Triclocarban is the active ingredient in antibacterial soaps. A study at JHU found that most of the triclocarban, which ends up travelling down the drain to the waste treatment plant, was not biodegraded and persisted after the treatment process. This sludge is recycled and used as agricultural fertilizer. This compound, which is toxic when ingested by humans, may therefore be present at unknown levels in our food.

I won’t even try to say it better than the researcher who is quoted in this article: “The irony is twofold. First, to protect our health, we mass-produce and use a toxic chemical which the Food and Drug Administration has determined has no scientifically proven benefit. Second, when we try to do the right thing by recycling nutrients contained in biosolids, we end up spreading a known reproductive toxicant on the soil where we grow our food. The study shows just how important it is to consider the full life cycle of the chemicals we manufacture for use in our daily life.” (Dr. Rolf Halden)