Study links antibiotic resistance to 'triclosan' used in hand soaps, toothpastes

 Toronto,

Triclosan, a chemical often included in household items like hand soaps, toothpastes and cleaning products to fight off bacteria, has now been linked to antibiotic resistance.

According to the study by assistant professor Hui Peng's research group at University of Toronto, among thousands of co-occurring chemicals in the sludge, triclosan was found to be the predominant antibacterial compound impacting E coli.

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria -- also commonly known as "superbugs" -- are strains of bacteria that are not killed by antibiotics.

They are produced when continuous exposure to antibiotics causes bacteria to evolve over several generations to survive antibiotic effects.

These bacteria can be very dangerous to humans, especially those with impaired immune systems. Between 2014 and 2016, there were seven lakh deaths around the world attributed to antibiotic resistance.

"Since there are so many different antibiotics in the sewage sludge, we were surprised to find that the majority of antibacterial activity of the sludge could be directly linked to triclosan alone," said Holly Barrett, a PhD candidate in the Peng group and lead author on the study.