What are potential environmental threats of using biocides?
Using biocidal products could potentially lead to bacteria that are resistant to biocides, antibiotics or both. These successful bacteria would reproduce more than other strains and if they were transmitted to humans, could pose a direct health threat. Bacteria can also pose an indirect threat if they develop genes that confer resistance to antibiotics and biocides. These resistance genes can move between different bacteria and can thus transfer to a bacterium that could previously be controlled by antimicrobials. Genetic material can also pass between bacteria that are resistant to different substances so that they achieve an even higher level of resistance. This process can take place anywhere: in the environment, in food, animals or in the human body. More…