, convulsions, coma
and death. Additionally,
chlorinated hydrocarbon
pesticides can be stored in
body fat, sometimes
accumulating to toxic
levels. Long term exposure
to repeated use of many
pesticide products can
damage the liver, kidneys,
heart and lungs, suppress
the immune system, and cause
hormonal disruption,
paralysis, sterility and
brain hemorrhages.
Dioxins, PCBs,
chlorophenols and many
pesticides are categorized
as persistent organic
pollutants. In other words,
they persist in the
environment and accumulate
to higher and higher
concentrations with each
step up the food chain.
Virtually, every creature on
earth has a measured amount
of these pollutants in its
body fat. Once absorbed into
the fat cells, it is nearly
impossible to eliminate
these compounds. Triclosan
is among this class of
chemicals, and humans are
among the animals at the top
of the food chain. The
health risks are
considerable.
Employing a strong
antibiotic agent such as
triclosan for everyday use
is of questionable value.
Many antimicrobial
treatments are toxic and
take a shotgun approach to
killing all microscopic
organisms to which they are
applied. However, this
approach includes the risk
of toxicity to host
organisms, that is, the
plants or animals (including
humans) exposed to treatment
for microbial infections.
Toxic exposure to living
creatures can also occur
when food items and objects
such as utensils or hard
surfaces are treated with
disinfectants for microbial
contamination. Additionally,
the shotgun approach
destroys the beneficial
bacteria which occur
naturally in the environment
and in our bodies. These
so-called friendly bacteria
cause no harm and often
produce beneficial effects
such as aiding metabolism
and inhibiting the invasion
of harmful pathogens.
Antimicrobials and
disinfectants can also cause
genetic mutations resulting
in drug-resistant bacterial
and mutant viruses,
producing new strains of
harmful microbes for which
the human immune system has
no defense.
Triclosan has not been
completely tested and
analyzed for all health and
environmental risks, but
since it occurs in the
category of the chemicals
which are known to have the
detrimental effects
described here, do you want
it added to products you use
every day?
Back to top
COMMON DISINFECTANT COULD
BREED SUPERBUGS
By Maggie Fox, Health and
Science Correspondent,
Reuters
WASHINGTON (Reuters)
-
It sounds
like a good idea -- put a
germ-killing disinfectant in
toothpaste and soap to keep
kids and adults safe from
infection -- right? Wrong,
Boston-based microbiologist
Laura McMurry and colleagues
at the Tufts University
School of Medicine say.
McMurry said triclosan, a
disinfectant widely used in
products as diverse as
kitchen sponges, soap,
fabrics and plastics, is
capable of forcing the
emergence of ``superbugs''
that it cannot kill. And
experiments have shown that
it may not be the all-out
germ-killer scientists once
thought it was. Changing
just one gene in the E. coli
bacterium allowed it to
resist triclosan's effects,
McMurry said in a telephone
interview. ``We were able to
get resistance by simply
changing an amino acid in
the target.''
Triclosan is used so
widely because it is what is
known as a nonspecific
biocide -- it kills all
microbes. Like bleach and
alcohol it was believed to
interrupt so many cell
processes there was no way
any organism could develop
resistance to it. ``It was
just kind of thought it
dissolved the membranes. If
it does, then you are
probably not going to get
resistance. You would have
to have a totally different
membrane that would be
resistant,'' McMurry said.
Most drugs used as
antibiotics work on just a
single process. For
instance, penicillin stops
many bacteria from building
a strong cell wall by acting
against one component, known
as a mucopeptide. But this
specific action means many
bacteria, including the very
common staphylococcus, can
resist penicillin. That is
why new generations of
antibiotics have had to be
developed.
MORE USE MEANS MORE
CHANCE OF RESISTANCE The
more a drug is used, the
more chances bacteria have
to evolve resistance. Unless
all the bacteria in an
infection are killed, the
ones that survive exposure
to a drug will be those that
resist it in some way, while
the weaker ones die first.
Thus, a species of bacteria
can evolve resistance,
especially if this happens
over and over again.
Antibiotic-resistant
bacteria are becoming a
bigger and bigger problem.
They range from
penicillin-resistant
gonorrhea to super-strains
of staphylococcus that
cannot be killed by
vancomycin, the strongest
antibiotic available.
For this reason, doctors
are now being warned to cut
back on frequent
prescriptions of antibiotics
except for people who really
need them, and patients are
being reminded to take their
full course of drugs to make
sure no resistant bacteria
survive to breed more
resistant bacteria. But no
one had thought this
evolutionary process was a
problem with triclosan
because it was thought to
kill all bacteria. Then
McMurry and her colleagues
put this to the test,
breeding bacteria that had
various genetic mutations to
see if they would resist
triclosan. Writing in the
most recent edition of the
journal Nature, they said
they had found one. It was a
gene called fab1, which is
involved in the creation of
fatty acids in cells.
McMurry said this could mean
that bacteria could evolve
resistance to triclosan, but
she stressed that there is
no evidence so far that this
has happened in nature.
DAILY USE OF TRICLOSAN
MAY BE UNWISE ‘We did find
those triclosan-resistant
mutants in the lab; we have
not looked for them out in
the real world. But the
point is not that we've
proved that it's really
happened out there in the
real world but that there is
the potential.''
Considering this, she
said, using triclosan daily
in the home -- in products
ranging from children's
soaps to toothpaste to
``germ-free'' cutting boards
-- may be unwise. "As I
understand it, washing hands
with soap, the goal of it is
to wash off the bacteria. I
think that unless it's in a
setting where you are in a
hospital or you are in a
home with a really sick
person, I think it is
overkill,'' she said.
"That's my suspicion. It's
putting a chemical in there
that I'm not sure is
necessary.''
McMurry has not tested
her mutant bacteria to see
if they would resist
triclosan in a real-life
setting. "The amounts of
triclosan employed in many
of the hand soaps are quite
high,'' she said. "I can't
say with those high amounts
that even my mutant would
survive.'' But there is more
than one way to fight off a
drug. Sometimes bacteria
evolve their own resistance,
but they also have a habit
of meeting and exchanging
genes with one another. This
means resistance to
triclosan could be acquired,
and not simply evolved.
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