[Pharmwaste] White Paper: Environmental Emergence of Triclosan

North, Karin Karin.North at cityofpaloalto.org
Thu Jan 19 16:44:32 EST 2006


See the attached white paper on the "Environmental Emergence of Triclosan" prepared by the Emerging Contaminants Workgroup of the Santa Clara Basin Watershed Management Initiative (SCBWMI)

Executive Summary
Antibacterial agents, such as triclosan, are common ingredients in many everyday household and personal care products. There is a growing concern about the emergence of these chemicals in the environment. The SCBWMI Emerging Contaminants Workgroup reviewed the state of knowledge regarding triclosan, the most common of these antibacterial agents. The Workgroup recommends the adoption of strategies to minimize the occurrence of antibacterial agents and their breakdown products in surface water. Proposed next steps, messages and audiences are presented in Section 5. Based on a comprehensive literature review, the SCBWMI Emerging Contaminants Workgroup draws the following conclusions:
	·	The American Medical Association has not endorsed the necessity or efficacy of triclosan and other antibacterial agents in personal care products (Section 1)
	·	Antibacterial agents and their degradation products are found in many tested U.S. surface waters, including San Francisco Bay (Section 2)
	·	One such agent, triclosan is acutely and chronically toxic to aquatic organisms (Section 3)
	·	Triclosan bioaccumulates in fish and human tissue (Section 3)
	·	Triclosan may degrade into other toxic compounds (Section 3)
	·	Triclosan may encourage antibiotic resistance in pathogenic bacteria. (Section 3).
	·	Physicians indicate that the best germ fighting measure continues to be the actual act of hand washing with regular soap, or for extra assurance, alcohol or peroxide-based hand sanitizers (Section 4)

For more information, contact: Stephanie Hughes, RMC (shughes at rmcwater.com  408-240-8174); Jessie Denver, City of San Jose (jessie.denver at sanjoseca.gov 408-277-3534); or Karin Didriksen North, City of Palo Alto (karin.north at cityofpaloalto.org  650-494-7629).

Regards,

Karin Didriksen North
Environmental Compliance Group
City of Palo Alto
650-494-7629
Fax 650-494-3531
email: karin.north at cityofpaloalto.org
www.cityofpaloalto.org/cleanbay
www.cityofpaloalto.org/waterreuse
 <<Triclosan_FinalJan06.pdf>> 

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