OTTAWA The federal government said Friday it will press companies to remove voluntarily a bacteria killer from some personal-care products after identifying triclosan as toxic to the environment.

And pending the results of "voluntary action," to include looking for a substitute ingredient, the government's newly published draft risk assessment says "risk management measures" may be proposed.

Consumer advocates welcomed Friday's development but said a ban should be the end game if toiletry manufacturers don't move on their own to remove triclosan from toothpastes, mouthwashes, body washes and anti-bacterial soaps.

If the federal government pursues a ban, it can expect a challenge from some key industry players such as Colgate-Palmolive, which argued Friday that Canada's draft assessment supports the continued use of triclosan in its gingivitis-fighting Colgate Total.

Health Canada has been probing the effects of triclosan on the body's endocrine system and whether the antibacterial agent contributes to the development of antibiotic resistance. Environment Canada has been studying the effect of the widely used chemical on the environment.

The government's draft risk assessment, published Friday, says current levels of triclosan in products such as some toothpastes, shampoo and soap do not pose a risk to human health and Canadians can continue to safely use these products.

Triclosan, however, can cause harm to the environment, the draft assessment says. When these personal-care items are rinsed and washed down the drain, the amount of triclosan released into the environment through wastewater treatment plants can affect plants and animals in lakes, streams and rivers, it says.

Adverse effects includes reduction in growth, reproduction and survival. Triclosan may also interfere with the action of thyroid hormones in amphibians.

The formal proposal to list the chemical as toxic to the environment under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act is now subject to consultations before the government publishes a final risk assessment and risk-management strategy, expected in the fall of 2013.

"We're looking primarily at this point developing voluntary controls with industry, but the alternatives are varied and those will be discussed as we move forward on the assessment and risk management," Robert Chenier, the director of the ecological assessment division at Environment Canada, said in an interview.

See original here:
Feds seek voluntary removal of toxin from personal-care products