Environmental chemist Peter Vikesland and collaborators at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) in Blacksburg studied soap that contains triclosan, the ingredient that produces the antibacterial feature within soap. With it being already known that antibacterial soap is no better than regular soap for use around the house, the researchers wondered if, in fact, antibacterial soap might actually be detrimental to one’s health.

They based their work on previous research that showed triclosan reacts with chlorine (which disinfects drinking water). This research showed that chloroform was produced, which has been implicated in the past for possibly causing cancer.

Note: Triclosan (scientifically known as 5-chloro-2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)phenol) is a widely used antibacterial and antifungal substance.

Note: Chloroform is a chemical compound with the formula CHCl3. It is part of a group of pollutants known as trihalomethanes, which is a byproduct of chlorination of drinking water. The group has been considered a health concern for years.

The Vikesland team experimented with several antibacterial soaps. They added 0.25 gram (about 0.009 ounce) of soap per liter (about 0.3 gallon) of either purified water or tap-water from two cities: Atlanta, Georgia, and Danville, Virginia. They, then, measured the reaction produced by the mixture after one minute.

Their results show that triclosan-containing products (that is, antibacterial soaps) add about 15 to 40% to the amount of chloroform that could potentially touch the skin of users when compared to the use of just tap-water alone.

Vikesland and his collaborators intend to perform further studies to test actual human subjects in order to discover actual exposures to chloroform during such daily activities as showering.

Dr. Vikesland, who is an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at Virginia Tech, is wary of the use of antibacterial soaps, questioning their benefit over regular soaps and wondering if they might, in fact, expose people needlessly to potentially harmful chloroform. In Science News, March 17, 2007, Vikesland questions the use of antibacterial soap when he says: “… people should think about what they are using and whether they actually need it.”

An article of their results will also appear in a future issue of Environmental Science and Technology.

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