Antibacterial Soaps Pollute Water Supply

Antibacterial soaps have gained popularity over traditional bar soaps in the past few years. They are marketed as a safer defense against germs that are brought into the household.

However, antibacterial soaps contains a chemical called Triclosan that is potentially harmful as a non-steroidal estrogen that has been linked to cancer. It has similar a structure to BPA, the chemical found in plastic water bottles.

Triclosan leaches into the water supply when people wash their hands in the sink and it drains into the sewer. The chemical has also been found to make it through water processing plants and back into the water supply.

Some will argue that antibacterial soaps are important because they keep us safer from germs than regular bar soap. The truth is, according to many studies, antibacterial soap is no more effective in killing germs than bar soap. And in the cases that it is, one has to keep the soap on their hands for more than two minutes, which is not common practice. Antibacterial soap also offers no protection from viruses, which is what causes most common sickness such as the common cold.

Using a regular, non-antibacterial liquid soap or regular bar soap will keep toxins out of the water system as well as save you money. Antibacterial soap costs you twice as much per ounce as regular bar soap.