According to a new study, common household chemicals used in family bathrooms may be a primary driver behind the emergence of superbugs that antibiotics cannot eliminate.
Researchers from the University of Toronto (Canada) examined triclosan—an antibacterial and antifungal agent commonly found in products such as shampoos, soaps, deodorants, toothpaste, and cleaning products—and its role in generating antibiotic-resistant superbugs (MRSA) in the sewers of Ontario, as reported by IFLScience.
Toothpaste is one of the factors contributing to antibiotic-resistant superbugs (MRSA) in sewers – (Image: WIKIPEDIA)
Wastewater treatment plants are vast reservoirs of microbes and antibacterial chemicals, making them ideal environments for the proliferation of antibiotic resistance.
A variety of antibiotics are washed down the drains along with numerous strains of bacteria, accumulating in wastewater treatment facilities and mixing together.
The researchers analyzed the sludge containing this unpleasant mixture of bacteria and antibacterial chemicals from the sewers of Ontario.
They found that triclosan is the primary antibacterial compound affecting E. coli bacteria and has the potential to lead to antibiotic resistance in pathogenic bacteria.
Dr. Holly Barrett, the lead author of the study from the Department of Chemistry at the University of Toronto, noted that when discussing antibiotic resistance, people often think of drug-resistant superbugs (MRSA) in hospitals and the over-prescription of antibiotics. While these are real risks, household chemicals infiltrating the drainage systems beneath us are also significant contributors to the creation of drug-resistant superbugs.
Triclosan has been banned in some areas. For instance, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has attempted to curb the use of this chemical in over-the-counter antiseptic products in the United States.
However, it is evident that this chemical is still found in the sewage systems in Canada and other parts of the world.
Triclosan continues to be used in thousands of different household and cosmetic products, as well as in healthcare facilities.
There are some regulations aimed at limiting the maximum allowable levels of triclosan in consumer products. However, even very low levels of this chemical can lead to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria over time, Dr. Barrett added.
Antibiotic resistance is considered one of the greatest threats to global health today.
Worldwide, an increasing number of infections that were once easily treatable—such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, gonorrhea, and salmonella infections—are becoming harder to treat as antibiotics become less effective.
Antibiotic-resistant superbugs have recently become one of the leading causes of death globally, with little indication that this trend will stop.
