INFECTION CONTROL
Examining ‘pros’ and ‘cons’ of silver-based biocides
According to Altro, ‘recent years have seen the arguments for and against the use of biocides intensify, with some pro-biocide organisations making bolder claims than ever before’. Here Lucy Bilotto, European Marketing manager at Altro, outlines the flooring and wall cladding manufacturer’s concerns that ‘in the absence of firm evidence to support these claims’, there are concerns that these additives may be having no positive impact on infection control. In response, Jennifer Collier, Partner Development manager at BioCote, a leading integrator of silver-based antimicrobial technology into a broad range of products, puts a strong counter-balancing case for biocides’ benefits in a wide range of applications.
The Altro standpoint
In recent years the arguments for and against the use of biocides have intensified. Some pro-biocide organisations (typically manufacturers utilising biocides in their products) are making bolder claims than ever before. In the absence of firm evidence to support these claims, however, there are concerns that these additives may be having no positive impact on infection control. At the same time, newly published research is painting an increasingly worrying picture of the long- term effects of these substances on both human and animal health, and on the environment. These issues are being debated widely by academics and regulatory bodies worldwide.
My aim will be to outline the arguments being put forward by organisations on both sides. I will provide an update on the regulatory status of silver biocides, from bodies including the European Chemical Agency’s Biocidal Products Committee and the US Food and Drug Agency. Lastly, I will explain Altro’s current policy on the use of biocides.
Pro-biocide claims
Organisations on both sides of the divide agree on the need for effective infection control, particularly in sites such as hospitals and commercial kitchens. Those for and against the use of biocides differ, however, on the best practice recommended for hygiene in these environments. They also disagree about the effectiveness (and therefore the advisability) of using biocides. For some years, organisations backing the use of biocides in areas where infection control is paramount have argued that a range of silver-based additives used in products for the healthcare environment are capable of slowing the growth of bacteria, mildew, and mould. The process they describe is one in which silver ions block the ‘food’
Altro Aquarius, here featured in an operating theatre environment in Finland, is said to provide ‘optimum lifetime sustained slip resistance in wet and dry environments’. The walls are clad in Altro Whiterock White wall cladding.
required by the bacteria, by interfering with the surface of the microbes and coating them. These organisations argue that incorporating silver ions into, for example, products used in the hospital or commercial kitchen, will reduce the spread of infection.
Anti-biocide arguments Organisations opposed to the use of biocides, however, argue that these substances’ use needs much tighter regulation, because the extremely widespread (and largely uncontrolled) use of these chemical additives in the world today leads to antimicrobial resistance. The World Health Organization has identified antimicrobial resistance as a major risk to human life, and is urging countries to collaborate in a global action plan to tackle the problem. A WHO
factsheet explains: “Antimicrobial resistance happens when microorganisms (such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites) change when they are exposed to antimicrobial drugs (such as antibiotics, antifungals, antivirals, antimalarials, and anthelmintics). Microorganisms that develop antimicrobial resistance are sometimes referred to as ‘superbugs’. As a result, the medicines become ineffective, and infections persist in the body, increasing the risk of spread to others.
“Antimicrobial resistance occurs naturally over time, usually through genetic changes. However, the misuse and overuse of antimicrobials is accelerating this process1
widespread use of biocides threatens to speed up antimicrobial resistance, because increased exposure means
April 2020 Health Estate Journal 33
.” The extremely
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