Reprinted with permission by Children’s Health Environmental Coalition (CHEC). CHEC is a national nonprofit organization working to educate parents and others about preventable health and environmental problems caused by exposure to toxic substances.At this very moment, microbes are migrating across your kitchen countertops and kids’ toys, burrowing into your towels, basking on your kids’ skin. If this makes you want to lunge for the Lysol, you are not alone. It’s no wonder that manufacturers of antibacterial products prey on parents’ fears. They’ve been remarkably successful. A substantial 76 percent of all liquid soaps and 29 percent of bar soaps now contain bacteria-killing chemicals, such as triclosan. Antibacterial agents have also been added to lotions, cutting boards, toys, toothbrushes, toothpastes, even socks and underwear. The Label Says . . . Reading labels can be more confusing than clarifying. Antibacterial products target only bacteria. Antimicrobial, however, is a catch-all term for products that kill or inhibit microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, molds) that cause disease, food spoilage or deterioration of fibers, depending upon the chemicals used. Disinfectants, are antimicrobial cleaners used specifically against disease-causing microbes. They may contain powerful, even toxic, active ingredients that should be kept away from skin. Antiseptic products are disinfectants, such as hydrogen peroxide, that can be used on the skin, usually on wounds. Marketers may confuse matters by using these terms interchangeably, implying that household antimicrobial products, like sponges impregnated with triclosan, will prevent disease. But, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), less than five percent of the 3,000 EPA-registered antimicrobial products sold control infectious microbes. The rest restrain growth of algae, odor-causing bacteria, bacteria which cause spoilage or deterioration, and microorganisms infectious only to animals. Living With Microbes In truth, most of the microbes on and around us are harmless. Bacteria naturally inhabit our skin, digestive tract, the soil, and our homes, helping to maintain a balance in both our internal and external environments. There’s even mounting evidence that exposure to bacteria might be a good thing. According to the "hygiene hypothesis," bacterial assaults help children’s immune systems to develop. Studies have shown that inner city children, and children without older siblings, are more likely to develop allergies, asthma and autoimmune disorders because their immune systems are less regularly stimulated. In any case, for the average home, antibacterial and disinfecting products are chemical overkill. Most of the time, soap and water are all that’s needed to get rid of germs. Besides, disinfectants will protect your family only temporarily, because it doesn’t take long for germs to return. Handing It to Germs While keeping a clean house will help prevent the spread of infectious disease, changing our behavior is more likely to reduce our chances of getting sick. Most germs find their way into the body via the hands. Touching our eyes or mouth with our hands, which we do frequently and often unconsciously, enables germs to enter our bodies. Children are especially vulnerable, because they have few qualms about sucking on dirty fingers. Ironically, this behavior, which drives so many parents toward antibacterial products, also exposes children to chemicals whose long-term health risks are unclear. Antibacterial products can leave a lingering residue on skin and home surfaces. The best defense against infection, according to most experts, is simple hand washing with plain soap and water. The physical act of washing removes all kinds of microorganisms, including the viruses that cause colds and the flu, which aren’t even destroyed by antibacterial agents. Scrubbing with any type of soap helps loosen germs and dirt, which then are washed down the drain with a good rinsing. When you can’t wash your hands, because there’s no water available, there are alcohol-based hand sanitizers like Purell. If you’re halfway up a mountain and need to change a diaper trailside, you’ll be glad to have some. But they dry out the skin, and cracked skin is an invitation to bacteria. One advantage of these products is that they don’t leave any potentially harmful chemical residues on the skin. Germ-Fighting Furniture? As for those antibacterial toys, toilet seats, and other home products, save your money. These items discourage odor and mildew from developing on the product, but they do little to protect you and your family from illness-causing bacteria and viruses. The EPA and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have, in fact, reprimanded and fined several manufacturers of antibacterial products for implying that their products can kill bacteria. Products like antibacterial cutting boards may add extra protection for the consumer, but don’t mistake them for a substitute for safe food handling practices. The widespread use of antibacterial home products could do more harm than good by encouraging bacteria to develop and spread resistance. Manufacturers scoff at the idea, but in 1998, Dr. Stuart Levy of Tufts University, president of the Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics (APUA), demonstrated that bacteria can develop resistance to triclosan in the laboratory. Concerned that antibacterial household products could contribute to the rise of "superbugs", the American Medical Association (AMA) asked the FDA in June 2000 to regulate them more strictly. "There’s no evidence that they do any good and there’s reason to suspect that they contribute to a problem [antibiotic resistance]," Dr. Myron Genel of AMA’s Council on Scientific Affairs points out. Chemical Dangers in Disinfectants There’s no doubt that disinfecting cleaners can help keep bacteria, viruses and fungi in check. But the strong ingredients of some may pose health risks, especially to children. The more than 300 different active ingredients in antimicrobial products are classified by EPA as pesticides, because they kill microbes. Some, such as phenol, are toxic and corrosive. Cresol, a suspected carcinogen, can cause abdominal pain, vomiting and bloody diarrhea, if ingested, and even respiratory, circulatory or cardiac failure, in large doses. Oxalic acid, a disinfectant used in toilet bowl cleaners, may irritate the eyes and skin and can damage the respiratory and nervous systems and the kidneys. Because of potential health risks, antibacterial agents and disinfectants should be reserved for hospitals and home care of patients with suppressed immune systems, according to Dr. Elaine Larson of the Columbia University School of Nursing in the March-April 2001 issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases. For the rest of us, the best protection against potentially harmful bacteria is simple: Wash your hands, frequently and well, with ordinary soap, and teach your kids to do the same. Germs can’t leap directly from surfaces into your eyes and mouth; they rely upon your hands for a ride. For germ-fighting strategies, see Alternatives to Antibacterials and Disinfectants: Safer Ways to Keep Germs at Bay. Look for safer product alternatives in CHEC's Safer Products Store. |
For more information, visit CHEC at checnet.org. Reprinted with permission by Children’s Health Environmental Coalition (CHEC). CHEC is a national nonprofit organization working to educate parents and others about preventable health and environmental problems caused by exposure to toxic substances. Visit CHEC at www.
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