The latest attacks on effective germ-killing products are more about hype and headlines than real-world science, according to The Soap and Detergent Association (SDA).

SDA, the trade association for the U.S. cleaning products industry, expressed disappointment at Virginia Tech news releases promoting recent antibacterial-related laboratory research, with headlines like, “Being Too Clean Could Be Hazardous to Your Health and the Environment.”

SDA’s response
“Headlines such as these are way over the top and denigrate efforts to rationally discuss scientific research in the public arena,” said SDA in a written statement.

The research in question suggests use of antibacterial cleaning and hygiene products leads to exposure to quantities of chloroform. The researcher alleges that chloroform is created when the antibacterial ingredient triclosan comes into contact with chlorine in tap water.

According to SDA:

  • Under usual conditions of municipal drinking water conditioning and chlorination, no triclosan would be present and, consequently, reaction products cannot be formed at the point of chlorination. The researchers themselves exclude any risks associated with the drinking water supply.
  • Chlorine concentration in domestic water supplies is generally far below water-treatment scenarios described in the laboratory experiments. Maximum chlorine concentrations, as well as the chloroform concentrations, are regulated to low levels at the tap, eliminating any potential problem.
  • This research does not raise new concerns for producers or users of antimicrobial products. However, SDA strongly advises that chlorine cleaners and disinfectants must not be used in combination with other cleaners to avoid degradation – as indicated on the product labels.
  • Triclosan has been used safely and effectively in hygiene products for more than three decades and is comprehensively regulated by authorities nationally and around the globe.
  • Cleanliness is especially important in view of the latest research in the New England Journal of Medicine (Fridkin, et. al.) indicating staph infections that once targeted hospital patients or those in poor health are starting to hit the community at-large – people out and about, not in the hospital, and who are otherwise healthy.

Dr. Philip Tierno, an infectious disease expert at New York University Medical Center, expressed his concern in news reports by stating that these cases “are so serious, that almost a quarter of the infections, of which most are skin infections, require hospitalization.”

For more information, go to the SDA Antibacterial Information page.

ISSA, Housekeeping Solutions enter partnership

Lincolnwood, Ill.-based ISSA®, formerly the International Sanitary Supply Association, has teamed up with Housekeeping Solutions magazine to carry ISSA news to members and potential members.

Housekeeping Solutions, as well as its sister publication, Contracting Profits, will serve as the official publications for ISSA facility service provider members, a membership class including in-house service providers and building service contractors.

A special ISSA member section in each publication will keep these ISSA members informed regarding association news, educational opportunities, and other ISSA-sponsored industry activities. This section debuts in the June issue of Housekeeping Solutions.

USGBC Releases Leed-EB, Leed-CI Reference guides

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) recently released two reference guides to further explain its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System®.

The LEED-EB reference guide includes detailed information, resources and standards for the credits covered in the LEED for Existing Buildings Version 2.0 rating system. The LEED-CI guide includes similar information and resources for the LEED for Commercial Interiors Version 2.0 rating system.

The guides are designed to help facilities executives better understand the benefits of LEED and how to apply the credits.

For more information, go to www.usgbc.org.

Managemen Inc. certifies green operations

In-house cleaning managers can apply for certification of their green-cleaning programs through Utah-based ManageMen, Inc.

To earn the Green Certified Cleaning Program certification, in-house managers and building service contractors must meet Managemen’s (OS1) standard, based on a third-party audit.

The (OS1) program is the core curriculum of Janitor University, a ManageMen training course.

“This certification will enable cleaning organizations to document and recognize cleaning programs and organizations that demonstrate a commitment to being environmentally responsible,” says John Walker, president of Managemen.

For more information, go to www.managemen.com.




POSTED ON: 6/1/2005