MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO/CNN) - Anti-bacterial soaps are undergoing a major change after a law banning an ingredient went into effect Sunday.
Minnesota instituted a state-wide ban on products containing the germ-killing chemical triclosan because of its effects on the environment.
It's a problem University of Minnesota professor Bill Arnold has been studying for years.
"We looked at seven different lakes in Minnesota a couple years back and found triclosan was accumulating in all of them in the lake sediments," Arnold said.
The chemical has allowed soap manufacturers to label their products as anti-bacterial. It was once widely used in soap, deodorant and toothpaste, but studies began showing triclosan could disrupt the body's hormones and other functions.
"Anything that said antibacterial on it that's liquid hand soap would have triclosan in it," Arnold said. "Dishwashing soaps that were anti-bacterial were a big source of triclosan as well."
His research found that the chemical can be potentially harmful in lakes and rivers. Those findings led to Minnesota banning the chemical in 2014. The industry had until Sunday to comply.
Arnold said the ingredient is unnecessary and without it, soap will continue to serve its purpose.
"Soap itself kills germs," Arnold said.
The federal government banned 19 ingredients in soaps and body washes because they could do more harm than good.
Companies have until September to take the products off the shelves or remove the chemicals.
"The hope is over time what's there would slowly break down, and that some of the reaction products that form actually may be of greater concern than triclosan itself," Arnold said. "So stopping that input into the environment is important as well."
Copyright 2017 WCCO via CNN. All rights reserved.
Triclosan and other ingredients were the target of new restrictions. (Source: WCCO via CNN)
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