Significance of biocide usage and antimicrobial resistance in domiciliary environments

Bloomfield, Sally F.

doi:10.1046/j.1365-2672.92.5s1.15.x

Cited by 68 publications

(54 citation statements)

References 98 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Indeed, a number of recent studies have reported increased incidence of critical pathogens such as methicillin-resistant S. aureus into the home environment (5,161,177), often associated with household pets like dogs (47) and cats (305), and their transfer to humans (121). Such work highlights the need for targeted hygiene within the home (29). A variety of different procedures can be used to achieve hygiene in the home, and in some cases this may require the use of a disinfectant or antiseptic.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Accordingly, it is important to ensure that biocide use, as an integral part of good hygiene practice, is not discouraged when there is real benefit in terms of preventing infection transmission. This means that it is also necessary to assess the possibility that the indiscriminate use of biocides and antibacterial products might compromise the in-use effectiveness of such biocides in truly hygienic applications (29). Use of such products must be associated with appropriate analyses of added value to the consumer, particularly when there is no apparent gain in public health.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Potential Impact of Increased Use of Biocides in Consumer Products on Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistance

2003

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

There has recently been much controversy surrounding the increased use of antibacterial substances in a wide range of consumer products and the possibility that, as with antibiotics, indiscriminate use of biocides might contribute to the overall pattern of susceptibility in the general environment and in the clinic. Such speculation, based on the isolation of resistant mutants from in vitro monoculture experiments, is not reflected by an emergence of biocide-resistant strains in vivo. This review provides a broad coverage of the biocide and resistance literature and evaluates the potential risks, perceived from such laboratory monoculture experiments, against evidence gathered over 50 years of field studies. An explanation for the continued effectiveness of broad-spectrum biocidal agents against the decline in efficacy of therapeutic agents is provided based on the fitness costs of resistance and the ubiquity of naturally occurring substances that possess antibacterial effect. While we conclude from this review of the literature that the incorporation of antibacterial agents into a widening sphere of personal products has had little or no impact on the patterns of microbial susceptibility observed in the environment, the associated risks remain finite. The use of such products should therefore be associated with a clear demonstration of added value either to consumer health or to the product life. Hygienic products should therefore be targeted to applications for which the risks have been established

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Potential Impact of Increased Use of Biocides in Consumer Products on Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistance

2003

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity (43) and surfactant properties have made QACs such as benzalkonium chloride the favored hygienic adjuncts in disinfectant cleansing formulations, and they have been increasingly deployed in domestic cleaning products over the last decade (5,16).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Quaternary-Ammonium-Based Formulations on Bacterial Community Dynamics and Antimicrobial Susceptibility

McBain

Ledder

Moore

et al. 2004

Appl Environ Microbiol

167

130

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) are widely used as adjuncts to hygiene in domestic cleaning products. Current concern that the increased use of such biocides in consumer products might contribute to the emergence of antibiotic resistance has led us to examine the effects of a QAC-containing domestic cleaning fluid on the population dynamics and antimicrobial susceptibility of domestic sink drain biofilm communities. QAC susceptibilities of numerically dominant, culturable drain bacteria (15 genera, 17 species) were determined in vitro before and after repeated QAC exposure (14 passages). A fully characterized drain microcosm was then exposed to short-term (12 days) and long-term (3 months) dosing with a QAC-containing domestic detergent (QD). QAC exposure of isolated cultures caused both increases (three species) and circa twofold decreases (six species) in QAC susceptibility. The susceptibility of Ralstonia sp. was considerably decreased following 14 consecutive QAC passages. Control drain microcosm biofilms maintained dynamic stability, as evidenced by culture and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis. Bacterial population densities were largely unaffected during short-term exposure to use levels of QD, although 50% QD caused circa 10-fold viability reductions. DGGE analysis supported these observations; identified the major microcosm genera as Pseudomonas, Pseudoalteromonas, Erwinia, and Enterobacter, and showed that aeromonads increased in abundance under 10 to 50% QD. Long-term exposure of the microcosms to QD did not significantly alter the pattern of antimicrobial susceptibility. These data demonstrate the recalcitrance of domestic drain biofilms toward QAC and that although repeated QAC exposure of drain isolates in pure culture results in susceptibility change in some test bacteria, such changes do not necessarily occur within complex communities.

show abstract

“…However, there are some aspects that should be taken into account with respect to the use of growth inhibitors. When using biocides that affect multiple targets at low, growth-inhibitory concentrations, the susceptibility of each target is variable and dependent on the concentration of the biocide (6). Therefore, it is necessary to assess the extent to which exposure of microbial populations to biocides results in reduced biocide susceptibility.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of Plasterboard Composition on Stachybotrys chartarum Growth and Biological Activity of Spores

Murtoniemi¹,

Nevalainen²,

Hirvonen³

2003

Appl Environ Microbiol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The effects of plasterboard composition on the growth and sporulation of Stachybotrys chartarum as well as on the inflammatory potential of the spores were studied. S. chartarum was grown on 13 modified plasterboards under saturated humidity conditions. The biomass was estimated by measuring the ergosterol content of the S. chartarum culture while the spore-induced cytotoxicity and production of nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-␣), and interleukin-6 in mouse macrophages was used to illustrate the bioactivity of spores. The ergosterol content of S. chartarum correlated with the number of spores collected from plasterboards. The growth and sporulation decreased compared to that of the reference board in those cases where (i) the liner was treated with biocide, (ii) starch was removed from the plasterboard, or (iii) desulfurization gypsum was used in the core. Spores collected from all the plasterboards were toxic to the macrophages. The biocide added to the core did not reduce the growth; in fact, the spores collected from that board evoked the highest cytotoxicity. The conventional additives used in the core had inhibitory effects on growth. Recycled plasterboards used in the core and the board lacking the starch triggered spore-induced TNF-␣ production in macrophages. In summary, this study shows that the growth of a strain of S. chartarum on plasterboard and the subsequent bioactivity of spores were affected by minor changes to the composition of the core or liners, but it could not be totally prevented without resorting to the use of biocides. However, incomplete prevention of microbial growth by biocides even increased the cytotoxic potential of the spores.

show abstract

Significance of biocide usage and antimicrobial resistance in domiciliary environments

Cited by 68 publications

References 98 publications

Potential Impact of Increased Use of Biocides in Consumer Products on Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistance

Potential Impact of Increased Use of Biocides in Consumer Products on Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistance

Effects of Quaternary-Ammonium-Based Formulations on Bacterial Community Dynamics and Antimicrobial Susceptibility

Effect of Plasterboard Composition on Stachybotrys chartarum Growth and Biological Activity of Spores

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About