Antibacterial soap: Is it safe for you?

Antimicrobial chemicals in soaps and other household cleaning products may actually promote bacterial infections that take hold in the human nose, new research shows.

Triclosan — a chemical compound used in such antibacterial products such as soaps, toothpastes, kitchen surfaces, clothes, and medical equipment — was found in the nasal passages of 41 percent of adults sampled by researchers at the University of Michigan, reports Newsmax Health.

In a report published online in mBio, the journal of the American Society for Microbiology, the UM researchers suggested triclosan is finding its way inside human noses where it promotes the colonization of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria and could predispose some people to infection. A higher proportion of people with triclosan also had S. aureus infection, the results showed.

Lead researcher Blaise Boles — an assistant professor of molecular, cellular, and developmental biology at the university — noted triclosan has been around for 40 years and is in many antibacterial household products. Past studies have found traces of triclosan in human blood, urine, and milk. Research involving animals has shown high concentrations of triclosan can disrupt the endocrine system and decrease heart and skeletal muscle function.

The researchers said the new study should prompt a review of the safety of triclosan in consumer products, calling such an analysis "urgently needed."

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