Pahrump man becomes plaintiff in lawsuit over soap
A Pahrump man has become the lead plaintiff in the growing body of litigation over the effectiveness of antimicrobial liquid soap.
As the face of what is being pushed as a class action lawsuit, Jeff Dyke said that for years he paid extra for the antimicrobial version of Softsoap believing it killed more germs than the regular type. In a federal lawsuit filed in Las Vegas on Monday, he now requests unspecified damages based on some studies that show antimicrobial is no more effective than regular soap.
The controversy has arisen due to the small amounts, about 0.1 percent, of an ingredient called triclosan, included in the soap. Some researchers have concluded that it does not help keep people cleaner, while others have linked it to side effects such as depression. At least one consumer law firm has a triclosan page on its website asking people who use it to call its office.
Colgate-Palmolive Co., which makes Softsoap, has removed the triclosan from its dish soap but has always asserted that it is safe.
