You don't have to visit many powder rooms before you find a bottle of the stuff.

Lurking beneath the scent of country apple...or mountain pine...or a tropical breeze...is an antimicrobial agent that many people consider the standard in hygiene. Without it -- a soap just isn't worth it.

Look in your friend's purse -- it's there, too, in that little bottle of hand sanitizer she whips out at the grocery store and on your lunch dates. Oh, and how about that toothpaste sitting on your daughter's bathroom vanity. It's there, too.

I'm talking about that favorite germ-fighter -- triclosan.

A 2001 study found it in 76 percent of almost 400 soaps examined. And for the past 20 years, the mainstream's had many of us convinced it's perfectly safe. Good thing, too, because in 2004 it was found in 75 percent of analyzed urine samples, and it's been found in countless rivers and streams.

Of course, now that it's nearly impossible to avoid (and get rid of), the truth is starting to trickle out. It's a hot debate, though, so we may not see anything come of the discussion for years to come.

Based on what I've been reading, though, I might just start going out of my way to avoid triclosan.

Some scientists think it might enhance the production of chloroform, a probable human carcinogen -- it seemed to trigger production in amounts up to 40 percent higher than "normal" levels in tap water.

Low levels of triclosan have been associated with disrupted thyroid hormone-associated gene expression in tadpoles, triggering premature development. It's also been linked to a reduction in sperm production in a study on rats. And get this -- a human study showed there's a chance it's associated with early puberty in girls.

Here in the United States, the FDA is pushing the line that triclosan isn't known to be hazardous, and that they don't recommend any changes to consumer use. In Europe, however, the story's playing out differently.

There, the European Union's Scientific Committee on Consumer Products said flat out that the current concentration limits for triclosan simply aren't safe. Because no matter how low the limit is (0.3% there), aggregate exposure is a major concern. Some European companies are taking action, stopping the use of triclosan in plastic products that come into contact with food.

The triclosan debate could play out for years. It certainly moves a lot of product in our antibacterial-crazed society. But get this -- the FDA has come right out and said that there's really no evidence that triclosan provides any benefit over washing with regular soap and water.

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