The chemical triclosan has been linked to cancer-cell growth and disrupted development in animals.
Triclosan is showing up in humans and the environment. It was found in the urine of 75 percent of 2,517 Americans tested, including children, according to a 2003 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It and a related chemical, triclocarban, were detected in 90 percent of surface water samples from the Great Lakes and in many fish species, according to a July 2014 study by the Canadian Environmental Law Association.
Every day does millions of Americans are putting triclosan in their mouths, by way of a top-selling Colgate toothpaste that uses the antibacterial chemical to head off gum disease.
In 2010, the European Union banned triclosan in materials that come into contact with food.
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