http://www.care2.com/greenliving/triclosan-found-in-dolphins-2.html
Triclosan Found in Dolphins
By Kathy Dolan, Food & Water Watch
We’ve got some disturbing news. Researchers have reported that triclosan was found in the blood of bottlenose dolphins. This goes to show that the consequences of overusing a pesticide like triclosan are incredibly far-reaching and dangerous.
It is well known that marine mammals, forced to swim in polluted waters, become contaminated with persistent organic pollutants. Triclosan, an antibacterial compound commonly used in personal care products including hand soaps and dish detergent, has made its way down drain and into dolphins living in US coastal waters. The study, which appears in this month’s Environmental Pollution, examined dolphins from rivers, an estuary, a harbor and a lagoon in South Carolina and Florida. Blood samples from wild bottlenose dolphins found within an estuary in Charleston, South Carolina and in the Indian River Lagoon, Florida in 2005 were analyzed for triclosan. Triclosan was detected in 31 and 23 percent of the animals from the two sites.
As we wash our hands (or dishes, or clothing, etc.) with soaps containing triclosan, it eventually enters wastewater. While most harmful residue is removed during the treatment process, triclosan persists in waterways and is one of the most commonly found contaminants in river and estuary sediment downstream of treated water outfalls.
Next time you’re shopping, keep in mind the possible effects your choices have on the world. If we continue on the same irresponsible path, who knows what the effects of triclosan in our environment will be 10 or 20 years from now? And take a minute to educate your friends and family about this issue.
For more information about triclosan, read The Trouble with Triclosan.
Food & Water Watch is an organization dedicated to the belief that the public should be able to count on our government to oversee and protect the quality and safety of food and water. For more information, go to www.foodandwaterwatch.org.
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13 comments
add your comment »We need to be more aware of what is added to the products we consume. Many food companies use dyes and lakes made from petroleum and insects. Many foods and drinks that are red is causing allergic reaction in people. The food labels do not mention that the dye comes from a beetle from South America. The F.D.A. says it is safe but I really do not think ingesting petroleum based products on a daily basis is good for me. Slimming Pills
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why is this inappropriate?
Most people are not educated to understand the ingredients in their household products. Most people are programmed to trust "authority" to do the right thing for them.
It's easy and cheap enough to buy an all in one product like castille soap with no POPs, but the average person is educated to trust brand names - not read labels and think about the consequences of what they're buying.
I'm a bit of a people watcher myself. It's easy to see how distracted the average person is with trivial pursuit in their lives; I've watched people load up their baskets like so many zombies to the corporate BBQ. It's heart breaking to know that this is the preferred state of consciousness in what was once a poison free country.
Now, look who's suffering.
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Wow. Thanks for posting this. I went to check all the products I use, and none was containing this, but I'll tell people nonetheless. Really worrying news.
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why is this inappropriate?
HOW CAN WE KNOWINGLY CONTINUE TO POISON OURSELVES, OUR CHILDREN,OUR PETS,THE OCEANS, THE DOLPHINS AND THE PLANET???
Have you heard of Wow Green? I urge you to educate yourself!
"True change begins with each individual becoming accountable not only for what is happening now but what will happen in the future".
www.wowgreen.net/13254
Adriane Coplan
Independent Distributor
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Janine: try Seventh Generation cleaning products, I use these (and have for years) they work wonderfully and I like the free and clear because I don't want the scents. However, if you like the scented products, they have a whole line of yummy smells to suit your needs. I use the laundry detergent, both liquid and powder, dishwashing detergent, glass cleaner, all purpose cleaner, and the toilet cleaner. I suggest you do a little research if you want more options, there are quite a few you can choose from, available at health food stores and most nice grocery stores have a selection too. Oh, and just use organic soap, available pretty much everywhere.
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The plain and simple solution to this is to not be such paranoid germaphobes! What I mean is don't feel you have to kill each and every freaking "bug" that you come into contact with...jeeze! Work the other end of the equation by a healthy lifestyle with diet, exercise and sleep and your immune system will take care of nearly any invasion. Regular soap kills germs due to the alkalinity. There, you have an alternative, now don't be lazy and take the quick fix (sanitizers, etc.) work a little at it and we will all be better off.
Germs on a wet sponge will be killed if exposed to microwaves for 2.5 minutes, again, no need for "killer sponge additives".
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I agree with the person that said we need to educate people on using safer alternatives to use, instead of just talking about the negatives.
We also need to inform our public officials on such matters because they have the office and or power of authority to bring the issue or offense to the frony and get done what needs to be done legislatively.
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What I would have liked in this article was for them to say what to use instead so that we could all stop the problem. HOW ABOUT THAT? INSTEAD OF NEGATIVE ARTICLES, ARTICLES WITH SOLUTIONS FOR THE PEOPLE WHO CARE ON CARE2.
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Read the article "wipe out: safer sponges" at the bottom of this article on dolphins, this chemical is used in sponges to stop smells!!
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Triclosan is still being used in many liquid soaps sold here in Singapore. Some brands like Shokubutsu still manufacture liquid soaps with Triclosan. Here in Asia people are not educated on the fact that Triclosan is a banned pesticide in the US. I was using the Shokubutsu body wash containing Triclosan all the way till just several months ago, after reading that Triclosan was in fact a harmful chemical!!!
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