According to new research recently published in Aquatic Toxicology on September 29th, the bacteria agent triclosan, widely used in soaps and toothpastes for its ability to kill bacteria has been found to modulate thyroid hormone-associated gene expression and disrupt postembryonic anuran development in both frogs and humans! And Trent didn't believe me that frogs had physiological or biomedical implications for humans.According to this article, although sewage plants remove most of the triclosan washed down the drain, the chemical still winds up in detectable amounts downstream where my poor Tungara frogs reside.
Side effects? "The triclosan effects included significant weight loss and accelerated hind-limb development. Helbing and co-workers also detected elevated activity in the brain of genes linked with uncontrolled cell growth, and decreased gene activity in the tail fin."
While I know many of you would appreciate the weight loss, I'm sure you wouldn't enjoy accelerated hind-limb development, or uncontrolled cell growth and decreased gene activity in the tail fin!
So help me save my slimey friends by avoiding products containing triclosan, which can be found here per my friends at the NIH.
Maybe if you were exposed, you would have long legs like me ;)
ReplyDeleteSeriously though, you need to start posting some ideas for your birthday wish list this month.
Alrighty...out goes my colgate total and softsoap. Lucky for everyone around me, I have some colgate maxfresh...and theres gotta be some more soap around here somewhere.
ReplyDeleteI always have because that anit-bacterial stuff smell like a hospital and who wants to smell like that. Yuck! It is difficult to find pump handsoap without it, even at Bath and Body. :(
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