Feb 3, 2011

A report prepared by the RMP was recently submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) by the San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board (SFRWQCB) to inform their consideration of a petition for the regulation of triclosan. The report, written by Susan Klosterhaus, Rachel Allen, and Jay Davis in 2010, summarizes the current state of knowledge regarding the use, occurrence, fate, and toxicity of triclosan and triclocarban, chemicals commonly used as antimicrobials in liquid and bar soaps. The report also includes recently collected occurrence data for these chemicals in San Francisco Bay and provides information regarding the potential impacts on Bay wildlife. Because triclosan has been detected in Bay sediments and studies by other researchers have suggested that triclosan may cause endocrine disruption and impact the structure and function of algal communities at environmentally relevant concentrations, the SFRWQCB is concerned about the discharge of triclosan into the environment and requested use of the RMP report in their support for reconsideration of the allowed uses of triclosan.

Programs and Focus Areas: 
Clean Water Program