Flushing a toilet doesn’t just send water swirling down the drain. It can also create tiny droplets in the air—some of which could carry bacteria. A recent study looked at the real-time monitoring of these airborne particles, particularly those produced by flushing toilets in shared office bathrooms. The findings were quite eye-opening, showing that while toilet lids can help reduce these particles, they don’t completely eliminate the risk of spreading germs.
How the Study Worked
The research, conducted by a team of scientists from various universities, used a biological particle detector known as the Wideband Integrated Bioaerosol Sensor (WIBS) to monitor tiny airborne particles over a week in a typical office bathroom. This sensor could detect individual particle sizes and numbers, identifying those likely to contain bacteria by their fluorescence (a kind of glow they emit).
The toilet in the study was a standard wash-down model with a lid. Researchers monitored the air before, during, and after flushing, to see how many bioaerosols (tiny particles that might contain bacteria) were released.
What the Study Found
Before flushing, there was no significant difference in the number of fluorescent particles in the air. However, when the toilet was flushed, there was a noticeable spike in the number of these particles. This increase in particles remained higher than normal for about five minutes after flushing.
The surprising part? Closing the toilet lid before flushing reduced the number of these particles by 30-50%. This is a significant decrease, but it didn’t completely eliminate the risk. After flushing with the lid closed, the size of the particles changed and the intensity of their fluorescence increased. The particles also stayed in the air longer—up to 16 minutes, compared to just five minutes when the lid was open.
Why This Matters
The results suggest that while closing the lid can help reduce the number of airborne particles, it doesn’t completely stop the spread of germs. Closing the lid may cause the particles to change in size or even cause some particles to re-aerosolize, or get kicked back up into the air from surfaces in the toilet, not just from the flush itself.
Previous studies have shown that toilet lids help stop larger, visible droplets from spreading when flushed. But when it comes to tiny particles, the effect is less clear. The key takeaway here is that while using the lid is a good habit, it doesn't offer complete protection against toilet-generated aerosols.
Conclusion
Toilet flushing does more than just handle waste—it can spread tiny, potentially harmful particles into the air. Using a toilet lid helps reduce the spread of these particles, but it doesn’t entirely eliminate the risk. This research highlights the importance of taking extra steps, like good ventilation or perhaps more careful hygiene, in shared bathrooms to keep everyone safe from potentially airborne germs.
Source: https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/acmi/10.1099/acmi…
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