 BOTTOMS UP: Microban's impregnated plastic retains antibacterial properties through the lifetime of the product. When particles on the surface of an article are removed through abrasion, antibacterial compounds quickly migrate up to the surface to replace them.
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However, recent actions by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have put this home health revolution temporarily on hold. In April, the agency issued a draft of revised regulations that could significantly change registration procedures and testing methods for many products treated with antibacterials. EPA drafted clarifications of regulations in response to the growing presence in the marketplace of unregistered "treated articles" claiming to protect consumers from disease-causing bacteria, according to Walter C. Francis, a senior advisor in the antimicrobials division of EPA's pesticide program. Under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, EPA gained the authority to regulate products containing a pesticide or antimicrobial. But under a 10-year-old rule EPA limited its reach ...