Triclosan

People do not expect that this chemical ingredient in most of their possessions is actually killing them.Triclosan, a chemical found in deodorants, shampoos, plastics, and even handsoaps has been used to preserve and disinfect products.When first discovered, it was used as a pesticide. After some time, it was discovered it could be used for many things. In hospitals it sterilizes surgical equipment, when hands are washed for long enough (30 seconds or so) it kills bacteria. However, most of the time people don’t wash their hands for long enough. What ends up happening is Triclosan gets washed down the sink with all the shampoos and handsoaps which contain it.

The Killer Chemical Lurking in Your Soap– Health and Wealth Bulletin. (n.d.). Retrieved
February 18, 2019, from https://healthandwealthbulletin.com/the-killer-chemical-lurking-in-your-soap/

The environment suffers for this as it is toxic even in small amounts. Another danger is that, since water is treated with chlorine, it can react with triclosan to make chloroform which is very poisonous. Additionally, triclosan has been found to cause thyroid problems which lead to heart problems, lack of muscle control, and a lack of brain development. It can also mess with male and female hormones. It can decrease testosterone and estrogen interfering in sexual development. It also can damage DNA so that cells end up missing entire chromosomes, resulting in cancer. Overall, the use of triclosan should be avoided due to its dangers, especially the dangers posed to the environment from wastewater.