Research progress on health effects of triclosan and triclocarban
10.19428/j.cnki.sjpm.2026.250271
- VernacularTitle:三氯生和三氯卡班暴露健康效应的研究进展
- Author:
Jiaqi LIU
1
;
Min HUANG
2
;
Zichen YANG
1
;
Yi WANG
1
;
Ke ZHAO
1
;
Yuhua ZHOU
1
;
Yuanping WANG
1
;
Na WANG
2
;
Hexing WANG
1
;
Qingwu JIANG
1
Author Information
1. School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
2. People’s Hospital of Pingyang County, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325400, China
- Publication Type:Review
- Keywords:
triclosan;
triclocarban;
exposure;
health effect;
biological mechanism
- From:
Shanghai Journal of Preventive Medicine
2026;38(3):251-258
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Triclosan (TCS) and triclocarban (TCC) are widely used synthetic broad-spectrum antibacterial agents that can enter the human body through the skin, gastrointestinal tract, and other pathways. More and more studies have found that exposure to TCS and TCC can affect human health, but currently, review reports on the health effects of human exposure to TCS and TCC are limited. Therefore, this study reviewed population studies on the relationship between TCS and TCC exposure and health effects by searching the PubMed database, summarized the associated health outcomes, and elucidated the biological mechanisms. A total of 56 studies were retrieved, among which cross-sectional studies (25 studies, 44.64%) and cohort studies (25 studies, 44.64%) accounted for a relatively large proportion, while case-control studies (6 studies, 10.72%) were relatively few. Studies on TCS exposure (48 studies, 85.71%) were far more prevalent than those on TCC exposure (2 studies, 3.57%). The remaining 6 studies involved both TCS and TCC exposure. The research results revealed that TCS exposure was associated with male and female abnormal reproductive functions, fetal growth restriction, abnormal behavior development in children, obesity, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), and immune-related diseases. Although the results of different studies show significant differences, they have indicated that exposure to TCS is a potential risk factor for these health problems. Due to the limited number of studies, the evidence for the relationship between TCC exposure and most of the aforementioned health effects is insufficient. Population studies and in vitro and in vivo studies have shown that exposure to TCS and TCC can interfere with the microbial homeostasis, the endocrine system, oxidative stress and immune function of the body, which are potential mechanisms causing adverse health effects. In the future, large-scale prospective cohort studies, as well as in vivo and in vitro studies, are still needed to further clarify the associations between TCS and TCC exposure and health effects, and to deeply explore its mechanism of action. These efforts will provide references for clarifying the human health hazards of TCS and TCC exposure and formulating targeted prevention and control strategies.
