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TRICLOSAN
Score:
Data: Fair
- Other Concerns
- Functions
- About the Chemical
- Synonyms
-
Use restrictions (moderate), Endocrine disruption (moderate), Persistence and bioaccumulation (moderate), Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (moderate), Ecotoxicology (low), Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (high), and Contamination concerns (high)
Cancer 
Cancer: Ingredients linked to cancer in government, industry or academic studies or assessments.
Developmental & Reproductive Toxicity
Developmental and reproductive toxicity: Ingredients linked to developmental and reproductive toxicity, a broad class of health effects that range from infertility and reproductive organ cancers to birth defects and developmental delays in children.
Allergies & Immunotoxicity
Allergies and immunotoxicity: Ingredients linked to harm to the immune system, a class of health problems that manifest as allergic reactions or an impaired capacity to fight disease and repair damaged tissue in the body.
Products with this Ingredient
| toothpaste | 2 products |
| facial cleanser | 1 products |
Contamination concerns
| Chemical |
|---|
| CHLOROFORM |
| DIOXINS |
Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs)
| Concern | Reference |
|---|---|
| Classified as irritant | CPS&Q - Classification & Labelling |
Persistence and bioaccumulation
| Concern | Reference |
|---|---|
| Persistent, bioaccumulative in wildlife | Emerging PBTs from peer-reviewed literature |
Use restrictions
| Concern | Reference |
|---|---|
| Restricted in cosmetics (recommendations or requirements) - use, concentration, or manufacturing restrictions - Use is restricted in Canadian cosmetics | Canada - Prohibited and Restricted Cosmetics Ingredients |
| Restricted in cosmetics (recommendations or requirements) - use, concentration, or manufacturing restrictions - Japan - restricted for use in cosmetics (concentration limit) | Japan's Standards for Cosmetics |
Endocrine disruption
| Concern | Reference |
|---|---|
| Affects thyroid hormone-associated gene expression and disrupts postembryonic development. Findings on the control of amphibian metamorphosis enhance our understanding of the regulation of postembryonic development by thyroid hormone in mammals and other | Veldhoen N, Skirrow RC, Osachoff H, Wigmore H, Clapson DJ, Gunderson MP, Van Aggelen G, Helbing CC, 2006 "The bactericidal agent triclosan modulates thyroid hormone-associated gene expression and disrupts postembryonic anuran development," Aquat Toxicol. 2006 Dec 1;80(3):217-27. Tata JR. "Amphibian metamorphosis as a model for studying the developmental actions of thyroid hormone." Ann Endocrinol (Paris). 1998;59(6):433-42. |
| One or more studies show moderate endocrine disruption | Zorrilla LM, Gibson EK, Jeffay SC, et al 2009. The effects of triclosan on puberty and thyroid hormones in male Wistar rats. Toxicological sciences: an official journal of the Society of Toxicology 107(1), 56-64. |
Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)
| Concern | Reference |
|---|---|
| Classified as expected to be toxic or harmful | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
| Lab animal and cell studies show triclosan can weaken cardiac and skeletal muscle contractions. | Cherednichenko G, Zhang R, Bannister RA, Timofeyev V, Li N, Fritsch EB, et al 2012. Triclosan impairs excitation-contraction coupling and Ca2+ dynamics in striated muscle. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 109(35): 14158-14163. |
Allergies/immunotoxicity
| Concern | Reference |
|---|---|
| Triclosan may negatively affect immune function in people | Rees Clayton EM, Todd M, Beam Dowd J, Aiello AE 2011. The impact of bisphenol A and triclosan on immune parameters in the U.S. population, NHANES 2003-2006. Environmental Health Perspectives 119(3), 390-6. |
Ecotoxicology
| Concern | Reference |
|---|---|
| Wildlife and environmental toxicity | CPS&Q - Classification & Labelling |
| Suspected to be an environmental toxin and be persistent or bioaccumulative | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
| Suspected to be an environmental toxin | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Data gaps
| Concern | Reference |
|---|---|
| Risk assessment method deficiencies and data gaps - Maximum reported "as used" concentration is basis of safety assessment by industry safety panel (Cosmetic Ingredient Review, CIR) - implicit safe concentration limit in product | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
| 1875 studies in PubMed science library may include information on the toxicity of this chemical | NLM PubMed |
Informational
| Concern | Reference |
|---|---|
| Industry or government recommendations for safe use: restrictions on concentration, impurities, product types, or manufacturing methods - any | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
Data Sources
- CPS&Q (Consumer Products Safety & Quality) formely known as ECB (European Chemicals Bureau). 2008. Classification and Labelling: Chemicals: Annex VI of Directive 67/548/EEC through the 31st ATP.
- Emerging PBTs from peer-reviewed literature
- Health Canada. 2007. List of Prohibited and Restricted Cosmetic Ingredients. Canada's Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist. March 2007.
- Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. 2006. Standards for Cosmetics. Evaluation and Licensing Division. Pharmaceutical and Food Safety Bureau.
- Veldhoen N, Skirrow RC, Osachoff H, Wigmore H, Clapson DJ, Gunderson MP, Van Aggelen G, Helbing CC, 2006 "The bactericidal agent triclosan modulates thyroid hormone-associated gene expression and disrupts postembryonic anuran development," Aquat Toxicol. 2006 Dec 1;80(3):217-27. Tata JR. "Amphibian metamorphosis as a model for studying the developmental actions of thyroid hormone." Ann Endocrinol (Paris). 1998;59(6):433-42.
- Zorrilla LM, Gibson EK, Jeffay SC, et al 2009. The effects of triclosan on puberty and thyroid hormones in male Wistar rats. Toxicological sciences: an official journal of the Society of Toxicology 107(1), 56-64.
- EC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry.
- Cherednichenko G, Zhang R, Bannister RA, Timofeyev V, Li N, Fritsch EB, et al 2012. Triclosan impairs excitation-contraction coupling and Ca2+ dynamics in striated muscle. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 109(35): 14158-14163.
- Rees Clayton EM, Todd M, Beam Dowd J, Aiello AE 2011. The impact of bisphenol A and triclosan on immune parameters in the U.S. population, NHANES 2003-2006. Environmental Health Perspectives 119(3), 390-6.
- CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review). 2006. CIR Compendium, containing abstracts, discussions, and conclusions of CIR cosmetic ingredient safety assessments. Washington DC.
- NLM (National Library of Medicine). 2012. PubMed online scientific bibliography data. http://www.pubmed.gov.
- Products with the EWG VERIFIED mark have met the program’s impurity restrictions based on EWG review of company data.
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