Let’s jump right into this month’s green idea—eliminating anti-bacterial soaps from our homes. I’m sure most of you have families and you’re wondering why in the world I’m asking you to stop using anti-bacterial soap, right? Supposedly, this product kills 99.9% of germs and bacteria and gives you and your kids a fighting chance against getting sick.
But the truth is anti-bacterial soap is no more effective than plain soap and water when it comes to washing your hands. In fact, anti-bacterial soap is not only unnecessary it’s also harmful to the environment.
According to Arizona State University, the chemicals used in anti-bacterial soaps don’t break down. This means the same type of chemicals from fifty years ago are still around in the environment today. Ick! Triclosan is one such chemical and the major problem with so many people using it in their soap is that they are also washing it down their drains. Wastewater treatments are not currently able to clean all of the triclosan out of the water flowing through. This means the chemical is being reintroduced to the environment and ending up in rivers, streams, and your food. That’s right, I said your food.
An article on Discovery.com states that triclosan has been detected in breast milk and urine in a significant amount of people, which means it’s getting into people somehow. Another article states the chemical is being found in many marine animals including trout and other fish that we eat. This isn’t good for them or us. It can actually be toxic to some species of marine organisms and have negative effects on others.
The truth is, scientists and other researchers don’t know all of the dangerous effects caused by this chemical and the others found in anti-bacterial soap. The most that we can do now is to stop buying these products. They aren’t beneficial to us and the negative impact is too great a risk. If you’d like more information on any of this, I’ve listed all of the links I referenced below.
Until next time Clippers!
Jessica
“Anti-bacterial Soap Bad for the Environment.”
“Antibacterial Soap: Unnecessary and Harmful”
“Are Anti-bacterial Soaps Poisoning Our Water?”
“Plain Soap as Good as Antibacterial”
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