The environmental persistence of these compounds, used as an antimicrobial agent in hand soap, is remarkable. More than a million pounds of these chemicals flow into the nation's sewers every year. Between 50 and 75% of this ends up land applied as sludge. Triclocarban has been determined by the FDA as having no verifiable benefit. Despite a lack of evidence that these compounds accomplish anything beneficial, usage rate is very high among consumers. Among the households I have surveyed, it approaches saturation. It makes little sense to land apply recalcitrant compounds that needlessly get rid of soil microbes. Fomenting the growth of resistant strains of disease organisms is only one concern. Soil functional capacity is largely mediated by living processes. It is the height of folly to jeopardize those functions for a useless consumer item.

Data indicates microbes have more difficulty adapting than previously thought.

plant diversity and low input biomass for biofuel