Chemical concoctions used to battle bacteria in kitchens and bathrooms may have unintended victims. The traces of these products that wend their way into U.S. streams may kill off algae, researchers report. Since algae are at the bottom of the aquatic food chain, this effect could have far-reaching consequences.
Over the past decade, household and personal-hygiene products have been made more lethal to bacteria. The antimicrobial agent triclosan pervades products ranging from window cleaner to toothpaste, for example. Scientists suspect that such chemicals may hasten the ascent of drug-resistant bacteria, perhaps worsening the problem already posed by the overuse of antibiotics (SN: 5/27/00, p. 342: Popularity of germ fighter raises concern).