Probiotic-Based Approaches for Sustainable Control of Infectious Risk in Mass Transport: Current Data and Future Perspectives

Area of Science:

• Environmental microbiology
• Public health
• Sustainable sanitation

Background:

• High-traffic built environments facilitate microorganism transmission and the rise of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDR) due to conventional disinfectant overuse.
• Probiotic-based sanitation (PBS) emerges as a promising biological strategy to mitigate infectious risks in crowded community settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review existing research on PBS in mass transportation areas.
• To identify knowledge gaps and explore future applications of PBS for biocontrol.
• To highlight the potential of PBS as an ecological and economic alternative to chemical disinfection.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of studies on probiotic-based sanitation in mass transportation environments.
• Analysis of data on the efficacy of PBS against fungal, bacterial, and viral pathogens.
• Exploration of the potential for developing probiotic-based materials for sustainable biocontrol.

Main Results:

• PBS demonstrates effectiveness in reducing microbial load in sanitary settings.
• The approach supports a shift towards biological rather than chemical disinfection strategies.
• Evidence suggests PBS can optimize bioburden control and infection prevention in public spaces.

Conclusions:

• PBS presents a viable, sustainable alternative to conventional disinfectants for managing infectious risks in high-occupancy areas.
• Further research is needed to fully realize the potential of PBS, including the development of novel probiotic-based materials.
• PBS offers a paradigm shift towards eco-friendly biocontrol in mass transportation and other high-traffic environments.