Antimicrobial coatings may cause more harm than good

Antibacterial coatings provide additional anti-bacterial protection. But the researchers warn that the coatings could do more harm than good by producing more antibiotic resistance.
a new study, researchers tested drywall samples of antibacterial synthetic latex paint on drywall samples of bacteria commonly found

. Within 24 hours, all bacteria died, except Bacillus timonensis, a spore-forming bacteria. Most Bacillus bacteria usually live in the soil, but many live in indoor environments.
if you use antimicrobials to attack bacteria, they're going to defend them," said Erica Hartmann of Northwest Engineering, which led the study. "Spores are usually harmless, but by attacking it, you may be prompted to produce more antibiotic resistance."
anyway, most bacteria die on the indoor surface
This led Hartmann to question the need for antibacterial coatings, which could only lead to bacteria becoming stronger.
spores form bacteria, such as Bacillus spores, that protect themselves by sleeping for a period of time. During sleep, they are highly resistant, even under the harshest conditions. After these conditions improve, they are reactivated.
"When it's spore, you can hit it with everything you have, and it's still alive," said Hartman, an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at McCormick School of Engineering in Northwestern. "We should treat them wisely. Use antibacterial products to ensure that we do not expose more harmless bacteria to substances that may make them harmful.
problem with antimicrobial products that are not tested on more common bacteria
antimicrobial products, such as these coatings, is that they are not tested on more common bacteria. Manufacturers test how more pathogenic bacteria, such as E. coli or Staphylococcus aelobacter, survive, but largely ignore the bacteria that people (and the products they use) are more likely to encounter.
E. coli is like a 'laboratory mouse' in the microbial world, " Hartman said. " We wanted to see how real indoor bacteria react against bacterial surfaces because they behave differently from E. coli. "