Biography
Biography: Antonio Galvez
Abstract
Biocidal compounds have been used since ancient times for preservation of the goods. Nowadays, they are widely used in many different fields and with many different purposes, such as sanitation (as in clinical settings), cleaning and disinfection (as in the food industry or at home), preservation (as in cosmetics and certain drug preparations), as surface coatings, odour protectants, and others. Biocidal preparations are consumed in large amounts and discharged to the environment. The toxicology of biocides and the impact of massive biocide use need to be reevaluated. Microorganisms have an amazing capacity for adaptation to toxic compounds. One adaptation strategy is the formation of biofilms. Bacteria living in biofilms are far more resistant to biocides and other chemical compounds, including antibiotics. Could exposure to biocides select for biofilm-forming potentially pathogenic bacteria with a higher capacity to cause infections in humans or being more difficult to eradicate? Another issue is the possible cross-resistance or co-resistance between biocides and antibiotics. Can the indiscriminate use of biocides facilitate the prevalence of antibiotic-resistance in the environments where biocides are used or where biocide wastes accumulate? Bacteria elicit non-specific mechanisms of tolerance to antimicrobial substances, some of which can provide protection against a variety of toxic compounds like heavy metals, biocides, and antibiotics. Most worrying, specific genetic determinants of biocide tolerance can be genetically linked with genes encoding antibiotic resistance. This raises the possibility of co-selection of antibiotic resistance by the use of biocides, even in the absence of antibiotic molecules. Application of biocides in combination with natural antimicrobial compounds could be a possible strategy to prevent a predicted impact of biocide use in the selection of antibiotic resistant bacteria.