Anti-Bacterial Additive Widespread In U.S. Waterways

[benburch]

http://www.jhsph.edu/PublicHealthNews/Press_Releases/2005/Halden_triclocarban_triclosan.html

January 21, 2005

Anti-Bacterial Additive Widespread In U.S. Waterways

Rolf Halden, PhD, PE

Many rivers and streams in the United States are believed to contain a toxic antimicrobial chemical whose environmental fate was never thoroughly scrutinized despite large-scale production and usage for almost half a century, according to an analysis conducted by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The chemical, triclocarban, has been widely used for decades in hand soaps and other cleaning products, but rarely was monitored for or detected in the environment. The new findings suggest that triclocarban contamination is greatly underreported. The study is published in the current online edition of Environmental Science & Technology, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Chemical Society.

“We’ve been using triclocarban for almost half a century at rates approaching 1 million pounds per year, but we have essentially no idea of what exactly happens to the compound after we flush it down the drain,” said the study’s lead author, Rolf U. Halden, PhD, PE, assistant professor in the School’s Department of Environmental Health Sciences and founding member of its Center for Water and Health.

The nationwide assessment of triclocarban contamination is based in part on an analysis of water samples collected from rivers in and around Baltimore, Md., as well as from local water filtration and wastewater treatment plants. From the samples, Dr. Halden and his summer research intern, Daniel H. Paull, now a graduate student in the Chemistry department at Johns Hopkins University, observed the occurrence of triclocarban in the environment correlated strongly with that of triclosan, another commonly used antimicrobial chemical that has been studied in much greater detail because it is more easily detectable. Using an empirical model and published data on the environmental occurrence of triclosan, the researchers predicted  triclocarban concentrations for 85 U.S. streams. The study results suggest that the antimicrobial contaminant is present in 60 percent of the U.S. water resources investigated, thereby making it the fifth most frequent contaminant among 96 pharmaceuticals, personal care products and organic wastewater contaminants evaluated.

<SNIP>

[dolo amber]

1. That's just lovely

Didn't see THAT one comin' 10 years ago... :eyes:

[burrowowl]

2. Profit

over common sense.

[NuttyFluffers]

5. *sigh* as if we needed more resistent microbes and funky chemical X

.... *sigh*... the world i leave the next generation is a sad one indeed.

on an interesting note, Kaiser Permanente was asking its medical assisants and other staff (mom worked for kaiser) to inform their patients to not get *anti-bactieral everything.* remember that fad when everything from kitchen counters, pacifiers, hand lotions, to earrings, lipstick, hairspray, and everything under the sun was made "anti-bacterial"? well, the yuppie hell that was silicon valley here awhile ago bought all that shit, in literal truckloads (SUVs were just exploding in popularity, and their new babies *needed* the entire universe in their 3 bedroom 2 1/2 bath lifestyle ... fucking, psycho new parents). well, Kaiser started to notice particularly virulent ear infections, and repeated infections, coming from such homes. it seems these families sped up the microbial mutation/survival process to radical proportions in their effort to sterilize everything. so doctors were telling others to warn everyone to severely cut back on the overusage of *anti-bacterial everything*. basic hygiene skills, they said, were generally efficient enough -- and simple cleansers were best, such as salt (fantastic soft scrub), vinegar, baking soda, plain soap, and steam. seems the simple cleansers cleaned but also didn't leave a continual harsh environment for further generations to attempt to adapt to, in this way exposure was maintained to healthy levels where the human immune system could actively compete.

[TreasonousBastard]

3. About damn time...

someone started looking for this stuff.

Epidemiologists have been bitching for years that all these sanitizing goodies are creating resistant bacteria.

[DemBones DemBones]

4. If we don't succeed in destroying ourselves,it won't be for lack of trying

now will it?


If there is a future for humans, someday people will look back and ask, "What were they THINKING?"

[kineneb]

6. not just antibacterials in water

I read somewhere that researchers also found such goodies as antibiotics and antidepressants in water. Great, heathy, happy super-fish.
Never mind our lakes just got the ritual warning about mercury contamination (natural/mining residue).

[Igel]

7. Not the first report. Won't be the last.

The new part is it's a nationwide assessment.

Far too many antibacterials, hormones, pain killers, and anything else people consume, frequently when not really necessary and which they forget eventually mostly comes out again. Can't get a sewer treatment station to remove it all--too many compounds, too expensive.

Winds up in fish, in irrigation water, etc., etc.

[gumby]

8. 10 years ago at least, dolo amber

I've been bad-mouthing this stuff for a long time, but when I go to the supermarket and see shelves and shelves of this stuff.......... it's horrible.

Only read the excerpt, but isn't this the stuff that's almost the same as Agent Orange? .... and we already know the human cost of that poison. Mindboggling.

[NYC]

9. Triclosan is found in some toothpastes.

There is a variety of Colgate that contains triclosan.

[LeftyMom]

29. Underarm deodorant, too

Especially the clear gel kinds.

[Dover]

10. America has a germ fetish.........more scare tactics by profit seekers.

Hey, fear works.

[SoCalDem]

16. Americans are "scared" of many things.. germs, hair, smells,waxy build-up

Madison Avenue has convinced us that everything MUST sparkle..Nothing must EVER smell..Hair must be gotten rid of at all costs (unless it's on your head)...Germs must NEVER ever be allowed.

and yet, we seem to also be the biggest consumers of medicines..How odd, that after decades of relentless "germ-warfare", we seem sicker than ever :eyes:

[Dover]

17. "germ warfare"........lol !

[Johnny Noshoes]

20. Germ fetish indeed

Everytime I see people obsessing over cleaning their hands or worried about touching doorknobs in the men's room at work, cleaning stuff that doesn't need to be cleaned I sometimes tell them that the human body has an immune system FOR A REASON. Yeah you use the bathroom and you wash your hands of course but this obsessive cleanliness its like we're becoming a nation of OCD sufferers.


"But what I do believe in is keeping promises to the people," she said. "I told them election night - and I didn't know how prophetic this was - that if I had to stand alone, I will do it. I am not afraid." - Barbara Boxer

[JohnOneillsMemory]

11. Who the hell needs water? Bud Light! Wimpy liberals....n/t

[fshrink]

12. Welcome the super-bugs. nt

[Mokkori]

13. Chlorine, Flouride, and now this?

Is there anything else in the water I should know about? I always feel better if I drink distilled water. I used to think that maybe it was all in my head, but I have a cat who used to barf on my floor daily. When I started filling his water bowl out of my distilled water, he cut down his barfs to about once a week. No other changes in diet or environment.

[oneighty]

22. Perhaps you should

research/rethink drinking distilled water. I have read that it really is not good for you.

Welcome to DU.

180

[newyawker99]

24. Hi Mokkori!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[buddysmellgood]

14. Let's ad a lemony fresh scent to the water. A spring fresh, everything is

new lemony scent. Then all the crap in the water won't bother us because is smells so lemonishious and makes the furniture look great!

[Deja Q]

15. And if the lil' nasties develop a tolerance to it... it'll redefine terror

as we know it!

LOL... science is our friend? Just as the US was to Iraq 21 years ago, it seems...

[diamond14]

18. EPA has simply CEASED putting any new chemicals on their regulatory lists

so..ONLY the chemicals that got on the lists...mostly before reagunites got in and started DEMOLISHING the EPA....are regulated and it isn't very many chemicals....

with THOUSANDS of NEW Chemicals being manufactured EVERY YEAR, EPA lists are pathetic and mostly just address CRISIS....remember bush* first act in office was to STOP ARSENIC from being regulated tighter?


where's the OUTRAGE????

the effects of bush* minions will torment OUR children/grandchildren and more for their ENTIRE lives....

[UL_Approved]

19. Do the evolution, baby!

Enjoy going back to the nineteenth century in terms of medicine. With the soup of anti-microbial compounds floating around out there and all of the radical religious groups stopping medical research and technology, we should be in a new dark age before too long...

[enough]

21. kick

[Solly Mack]

23. I never use anti-bacterial soap or cleaning products

because I know the damage overuse can cause though enough people in America use it to more than make up for my family's lack of use.

I'm always mindful of proper use of anti-biotics for the same reason

eventually, micro-critters develop a resistance

Anyone that has ever seen a case of MRSA , and I've seen several...understands the need for caution.

[Trixxie]

26. reply

The water you use in sinks, Gray water, along with brown water sewage, should be receiving treatment, although there is a lot of inadequate treatment. It's the water that goes through storm gutters that has no treatment at all. The anti-biotics we take is a drop in the bucket compared to what is being pumped into food animals, not because they are sick but because massive amounts of anti-biotics causes there a rabid increase in there growth curve or the productivity of there feed/gain ratio, that's where the super bugs are coming from.

[Trixxie]

25. Water Pollution

By EPA estimates 40% of our nations waterways don't meet their designated use:drinking, wildlife habitat, fishing, swimming, other recreation. The largest polluter isn't government or large industry but everyday people like you and I. That's right the biggest threat to water quality is Storm Water Runoff or Nonpoint Source Pollution. The chemicals we use around our homes, our pet waste, our improperly treated sewage waste, runoff from small farms, small construction and our recreational wastes from boats and marinas. Learn more about what you can do <a href="http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLD,GGLD:2004-35,GGLD:en&q=nonpoint+source+pollution">Nonpoint Source Pollution</a>

[struggle4progress]

27. kick

[LifeDuringWartime]

28. wasn't sure i wanted this sitting at the bottom of the page

:shrug: