Many MNN readers have already done their best to remove the antibacterial chemical triclosan and endocrine disruptor BPA from their homes. Now comes a new study that’ll make you glad you’ve banished the chemicals. “Endocrine-disrupting chemicals like BPA and triclosan may negatively impact human immune function,” according to a University of Michigan study published in Environmental Health Perspectives this week.
As usual, the researchers behind the study note that more studies need to be done. Yet the findings from the study, which used the data from the 2003-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, found some troubling trends. NPR’s Shots summarizes the findings:
[The study] suggests kids with higher exposure to triclosan — which gets into our bodies via everything from antimicrobial soap to toothpaste to cutting boards — may cause them to be more frequently diagnosed with allergies.
Meanwhile, adults exposed to higher doses of Bisphenol A (BPA), which is found in many plastics like the linings of food cans and baby bottles, may also have trouble with their immune systems, the study finds.
We’re still waiting for action from the U.S. government.
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