The European Commission’s Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR) has adopted an opinion entitled ‘Assessment of the Antibiotic Resistance Effects of Biocides’. The adoption of this opinion on the 19^th January 2009 followed a public consultation on the effects of active substances in biocidal products on antibiotic resistance.

The press release on the adoption announcement explains that ‘[s]ome mechanisms of bacterial resistance are common to both biocides and antibiotics. However, due to the current scarcity of information it is difficult to quantify the impact of biocides on the selection, survival and spread of multi-resistant bacterial strains. It is important to determine the capacity of biocides to trigger this process. In its opinion, the Committee advises on the methodologies that can be used to examine the development of antibiotic resistance due to the use of active substances in biocidal products.’

The SCENIHR committee suggests that nanomaterials are playing an increasing role in the area of disinfectants: ‘The use of biocides as antifouling agents, biocides in building materials, on antimicrobial surfaces and in fuels and plastic materials is also gaining in [importance], but the quantities used are unknown. It is important to note that an increasing number of uses are linked with nanosized particules of disinfectants (ex. protection of the concrete facades against lichens and moulds) progressively released in the environment.’

Follow these links to find out more about the SCENIHR’s activities in nanotechnology, to read the full adoption press release, or to download the final Opinion.