Scientists in Britain have discovered that household products such as shampoos, detergents, and disinfectants may contribute to an increase in antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in the environment. These products are are washed into the water supply from homes and factories, eventually ending up in rivers and groundwater. Bacteria resistant to the compounds found in household products survive and multiply, and may spread to humans through contact with contaminated soil and water.

Maya recently highlighted how production of inexpensive meat, bolstered by widespread use of antibiotics to keep farmed animals from developing infections, may indirectly cause humans substantial harm through the development of antibiotic resistance. These animal farming operations, as well as our own healthcare systems, rely on antibiotics to be available at fairly low prices.