Source: PixabayAn antibacterial agent currently banned in over-the-counter hygiene products continues to be an ingredient in a number of toothpaste brands where its residue collects on toothbrushes, exposing users to the ingredient time and again.

A potentially harmful ingredient linked to hormone disruption in animals and humans, triclosan continues to be used in a variety of toothpastes for its ability to reduce gum inflammation, cavities and plaque.

Professor of Environmental Chemistry at the University of Massachusetts Baoshan Xing and a team of researchers looked at how the ingredient accumulated by simulating tooth brushing using 22 different toothbrushes and a number of different brands of toothpaste.

The team found that more than a third of the toothbrushes had collected the triclosan in amounts equal to several doses. Even in cases where researchers swapped triclosan-containing toothpaste brands for triclosan-free brands, the ingredient clung to the tooth brushes for two weeks after the switch was made.

In addition to the concern for prolonged exposure to triclosan, researchers were also concerned that discarded toothbrushes containing the ingredient could possibly pose a risk to the environment.

To read more about triclosan, go to the FDA website.