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Antibacterial products may contribute to dangerous superbug crisis, study suggests
A new viewpoint study suggests the use of antibacterial soaps and other cleaning products may contribute to the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), potentially posing risks to human and environmental health.
A group of international researchers evaluated the impact of biocides (chemical or biological agents used to control harmful organisms, such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and algae) on antimicrobial resistance.
These biocides are added to many common household products, including antibacterial hand soaps, disinfecting wipes, spray cleaners, laundry sanitizers, textiles and personal care products, the researchers noted.
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After analyzing numerous existing studies, the team concluded that the biocides — especially quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) and chloroxylenol — can promote antimicrobial resistance. The findings were published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.
Quaternary ammonium compounds (often called “quats”) are a group of chemicals commonly used as disinfectants, sanitizers and preservatives. Chloroxylenol is an antiseptic and disinfectant chemical used to kill bacteria and some viruses on skin or surfaces.
As bacteria become resistant to these biocides, they can also become resistant to clinical antibiotics, which increases the risk of severe illness, disability or death, the researchers warned.
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“Antibacterial soaps, wipes and sprays can make bacteria harder to kill, even with critical antibiotics, yet they offer no added benefit over plain soap and water for everyday home use,” lead author Rebecca Fuoco, director of science communications at the Green Science Policy Institute and doctoral student at Johns Hopkins University, told Fox News Digital.
“We’re feeding the antibiotic resistance crisis from our own sinks and countertops with products that don’t deliver the protection their marketing suggests.”
The study did have limitations, primarily that it was based on a review of existing studies rather than new experimental data.
“This is a viewpoint that synthesizes the existing body of research, not a clinical study that generates new evidence,” Fuoco admitted. “We still need better data on how household biocides compare to other superbug drivers, like antibiotic overuse in hospitals and agriculture.”
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The research only established an association and did not prove that the products caused AMR. Actual health impacts may vary depending on individual products’ concentration and usage.
The authors recommend that the World Health Organization implement targets to reduce the use of consumer-product biocides in its next Global Action Plan on antimicrobial resistance. They also call on governments to limit antimicrobial ingredients in household products and to promote public awareness.
“Use plain soap and water for everyday handwashing and routine cleaning,” Fuoco recommended. “Reserve disinfectants for when you are cleaning up after someone in your household who has a contagious illness. In those cases, bleach works without the resistance risks.”
Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, was not involved in the study but weighed in on the potential risks.
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Millions die every year from antibiotic-induced infections, which are new infections or complications arising from the use of antibiotics that kill beneficial bacteria, allowing for an overgrowth of harmful, resistant bacteria or fungi, the doctor cautioned.
“Benzalkonium chloride is found in a lot of these products – it works as an antiseptic, but has also been linked to bacterial resistance,” Siegel told Fox News Digital.
“Bacteria can swarm, growing in billions of colonies, and the principle of ‘survival of the fittest’ means those that aren’t susceptible to these chemicals are more likely to survive.”
Siegel agreed that there should be less of these chemicals in Americans’ products and environments, not more. “Good old soap and water is still the best cleaner for most things, but is frequently overlooked in cleansers, hand wipes and similar products,” he said.
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In October 2025, the World Health Organization warned that one in every six bacterial infections are resistant to antibiotics.
More than 1 million deaths each year are directly linked to antibiotic resistance, according to a study by the Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance (GRAM) Project.
The American Cleaning Institute, based in Washington, D.C., argues that while antimicrobial resistance is a serious global health concern, the newly published research reflects opinion rather than new data. Claims that such products provide “no added health benefit” oversimplify a complex issue, ACI added.
“Public health authorities consistently recognize that the overuse and overprescription of antibiotic drug products in medical care and overuse in agriculture are the primary drivers of antibiotic resistance worldwide,” the organization said in a statement sent to Fox News Digital.
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“Blanket recommendations to phase out entire categories of consumer products, without regard to their regulated uses and demonstrated benefits, do not advance public health and risk undermining effective hygiene and infection prevention practices.”
President Donald Trump was greeted by a packed crowd at UFC 327 in Miami Saturday night during the president’s first appearance at a sporting event since the start of the Iran war. Fans in attendance erupted into raucous applause as Trump walked into the venue.
Trump made his way out with UFC CEO and president Dana White and went around to the announcers and had an exchange with Joe Rogan, who was sitting at the announcers’ table.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio was standing nearby the seats right before Trump walked out, then leaned in to Trump and started whispering very closely to the president, cupping his hands over his mouth and they each exchanged a few words. Trump then turned around, pumping his fist to those sitting behind him, smiling and waving, then pointed a few times to the crowd.
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Trump has been a frequent fixture at UFC and other combat sports events during his presidency, during his 2024 campaign and even dating back to his first term.
In 2025, Trump attended UFC 316 and Miami fight night. In 2024, he attended UFC 302 in June and UFC 309 in November.
In 2019, he attended UFC 244.
Before Saturday, the last major sporting event Trump attended was the College Football Playoff national championship game between Indiana and Miami at Hard Rock Stadium Jan. 19.
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Trump was notably absent from this year’s Super Bowl and the Winter Olympics in Italy and didn’t attend any other events after the Iran war broke out.
But after Tuesday’s ceasefire agreement, Trump has returned to sport. Trump addressed the ongoing situation with Iran at the White House before departing for Joint Base Andrews to travel to Miami for the UFC event.
“We’re in very deep negotiations with Iran. We win regardless. We’ve defeated them militarily,” Trump told reporters. “Whether we make a deal or not makes no difference to me. And the reason is because we’ve won, whether you listen to the fake news or not.”
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Heather Graham says classmates dismissed her as ‘nerdy’ before Hollywood breakthrough proved them wrong
Before Hollywood came calling, Heather Graham said, she was dismissed as a “nerdy” teenager.
The actress recalled being underestimated in high school before landing the popular cheerleader role in “License to Drive,” a turning point she described as a “huge moment” that launched her independence and her career.
“I was nerdy. … You know, I was smart, and I was just, like, nobody thought I was that pretty,” Graham recalled during an episode of “Dinner’s on Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson.”
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“So, I got this job as, like, the popular, pretty cheerleader, and I had very bad style and bad hair and makeup. Like, I did not know how to, like, do that. And then people were like, ‘Oh?’
“[The movie] came out right as I was graduating,” Graham added. “And I think people were like, ‘Well, maybe we should have paid attention to her.'”
Graham revealed landing the iconic role as Mercedes Lane in “License to Drive” was a “huge moment” for her at 17.
“It was huge for me. Like, that was a huge moment,” she explained. “I got to make money. I was independent. I had a bank account, you know, and I could live on my own.”
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Graham began her career with small roles in commercials and TV before landing teen films such as “Drugstore Cowboy” and “Swingers.”
She got her breakthrough with “Boogie Nights,” “Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me” and “Bowfinger.”
Graham landed a role in the blockbuster film “The Hangover” in 2009. She has since continued acting in films and TV while also expanding into writing and directing projects.
Her latest film, “They Will Kill You,” hit theaters March 27.
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The 56-year-old actress shared some of her beauty secrets in a recent interview with Us Weekly.
Graham claimed she’s “never had an actual operation where they’re cutting my face open.” But she said she has tried a series of other methods, including “microneedling, Botox … and a bunch of lasery things.”
“Some of those laser treatments are torture,” she said. “Like, an hour and a half of your face getting blasted.”
The movie star’s goal is to stay away from invasive plastic surgery because she doesn’t “want to look freaky,” and her “goal is to look natural.”
“I feel like some people get facelifts and they just kind of end up looking like … I mean, there are people that get it, and it’s good. But I just don’t want to be one of those people that got it and look freaky,” she said. “But I don’t know if [when] I got older, I wouldn’t completely rule out. Who knows, in the future.”
Graham also tries to maintain a balanced diet and get 10 to 11 hours of sleep. She said she uses yoga as a way to stay in shape and manage stress, calling it “so cathartic.”
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Seven-foot statue unveiled honoring Magawa, award-winning rat who found more than 100 landmines in Cambodia
A landmine-sniffing rat who won a gold medal for “life-saving devotion to duty” in Cambodia has been honored with a massive stone statue.
Magawa, a rat who gained fame in the country for sniffing out more than 100 mines (more than 1.5 million square feet) in his five-year career — more than any other rat in the country — retired in 2021 and died at age 8 in 2022.
The African giant pouched rat was trained by the Belgian charity APOPO to use his keen sense of smell to sniff out landmines and other explosives.
In Cambodia, more than 1 million people live and work in areas dotted with landmines, according to BBC News.
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In 2020, Magawa received the PDSA Dickin medal for gallantry, which recognizes heroism in animals.
He was the first rat in the organization’s history going back to 1943 to win the award.
Magawa was able to walk over areas with land mines safely because of his light weight and would alert his handlers to a mine by scratching the surface, according to Smithsonian magazine. He would then receive a treat.
“During his career, Magawa found over 100 landmines and other explosives, making him APOPO’s most successful HeroRAT to date,” the organization said in 2022, while announcing his death. “His contribution allows communities in Cambodia to live, work and play without fear of losing life or limb.”
Cambodia has the highest rate of landmine amputees per capita of any country.
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APOPO added, “Every discovery he made reduced the risk of injury or death for the people of Cambodia.”
The statue was unveiled in Siem Reap, Cambodia, April 3, just in time for International Day for Mine Awareness April 4.
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