Toothpaste cancer alert

[Analog]

Toothpaste cancer alert
By Mark Prigg Science Correspondent And Rebecca Lawrence, Evening Standard
15 April 2005

Dozens of toothpastes sold at supermarkets are at the centre of a cancer alert today.

Anti-bacterial cleaning products, including dishwashing liquid and handwash, are also affected.

Researchers have discovered that triclosan, a chemical in the products, can react with water to produce chloroform gas. If inhaled in large enough quantities, chloroform can cause depression, liver problems and, in some cases, cancer.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/arti...7956139?source=Evening%20Standard&ct=5

 

[Acanthus]

This would also effect the perscription face cream Cleocin-T (for acne), Triclosan is the active ingrediant, its also in some makeups that remove wrinkles.

 

[Eli]

Ahhh...

Nothing like hopping in the shower and waking up to the the refreshing scent of Antibacterial Irish Spring, er... chloroform.



It'd probably only be an issue to those that stand over a sink, using antibacterial soap, all day for 40 years.

 

[aircooled]

it's a good thing i dont brush my teeth

 

[Schadenfreude]

Everything causes cancer. I don't care.

 

[Snapster]

Originally posted by: Jehovah
Everything causes cancer. I don't care.

Yup, they're bound to get one right by grouping everything together!

:beer:

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: Jehovah
Everything causes cancer. I don't care.

Wonderful attitude.

Here's a pack of cigarettes.

Here's some gasoline, used motor oil and formaldehyde. Go take a bath.

Oh, and here's a glass of trichloroethylene.

 

[Gibsons]

Iirc, chloroform only causes problems in fairly large doses... I'd guess you can't get much chloroform from a side reaction. Just eyeballing the structure of Triclosan, it doesn't look like chloroform could be a major breakdown product either, but I'm guesstimating.

 

[jfall]

I'm honestly sick of hearing about it all of the time. It's doing nothing more than making people affraid of everything. blah blah blah causes cancer, blah blah doesn't cause cancer anymore, blah blah prevents cancer.

 

[T3C]

Originally posted by: aircooled
it's a good thing i dont brush my teeth

yuck

 

[Gibsons]

Originally posted by: jfall
I'm honestly sick of hearing about it all of the time. It's doing nothing more than making people affraid of everything. blah blah blah causes cancer, blah blah doesn't cause cancer anymore, blah blah prevents cancer.

I'd say it's having the opposite effect: people don't take this kind of report seriously. That's what the posts here seem to indicate anyway.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: Jehovah
Everything causes cancer. I don't care.

Wonderful attitude.

Here's a pack of cigarettes.

Here's some gasoline, used motor oil and formaldehyde. Go take a bath.

Oh, and here's a glass of trichloroethylene.

I thought his attitude was similar to yours... it's not like he's going to make an effort to do things that cause cancer at high rates, but it seems like everything is found to cause cancer these days.

 

[Juno]

Drink orange juice!!!!!

 

[StageLeft]

Aren't chemicals fun!

 

[Gibsons]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
Aren't chemicals fun!

Yes!

Triclosan is C12H7Cl3O2 !!

I haven't found out how it kills bacteria yet though.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: Jehovah
Everything causes cancer. I don't care.

Wonderful attitude.

Here's a pack of cigarettes.

Here's some gasoline, used motor oil and formaldehyde. Go take a bath.

Oh, and here's a glass of trichloroethylene.

I thought his attitude was similar to yours... it's not like he's going to make an effort to do things that cause cancer at high rates, but it seems like everything is found to cause cancer these days.

What do you mean?

I don't subscribe to the "Fsck it, I'm going to die eventually anyway" train of thought in the slightest.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: Gibsons

Originally posted by: Skoorb
Aren't chemicals fun!

Yes!

Triclosan is C12H7Cl3O2 !!

I haven't found out how it kills bacteria yet though.

Probably something to do with the Cl3O2 part?

 

[Fritzo]

That would take a lot of hand washin'....

 

[Gibsons]

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: Gibsons

Originally posted by: Skoorb
Aren't chemicals fun!

Yes!

Triclosan is C12H7Cl3O2 !!

I haven't found out how it kills bacteria yet though.

Probably something to do with the Cl3O2 part?

Not really ... I'm guessing it works as an ionophore of some sort, but maybe it just perturbs cell membranes in a rather harsh way.

edit: from here

The specific mode of action of triclosan is unknown, but it has been suggested that the primary effects are on the cytoplasmic membrane. In studies with E. coli, triclosan at subinhibitory concentrations inhibited the uptake of essential nutrients, while higher, bactericidal concentrations resulted in the rapid release of cellular components and cell death (393). Studies with a divalent-ion-dependent E. coli triclosan mutant for which the triclosan MIC was 10-fold greater than that for a wild-type strain showed no significant differences in total envelope protein profiles but did show significant differences in envelope fatty acids (370). Specifically, a prominent 14:1 fatty acid was absent in the resistant strain, and there were minor differences in other fatty acid species. It was proposed that divalent ions and fatty acids may adsorb and limit the permeability of triclosan to its site of action (370). Minor changes in fatty acid profiles were recently found in both E. coli and S. aureus strains for which the triclosan MICs were elevated; however, the MBCs were not affected, suggesting, as for other phenols, that the cumulative effects on multiple targets contribute to the bactericidal activity (318, 319)

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: Gibsons

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: Gibsons

Originally posted by: Skoorb
Aren't chemicals fun!

Yes!

Triclosan is C12H7Cl3O2 !!

I haven't found out how it kills bacteria yet though.

Probably something to do with the Cl3O2 part?

Not really ... I'm guessing it works as an ionophore of some sort, but maybe it just perturbs cell membranes in a rather harsh way.

Ah, I was just guessing.. Using NaOCl and H2O2 as disinfectant too much I guess.

 

[Amused]

Researchers have discovered that triclosan, a chemical in the products, can react with water to produce chloroform gas. If inhaled in large enough quantities, chloroform can cause depression, liver problems and, in some cases, cancer.

Things to note in this little piece of sensationalist crap:

They have found no real harm.

They have no idea if the amounts used by people in products can, or does produce "large enough quantities."

Most ANYTHING in "large enough quantities" is poisonous or causes cancer, folks.

This article and the "study" it claims to report is one of the most irresponsible things I've seen lately.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: EliWhat do you mean?

I don't subscribe to the "Fsck it, I'm going to die eventually anyway" train of thought in the slightest.

I don't think he does either, I think he meant something similar to this:

Originally posted by: Eli
It'd probably only be an issue to those that stand over a sink, using antibacterial soap, all day for 40 years.

Everything causes cancer these days, but the majority of the stuff will only cause cancer in a minute portion of the population if they use it in tremendous doses. You can't live your life avoiding everything that has a remote possibility of causing cancer. I think that's what he was getting at, I could be wrong.

 

[Wag]

I use Tom's Natural Toothpaste.

 

[aidanjm]

I don't think those Triclosan toothpastes were effective anyway. They disturb the delicate balance of microflora in your mouth and throat. Leaving you with more plaque than ever.

 

[WW]

Originally posted by: Gibsons

Originally posted by: Skoorb
Aren't chemicals fun!

Yes!

Triclosan is C12H7Cl3O2 !!

I haven't found out how it kills bacteria yet though.

It gives them cancer