[Sca-cooks] FWD: Polymer Chemical Kills Germs

[Philip & Susan Troy]

Glenda Robinson wrote:
>
> Personally, I think this could cause problems. If the surface is treated,
> it'd only kill the germs that are touching the surface itself, not the
> things on the top of the bacteria-laden goop.  Thus, people may think a
> counter top is clean, but it could be swarming with bacteria 1 layer higher.
> I'm also a little concerned about claiming protection from dirty hands -
> surely the germs hand-to-food contact, not the counter-top.
>
> Then there's also the superbacteria problem (we've gone on and on about that
> one here), and the 'smaller amounts of bugs give some sort of immunity
> against larger amounts of bugs' (again, been there, discussed that)
>
> Iasmin, this is not an attack on you or the product, just on what can happen
> with the standard "Lowest common denominator" that the designers have to
> design for (and us higher life-forms have to cope with the repercussions
> thereof).
>
> Glenda.

This is what I get for glossing over articles. I also got a quick blurb
from a local news radio station, but don't recall mention of any
application other than bonding the stuff to scalpels and such.

As for superbacteria, are we talking about strains resistant to
antibiotics, antiseptics and such? FWIW (which may be zero), this stuff
allegedly works by sucking electrons out of cell membranes. I'm reminded
of Charles M. Schulz's (or rather, Lucy Van Pelt's) maxim to the effect
that there is no germ that has yet been able to develop a defense
against being stepped on.

Adamantius
--
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com