Decades-old question: Is antibacterial soap safe?

Federal health regulators are deciding whether triclosan, the germ-killing ingredient found in an estimated 75 percent of anti-bacterial liquid soaps and body washes sold in the U.S., is harmful. The ruling, which will determine whether triclosan continues to be used in household cleaners, could have broader implications for a $1 billion industry that includes hundreds of anti-bacterial products from toothpaste to toys.
Federal health regulators are deciding whether triclosan, the germ-killing ingredient found in an estimated 75 percent of anti-bacterial liquid soaps and body washes sold in the U.S., is harmful. The ruling, which will determine whether triclosan continues to be used in household cleaners, could have broader implications for a $1 billion industry that includes hundreds of anti-bacterial products from toothpaste to toys.

Loading story body...