Cost Benefit Analysis of Anti-Microbial Consumer Products

Cost Benefit Analysis of Anti-Microbial Consumer Products

The use of Anti-microbial products in products such as hand sanitizers has been steadily rising in recent years. These products are cheap, convenient, and promise to kill 99.99% of bacteria without the use of water. However according to an FDA panel studying the claims from the manufacturers that produce these hand sanitizing products there is no conclusive evidence that there is any benefit from use of these products. The chemical Triclocarban and Triclosan are the active ingredients in these products. And although the manufacturers of these products claim their products are biodegradable, tests conducted around the country have shown detectable quantities of these chemicals making there way through the waste water treatment process. Triclocarban and Triclosan are suspected carcinogens they are also pre-dioxins and can be converted to dioxins when exposed to sunlight. These products have been found in breast milk as well as the food supply as well. The chemicals are being found in water samples and sludge left over from the waste water treatment process as well. Millions of pounds of these biocides are being dispersed into the environment every year and since it is not being degraded properly this could leave a chance for bacterial mutation and resistance. Triclosan exposed bacteria have shown resistance to 7 antibiotics and one harmless bacterium has already shown resistance to these chemicals. Do the benefits of the products outweigh the future and present costs of continued use or do they simply provide a false sense of security while threatening our environment and possibly our health.