Study Reveals Effects of Household Products on Waterways
by Jennifer Berry
Published on April 3rd, 2009
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According to The Guardian, fabric softeners, disinfectants, shampoos and other household and commercial products are spreading drug-resistant bacteria throughout U.K. waterways. Researchers at Birmingham and Warwick universities are concerned that “some medicines will no longer be able to combat dangerous diseases.”
U.K. scientists claim household chemicals are infecting the waterways and creating drug-resistant bacteria. Photo: EPA.state.oh.us
Think of it this way: Everything you put down the drain eventually makes its way back to your local water source. According to the scientists, these products, once they reach sewers and rivers, are triggering the growth of drug-resistant microbes. The fear is that if people ingest these products, traditional medications will no longer be effective.
But don’t disinfectants and other household cleaners kill bacteria and pathogens?
Yes, they do – but only effectively in their concentrated form. In sewage, they become diluted and bacteria develop resistance to them.
“Every year, the nation produces 1.5 million tons of sewage sludge and most of that is spread on farmland,” says Dr. William Gaze of Warwick University. “In addition, we pump 11 billion liters of water from houses and factories into our rivers and estuaries every day, and these are also spreading resistance.”
Drug-resistant pathogens are already problematic due to over-prescription and misuse of medications. According to Warwick University Professor Liz Wellington, research shows drug resistance is not only confined to hospitals. It’s also slowly creeping in to the community.
“It is spreading and all the time it is eroding our ability to control infections,” Wellington says. “It is extremely worrying.”
So what can you do to help with this problem at home? The most important aspect is to not add unnecessary chemicals to the water cycle by properly disposing of any excess products you may have at local collections. You may also consider natural and homemade cleaners to maintain a clean house without chemicals.
“We might think of special measures that will help us control or localise drug-resistant bacteria in hospitals, but the problem is much more widespread than that,” adds Wellington. “It is now out there in the environment.”
