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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, September 2003, p. 5433-5442, Vol. 69, No. 9
0099-2240/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.69.9.5433-5442.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Exposure of Sink Drain Microcosms to Triclosan: Population Dynamics and Antimicrobial Susceptibility

Andrew J. McBain,1 Robert G. Bartolo,2 Carl E. Catrenich,2 Duane Charbonneau,2 Ruth G. Ledder,1 Bradford B. Price,2 and Peter Gilbert1*

School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom,1 Procter and Gamble, Cincinnati, Ohio2

Received 14 April 2003/ Accepted 1 July 2003

Recent concern that the increased use of triclosan (TCS) in consumer products may contribute to the emergence of antibiotic resistance has led us to examine the effects of TCS dosing on domestic-drain biofilm microcosms. TCS-containing domestic detergent (TCSD) markedly lowered biofouling at 50% (wt/vol) but was poorly effective at use levels. Long-term microcosms were established and stabilized for 6 months before one was subjected to successive 3-month exposures to TCSD at sublethal concentrations (0.2 and 0.4% [wt/vol]). Culturable bacteria were identified by 16S rDNA sequence analysis, and their susceptibilities to four biocides and six antibiotics were determined. Microcosms harbored ca. 10 log10 CFU/g of biofilm, representing at least 27 species, mainly gamma proteobacteria, and maintained dynamic stability. Viable cell counts were largely unaffected by TCSD exposure, but species diversity was decreased, as corroborated by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis. TCS susceptibilities ranged widely within bacterial groups, and TCS-tolerant strains (including aeromonads, pseudomonads, stenotrophomonads, and Alcaligenes spp.) were isolated before and after TCSD exposure. Several TCS-tolerant bacteria related to Achromobacter xylosoxidans became clonally expanded during dosing. TCSD addition did not significantly affect the community profiles of susceptibility to the test biocides or antibiotics. Several microcosm isolates, as well as reference bacteria, caused clearing of particulate TCS in solid media. Incubations of consortia and isolates with particulate TCS in liquid led to putative TCS degradation by the consortia and TCS solubilization by the reference strains. Our results support the view that low-level exposure of environmental microcosms to TCS does not affect antimicrobial susceptibility and that TCS is degradable by common domestic biofilms.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom. Phone: 44 (0)161 275 2361. Fax: 44 (0)161 275 2396. E-mail: peter.gilbert{at}man.ac.uk.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, September 2003, p. 5433-5442, Vol. 69, No. 9
0099-2240/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.69.9.5433-5442.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



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