[Pharmwaste] Minnesota bans anti-bacterial chemical from soaps

Tue May 20 10:45:02 EDT 2014

Wow - That is big news and a step in the right direction.  I anticipate
other states will follow suit.

Jeff Hollar

President

PharmWaste Technologies, Inc.

Urbandale, IA 50322

515-276-5302 (general)

515-331-7310 (direct)

515-360-9785 (cell)

www.pwaste.com <http://www.pwaste.com/> 

From: pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us
[mailto:pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us] On Behalf Of DeBiasi,
Deborah (DEQ)
Sent: Tuesday, May 20, 2014 9:04 AM
To: (pharmwaste at lists.dep.state.fl.us)
Subject: [Pharmwaste] Minnesota bans anti-bacterial chemical from soaps

http://news.yahoo.com/minnesota-bans-anti-bacterial-chemical-205151860.html;
_ylt=AwrBJR6BcHpTG20AdzXQtDMD

Minnesota bans anti-bacterial chemical from soaps

Minnesota bans common anti-bacterial chemical from soaps as pressure on
industry grows

 <http://www.ap.org/>  

By Steve Karnowski, Associated Press15 hours ago

0shares

<http://news.yahoo.com/minnesota-bans-anti-bacterial-chemical-205151860.html
;_ylt=AwrBJR6BcHpTG20AdzXQtDMD>  

.

View photo

Soaps containing the antibacterial chemical triclosan are displayed on a
shelf at a Minneapolis pharmacy Monday, May 19, 2014. Gov. Mark Dayton on
Friday signed a bill to make Minnesota the first state to ban the use of
triclosan in retail consumer cleaning products, starting Jan. 1, 2017. (AP
Photo/Jim Mone) 

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- It's widely used nationwide as a germ-killing ingredient
in soaps, deodorants and even toothpaste, but it's being banned in
Minnesota.

Gov. Mark Dayton on Friday signed a bill to make Minnesota the first state
to prohibit the use of triclosan in most retail consumer hygiene products.
The Minnesota House and Senate passed it earlier last week because of health
and environmental concerns about the chemical. The ban isn't due to take
effect until Jan. 1, 2017, but one of its lead sponsors, state Sen. John
Marty, predicted Monday that the odds are good that most manufacturers will
phase out triclosan by then anyway.

"While this is an effort to ban triclosan from one of the 50 states, I think
it will have a greater impact than that," Marty said.

The Roseville Democrat said other states and the federal government are
likely to act, too. And he said come companies are already catching on that
there's no marketing advantage to keeping triclosan in its products. He
noted that Procter & Gamble's Crest toothpaste is now marketing itself as
triclosan-free.

Triclosan is used in an estimated 75 percent of anti-bacterial liquid soaps
and body washes sold across the United States, according to the Food and
Drug Administration. The federal agency announced last year that it would
revisit the safety of triclosan and other germ-killing ingredients used in
personal cleaning products. While triclosan hasn't been shown to be
hazardous to humans, studies have raised concerns that it can disrupt
hormones critical for reproduction and development, at least in lab animals,
and contribute to the development of resistant bacteria.

Critics including the FDA say there's no evidence that triclosan soaps are
any more effective than washing with plain soap and water for preventing the
spread of diseases. A University of Minnesota study published last year
found increasing levels of triclosan in the sediments of several lakes, and
that the chemical can break down in those waters into potentially harmful
dioxins. Two months later, Dayton ordered all state agencies to stop buying
hand soaps and dish and laundry cleaners containing triclosan.

The American Cleaning Institute had urged Dayton to veto the new bill,
saying triclosan has been thoroughly researched and shown to provide
important health benefits.

"Instead of letting federal regulators do their jobs, the legislation would
take safe, effective and beneficial products off the shelves of Minnesota
grocery, convenience and drug stores," Douglas Troutman, the trade group's
vice president and counsel for governmental affairs, wrote in a letter to
Dayton.

ACI spokesman Brian Sansoni said Minnesota is the only state to enact a ban
so far. He said it remains to be seen whether any individual manufacturers
would go to the expense of reformulating their products just for the
Minnesota market or simply stop selling them in the state. He said triclosan
is an issue best regulated at the federal level.

Under an FDA rule proposed in December, manufacturers of anti-bacterial hand
soaps and body washes would have to demonstrate that their products are safe
for daily use, and more effective than plain soap and water. Otherwise, they
would need to reformulate these products or remove anti-bacterial claims
from the labels. The agency is still taking public comments on the proposal.

Some manufacturers have announced plans over the last couple years to at
least partially phase out triclosan. Procter & Gamble plans to finish
dropping the chemical from its products this year. Johnson & Johnson plans
to eliminate it from all its consumer products by 2015.

Deborah L. DeBiasi
Email:   Deborah.DeBiasi at deq.virginia.gov
WEB site address:  www.deq.virginia.gov <http://www.deq.virginia.gov/> 
Virginia Department of Environmental Quality
Office of Water Permits 
Industrial Pretreatment/Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET) Program
PPCPs, EDCs, and Microconstituents

http://www.deq.virginia.gov/Programs/Water/PermittingCompliance/PollutionDis
chargeElimination/Microconstituents.aspx

Mail:          P.O. Box 1105, Richmond, VA  23218
Location:  629 E. Main Street, Richmond, VA  23219
PH:         804-698-4028      FAX:      804-698-4032

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