[Pharmwaste] Overly Zealous Cleaning Can Backfire - article

[Tenace, Laurie]

http://www.newtownbee.com/Features.asp?s=Features-2007-07-26-12-02-01p1.htm 

Overly Zealous Cleaning Can Backfire

By Nancy K. Crevier 
Katja Pieragostini holds samples of triclosan-free soaps she is able to buy
locally. She believes that antibacterial additives, such as triclosan, in
body washes and cleaning products pose potential problems for the environment
and personal health. -Bee Photo, Crevier 

When it comes to grub and grime, forget about the trash can. Home sweet home
harbors a lot more top spots for germs to lurk. According to a recent Hygiene
Council survey at webmd.com, the most likely places people pick up germs are
in the bathroom or kitchen. Cleaning rags, kitchen drains, toilet bowls,
tubs, and pet bowls harbor plenty of bacteria, as do counter tops, toys,
light switches, remote controls, and computer keyboards. 

Feeding right into America's health concerns, marketing has convinced people
that the way to combat these nasty germs around the home is to fight back
with antibacterial soaps and cleaning products. But Newtown resident Katja
Pieragostini wonders if antibacterial cleaners might be a case of the cure
being worse than the ailment.

Ms Pieragostini, a biology major with a master's in pharmacology, mother of
an 11-month-old baby, and a member of ROOTs of Newtown, an environmental
group, believes that not only are antibacterial soaps and cleaners
unnecessary, that they are harmful to the environment and may add to the
increase in germ-resistant bacteria. Ms Pierogastini has most recently worked
as a consultant to a small company near Hartford, developing an instrument
and method for detection of biothreat agents such as anthrax, ricin, and
Ebola.

"Seventy-five percent of all liquid hand soaps and almost 30 percent of bar
soaps sold are antibacterial," said Ms Pieragostini. When people wash their
hands or wipe down their counters with products containing triclosan, the
active ingredient in most antibacterials, she said, most do not think about
where the residue is ending up. "If one thinks where it all goes after it has
been washed away - into the sewers, wastewater treatment facilities, the
ground - it can remain and bioaccumulate in our waters and environment for
years to come," she said. As a member of ROOTS, she wants Newtown residents
to be aware that while there has been no such evidence collected concerning
Newtown water systems thus far, that prevention is key to preventing
bioaccumulation from occurring.

Septic systems could be impacted due to the impairment of microbial activity
from antibacterial substances that make their way into the system, said Ms
Pieragostini, according to information she received from James Belden,
president of the Pootatuck Watershed Association and Trout Unlimited. 

Contacted by The Bee, Mr Belden said that so far as he is aware, there is no
specific study looking at the impact of antibacterials in Newtown water
sources, "but this is something that is occurring nationwide. If
antibacterial content becomes a large portion of waste stream out of a home,
it can impact the septic system," he added. 

When waste water is inundated by antimicrobials, Mr Belden explained, good
bacteria that helps a septic system function optimally is killed, making the
system less efficient. A less efficient septic system means that more
contaminants potentially are leached into the groundwater. "Our groundwater
here in Newtown starts very close to the surface," said Mr Belden.

Homeowners who use antibacterial products also need to know that home septic
design is old, said Mr Belden. "Septic design is still based upon a society
that does not use antibacterial products and other chemicals that get into
the system," he said.

While antibacterial waste is only one small part of the whole picture of
possible septic and water quality impacts, Mr Belden noted that it is all of
the little things that add up to problems. "There really never is just one
smoking gun," he said.

Using antibacterial cleaners does not guarantee a healthier home, either, Ms
Pieragostini said, and scientists and doctors have known this for years. A
March 2004 Annals of Internal Medicine study, she said, "summarized that
those who used antibacterial cleansers regularly were no healthier than those
who didn't; they still had the same amount and degree of cold symptoms."

The reason behind this, and one that is frequently overlooked by the zealous
housekeeper, is that viruses, not bacteria, cause many common illnesses.
Antibacterial products provide a false sense of security against germs, she
said. "In addition, parents should not demand antibiotics just because their
child is sick with a cold. Let's leave antibiotics for when kids and adults
absolutely need them, and it's known that the attributing cause of illness is
bacterial," Ms Pieragostini. She fears that the collective, populationwide
overuse of antibacterial products means that gentler antibiotics will no
longer be effective against illnesses as more drug-resistant strains of
bacteria develop.

"The concern is that bacteriostats [found in antibacterial soaps] are making
the stronger, more deadly strains of bacteria more resistant to antibiotics,"
she said. Antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria mean that therapies for
infections can be less effective and require far more treatment than would
normally have been required. 

However, a report posted on the The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) website found that antibacterial household product use over
one year did not lead to an increase in antimicrobial drug resistance,
although it did suggest that further study on the long-term use of products
with triclosan is warranted. The study also stated that "no evidence suggests
that use of antibacterial soap containing 0.2% triclosan provides a benefit
over plain soap in reducing bacterial counts and rate of infectious symptoms
in generally healthy persons in the household setting." Plain soap and water,
in other words, gets rid of the majority of germs that linger on the hands
and body. 

The CDC recommends rubbing well-soaped hands together for 20 seconds to clean
them - that is the time it takes to sing "Happy Birthday" through twice.
Rinse hands well and dry hands using a paper towel or air dryer.

The CDC also suggests the use of alcohol-based gels when soap and water are
not available.

It may take a bit of searching to find a soap on the shelf that is free of
triclosan, said Ms Peiragostini. "The options for consumers are slim," she
said, and she has taken to requesting stores to stock more of the
nonantibacterial, natural products. "Consumers need to demand more options,"
she said. 

Laurie J. Tenace
Environmental Specialist
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
2600 Blair Stone Road, MS 4555
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2400
PH: (850) 245-8759
FAX: (850) 245-8811
Laurie.Tenace at dep.state.fl.us 

Mercury web pages:
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/categories/mercury/default.htm

Unwanted Medications web pages:
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/categories/medications/default.htm




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