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“Triclosan is found in virtually everyone’s home and is pervasive in the environment,” said Isaac Pessah, professor and chair of the Department of Molecular Biosciences in the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and principal investigator of the study. “These findings provide strong evidence that the chemical is of concern to both human and environmental health.”

Triclosan is commonly found in antibacterial personal-care products such as hand soaps as well as deodorants, mouthwashes, toothpaste, bedding, clothes, carpets, toys and trash bags. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1998 estimated that more than 1 million pounds of triclosan are produced annually in the United States, and that the chemical is detectable in waterways and aquatic organisms ranging from algae to fish to dolphins, as well as in human urine, blood and breast milk.

The investigators performed several experiments to evaluate the effects of triclosan on muscle activity, using doses similar to those that people and animals may be exposed to during everyday life.

In “test tube” experiments, triclosan impaired the ability of isolated heart muscle cells and skeletal muscle fibers to contract. Specifically, the team evaluated the effects of triclosan on molecular channels in muscle cells that control the flow of calcium ions, creating muscle contractions. Normally, electrical stimulation (“excitation”) of isolated muscle fibers under experimental conditions evokes a muscle contraction, a phenomenon known as “excitation-contraction coupling” (ECC), the fundamental basis of any muscle movement, including heartbeats. But in the presence of triclosan, the normal communication between two proteins that function as calcium channels was impaired, causing skeletal and cardiac muscle failure.

The team also found that triclosan impairs heart and skeletal muscle contractility in living animals. Anesthetized mice had up to a 25-percent reduction in heart function measures within 20 minutes of exposure to the chemical.

“The effects of triclosan on cardiac function were really dramatic,” said Nipavan Chiamvimonvat, professor of cardiovascular medicine at UC Davis and a study co-author. “Although triclosan is not regulated as a drug, this compound acts like a potent cardiac depressant in our models.”

In addition, the mice had an 18-percent reduction in grip strength for up to 60 minutes after being given a single dose of triclosan. Grip strength is a widely used measure of mouse limb strength, employed to investigate the effects of drugs and neuromuscular disorders.

Finally, the investigators looked at the effects of triclosan exposure on fathead minnows, a small fish commonly used as a model organism for studying the potential impacts of aquatic pollutants. Those exposed to triclosan in the water for seven days had significantly reduced swimming activity compared to controls during both normal swimming and swim tests designed to imitate fish being threatened by a predator.

“We were surprised by the large degree to which muscle activity was impaired in very different organisms and in both cardiac and skeletal muscle,” said Bruce Hammock, a study co-author and professor in the UC Davis Department of Entomology. “You can imagine in animals that depend so totally on muscle activity that even a 10-percent reduction in ability can make a real difference in their survival.”

The UC Davis research team has previously linked triclosan to other potentially harmful health effects, including disruption of reproductive hormone activity and of cell signaling in the brain.

The wedge is currently moving north because of low levels in the Mississippi River and lack of rain in the upper regions on the U.S. The leading edge of the saltwater is approaching Belle Chasse.

The parish says that Nungesser declared a State of Emergency as a precautionary measure and to insure that a plan is in place if the need for fresh water arises.

“There is no reason to panic,” said Nungesser. “We will not run out of water. We’ll make sure we have this in place before we run out water.”

Reps. Elijah Cummings and Henry Waxman, who are the ranking members, respectively, of the House Oversight and House Energy committees, disclosed the latest details of their probe in an August 14 letter to the company.

“We have obtained internal company documents, including internal audit reports, from other sources suggesting that Wal-Mart may have had compliance issues relating not only to bribery, but also to ‘questionable financial behavior’ including tax evasion and money laundering in Mexico,” the lawmakers wrote in their letter to Wal-Mart Chief Executive Michael Duke.

The only problem: his ID was fake.

The 53-year-old suspect was captured on surveillance video each time, but he was never called out for having false identification and no one ever noticed he wasn’t supposed to be there. “He is cool, calm, collected,” Nocco said of Antigua’s trips into the courthouse. “He knows what he’s doing. It’s almost like an actor.” But his actions have led to four felony charges for allegedly impersonating law enforcement.

Investigators received hundreds of tips about Antigua after our story aired this week, including a call from a court bailiff who pointed out his trips through security. “He claimed he did nothing malicious,” Detective Bruce Cohen said. “He just told us he had self-confidence issues and that by doing this, it makes him feel better.”

“Everybody around there thought that he was the real deal,” Steffens said.

But it turns out Antigua is a man of many identities and disguises, none of which appear to be real, authorities said.

“We need to know, from start to finish,” Steffens said at a news conference Monday, “who is Roy Antigua?”

So far, authorities have found out he is from Cuba and has family in Miami. He is single. And he owns a worrisome hoard of law enforcement, military and medical uniforms, badges, identification cards and supplies, discovered when Antigua’s home was searched after he was arrested on an unrelated charge.

Antigua, 52, had a NASA uniform. U.S. Customs. The Navy. The CIA. Secret Service. Homeland Security. Dozens of military medals. A flight helmet and flight instructor badge. A Boy Scout troop leader uniform.

Officers found a suitcase full of medical scrubs and a black leather doctor’s bag with instruments. Antigua had badges saying he was a physician’s assistant. There was a photo of Antigua in scrubs holding a newborn. Steffens said his team is investigating to find out where that was taken and what role Antigua played.

Investigators also found ammunition for semiautomatic guns and assault rifles, but no weapons. Antigua’s shiny black Cadillac Escalade with dark tinted windows had a Department of Homeland Security registration sticker and a Coast Guard license plate. He had blue flashing lights and handcuffs.

Authorities are trying to figure out if Antigua was using this vast stockpile to impersonate characters, such as at the Memorial Day event, and how far his imaginations reached.