The ever increasing demand for antibacterial chemicals to be incorporated into household products is now a cause for environmental concern. Triclosan and triclocarban are two of the most common chemical additives found in personal care products, especially soaps. Researchers have discovered that these two chemicals can persist in the environment and at levels that may be unhealthy for aquatic life. Ironically, studies have shown that the use of these compounds have no measurable benefit when compared to regular soap because the contact time between soap and bacteria is often too short. Full story.
May 20, 2008
Dr. Steven Chang, the author of DailyDose, is a staff physician with Kosmix RightHealth. Dr. Chang practices Family Medicine at the University of California Davis Medical Center, where his medical interests include both pediatric and geriatric care, public health, gay and lesbian health, and sleep medicine. Dr. Chang trained at the Stanford University affiliated O'Connor Hospital, and was a research fellow at the National Institute of Health. He holds an M.D. from McGill University and a BA in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University.