A recent study reports that hospital workers who use antibacterial soap containing triclosan, a synthetic antibacterial agent, are exposed to potentially unsafe levels of the chemical, according to an article on the Becker's Hospital Review website.
The chemical is currently under review by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The FDA is reviewing triclosan — which is found in many products like soaps, toothpaste and acne creams — for safety based on research that it can cause developmental problems in fetuses and newborns.
For the study, researchers took urine samples from two groups of 38 workers from two hospitals. One hospital used soap with 0.3 percent triclosan in all patient care areas while the other hospital did not use triclosan-containing soap.
Researchers found that workers in the first hospital had significantly higher levels of the chemical. They also found that washing with antibacterial soap led to higher triclosan levels than brushing teeth with triclosan-containing toothpastes does.
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