Soaping up without guilt.

• Autores: JR Minkel
• Localización: Scientific American, ISSN 0036-8733, Vol. 291, Nº. 2, 2004, págs. 29-29
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • Peter Gilbert and his colleagues from the University of Manchester and Procter& Gamble isolated 17 bacteria from a kitchen sink and exposed them for up to three months to so-called quaternary ammonium biocides. Some pure strains of each bacterium subsequently developed greater or lesser susceptibility to biocides and antibiotics, but a mixture showed no signs of resistance changes. Stuart Levy of Tufts University points out that no study has yet shown that biocides benefit healthy households more than plain soap and water do, and harmless bacteria in the home are exhibiting antibiotic resistance. Levy and the Manchester group agree it would be better for antibacterials to leave no residue for other bacteria to encounter.