News Environment

Triclosan may spoil wastewater treatment

Common antimicrobial could thwart microbes that clean up sewage sludge

MICROBIAL WORKFORCE  The microbes that break down sewage solids in wastewater treatment plants (one shown) may be threatened by triclosan, a ubiquitous antimicrobial agent.

Alex Marshall/Clarke Energy/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)

By Beth Mole

- More than 2 years ago

Triclosan, after being flushed down the drain, may muck up sewage treatment. In wastewater treatment plants, the omnipresent antimicrobial can sabotage some sludge-processing microbes and promote drug resistance in others.