Urinary Concentrations of the Antibacterial Agent Triclocarban in United States Residents: 2013-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Triclocarban is widely used as an antibacterial agent in personal care products, and the potential for human exposure exists. We present here the first nationally representative assessment of exposure to triclocarban among Americans >= 6 years of age who participated in the 2013-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. We detected triclocarban at concentrations above 0.1 mu g/L in 36.9% of 2686 urine samples examined. Triclocarban was detected more frequently in adolescents and adults than in children, and in non-Hispanic black compared to other ethnic groups. In univariate analysis, log-creatinine, sex, age, race, and body surface area (BSA) were significantly associated with the likelihood of having triclocarban concentrations above the 95th percentile. In multiple regression models, persons with BSA at or above the median (>= 1.86 m(2)) were 2.43 times more likely than others, and non-Hispanic black and non-Hispanic white were 3.71 times and 2.23 times more likely than all Hispanic, respectively, to have urinary concentrations above the 95th percentile. We found no correlations between urinary concentrations of triclocarban and triclosan, another commonly used antibacterial agent. Observed differences among demographic groups examined may reflect differences in physiological factors (i.e., BSA) as well as use of personal care products containing triclocarban.