Effectiveness of antibacterial soups

’’’INTRODUCTION’’’
Everyone in this world aim that we must be very healthy, and we are searching for different measures or for methods(especially for spreading the infectious diseases) to protect ourselves and our communities, by focusing this need of people, somany companies began marketing different products to everyday consumers. The consumers do not try to realize the effectiveness of these products
Antibacterial soap is any cleaning product containing chemicals which kill bacteria and microbes. Antibacterial and antimicrobial agents were created to prevent the spread of infection in hospitals but companies began marketing these products to everyday consumers. Unknowingly or knowingly, most of us are using antibacterial soups and we believe that it is more effective in killing bacteria….is it a true fact? Did the antibacterial soup is more effective than regular soups? Then, let’s take in hand the effectiveness of antibacterial soups ……...
’’’WHAT IS ANTIBACTERIAL SOAP? ‘’’
Antibacterial soap is any cleaning product to which active antimicrobial ingredients have been added. These chemicals kill bacteria and microbes, but are no more effective at deactivating viruses than any other kind of soap or detergent, and they also kill nonpathogenic bacteria. It is used for Hand washing for hand hygiene (Hand washing is the act of cleaning one's hands with or without the use of water or another liquid, or with the use of soap).
If you believe the hype, antibacterial soap should be your first line of defence against the plague of disease-causing bugs lurking in every home. Ads loudly trumpet the soaps’ “99.9%” bacteria-killing power, successfully playing on our fear of germs and boosting multi-million-dollar sales.
But evidence that these products provide any extra benefit is lacking. There’s also a chance they could do us harm.
Many consumers opt for antibacterial soap products because they believe it will keep them healthier and protected against disease. However, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that some antibacterial products may not be that great at killing germs and may pose more health risks.
’’’INGREDIENTS’’’
Most liquid hand and body soaps contain antibacterial chemicals. Triclosan is a common ingredient. Since there is a great variety of bacteria, effectiveness against any given type of bacterium does not ensure that it is effective against unrelated types. These are generally only contained at preservative levels unless the product is marked antibacterial, antiseptic, or germicidal. Triclosan, Triclocarban/Trichlorocarbamide and PCMX/Chloroxylenol are commonly used for antibacterial and deodorant effect in consumer products.
Some soap contains tetrasodium EDTA which is a chelating agent that sequesters metals that the bacteria require in order to grow. Other microbes also require metals and so it is actually an anti-microbial agent that is widely used even as a preservative.

For example triclosan listed as an ingredient in Health Basics Antibacterial Hand Wash and Select Anti-Bacterial Liquid Hand Wash. Triclocarban is used in Dettol Moisture Hygienic Soap, Protex Antibacterial Soap, and Palmolive Antibacterial Liquid Hand Wash. Another Dettol product, Dettol Touch of Foam Hand Wash, contained benzalkonium chloride
’’’FOR WHAT ANTIBACTERIAL SOUP ARE USED?’’’
What's the best way to stay disease-free? Prevent infections.
By using antibacterial Soap prevents or minimizes disease and the spreading of disease. There are five critical times in washing hands with antibacterial soap related to fecal-oral transmission: after using a bathroom (private or public), after changing a diaper, before feeding a child, before eating and before preparing food or handling raw meat, fish, or poultry, or any other situation leading to potential contamination. To reduce the spread of germs, it is also better to wash the hands and/or use a hand antiseptic before and after tending to a sick person.
’’’MECHANISM OF ANTIBACTERIAL SOUPS’’’
Antibacterial soaps contain antibacterial chemicals.
’’’How does Triclosan kill bacteria?’’’
Triclosan is a common active ingredient found in modern antibacterial products. Most other engineered antibacterial agents are designed to attack organic functions of bacteria. Triclosan specifically inhibits the production of a fatty acid vital to life within bacterial cells. The problem is, bacteria that survive the introduction of Triclosan can mutate into a new strain that resists the antimicrobial chemical's effects.
’’’How does PCMX kill bacteria?’’’
The detailed biochemistry of the action of PCMX and other phenol-based antibacterial agents is beyond the scope of this project. However, very simply, they are understood to work by the −OH group of the molecule binding to proteins present on the cell membrane of bacteria, disrupting the cell membrane and allowing the contents of the cell to leak out. This allows more PCMX to enter the cell, binding further with proteins and enzymes, and effectively shutting down the cell’s functions. At high concentrations of PCMX, the proteins and nucleic acids in the cell are coagulated and cease to function, leading to rapid cell death.
’’’PROBLEMS WITH ANTIBACTERIALS SOUPS’’’
’’’1. Antibacterial soaps have the potential to create antibiotic-resistant bacteria.’’’
‘Not only we are protected from bacteria but also they are becoming more powerful ‘
Heavy use of antibiotics can cause resistance, which results from a small subset of a bacteria population with a random mutation that allows it to survive exposure to the chemical. If that chemical is used frequently enough, it'll kill other bacteria, but allow this resistant subset to proliferate. If this happens on a broad enough scale, it can essentially render that chemical useless against the strain of bacteria.
This is currently a huge problem in medicine—the World Health Organization calls it a "threat to global health security." Some bacteria species (most notably, MRSA) have even acquired resistance to several different drugs, complicating efforts to control and treat infections as they spread. Health officials say that further research is needed before we can say that triclosan is fueling resistance, but several studies have hinted at the possibility.
’’’2. The soaps could act as endocrine disruptors. ‘’’
A number of studies have found that, in rats, frogs and other animals, triclosan appears to interfere with the body's regulation of thyroid hormone, perhaps because it chemically resembles the hormone closely enough that it can bind to its receptor sites. If this is the case in humans, too, there are worries that it could lead to problems such as infertility, artificially-advanced early puberty, obesity and cancer.
These same effects haven't yet been found in humans, but the FDA calls the animal studies "a concern"—and notes that, given the minimal benefits of long-term triclosan use, it's likely not worth the risk.
’’’3. The soaps might lead to other health problems, too.’’’
There's evidence that children with prolonged exposure to triclosan have a higher chance of developing allergies, including peanut allergies and hay fever. Scientists speculate that this could be a result of reduced exposure to bacteria, which could be necessary for proper immune system functioning and development.
Another study found evidence that triclosan interfered with muscle contractions in human cells, as well as muscle activity in live mice and minnows. This is especially concerning given other findings that the chemical can penetrate the skin and enter the bloodstream more easily than originally thought. A 2008 survey, found triclosan in the urine of 75 percent of people tested.
’’’4. Antibacterial soaps are bad for the environment. ‘’’
When we use a lot of triclosan in soap, that means a lot of triclosan gets flushed down the drain. Research has shown that small quantities of the chemical can persist after treatment at sewage plants, and as a result, USGS surveys have frequently detected it in streams and other bodies of water. Once in the environment, triclosan can disrupt algae's ability to perform photosynthesis.
The chemical is also fat-soluble—meaning that it builds up in fatty tissues—so scientists are concerned that it can biomagnify, appearing at greater levels in the tissues of animals higher up the food chain, as the triclosan of all the plants and animals below them is concentrated. Evidence of this possibility was turned up in 2009, when surveys of bottlenose dolphins off the coast of South Carolina and Florida found concerning levels of the chemical in their blood.
’’’5. Antibacterial soup kills useful bacteria on our body.’’’
Antibacterial soup kills not only bacteria which are harmful to us but also the useful bacteria. Outside the body, the forest of bacteria on the skin (almost 200 separate species on a normal person, according to researchers at New York University).over the past 10 years or so, however, researchers have demonstrated that the human body is not such a neatly self-sufficient island after all. It is more like a complex ecosystem, containing trillions of bacteria and other microorganisms that inhabit our skin, genital areas, mouth etc…
This mixed community of microbial cells and the genes they contain, collectively known as the microbiome, does not threaten us but offers vital help with basic physiological processes—from digestion to growth to self-defense. And in or out, exposure to bacteria has been shown to be an important part of the development of our immune systems . Exposure to bacteria, both benign and harmful, is what primes the immune system to respond to pathogenic invaders later in life. Children who are sheltered from bacteria have a higher chance of developing asthma and allergies.
’’’6. It does not kill viruses.’’’
Many common diseases are viral in nature, anyway, and are therefore not prevented by antibacterial products.
’’’EFFECTIVENESS OF ANTIBACTERIAL SOUP’’’
Antibacterial soaps are no more effective than conventional soap and water. Manufacturers say they do have evidence of triclosan's superior efficacy, but the disagreement stems from the use of different sorts of testing methods. Tests that strictly measure the number of bacteria on a person's hands after use do show that soaps with triclosan kill slightly more bacteria than conventional ones.
‘’’Plain soap:’’’
• Recommended for use in non-healthcare settings
• Easy to find in stores - read the label!
• Usually less expensive than antibacterial soaps
• Rubbing your hands is the most important step in cleaning your hands
‘’’Antibacterial soap
Not needed in businesses or most homes (unless directed by healthcare provider).
• No more effective than plain soap in killing germs on your hands or body.
• Must be left on your hands for about two minutes in order to have any effect on bacteria.
’’’Liquid soap:’’’
Liquid soap is generally recommended over bar soap for cleaning your hands
• Liquid soap is easy to use and will not spread germs from one person to another
• Many liquid soaps also include a moisturizing agent, so your hands may not dry out as quickly from frequently cleaning your hands
’’’Bar soap:’’’
• Germs can grow on bar soap and easily spread from one person to another
• Bar soap can be used in a household if no one has skin infections
• Bar soap should not be used in public places, anyone in your household has a skin infection

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