Afraid of toilet seats in public restrooms? Scientists find more scarier culprits

Most people think a toilet seat in a public restroom is a germ nightmare, however, research says they are cleaner than other objects in the same room.

Scientists are finding door knobs, hand dryers, and flush buttons to be more contagious than just the sitting surfaces.

The foremost concern are the aerosols released by the flushing system, causing harmful microorganisms to rise up to dangerous heights and increasing the risk of ingesting them into the body.

There are many health conditions pushing people to use restrooms frequently: diabetes, overactive bladder, uterine prolapse (a dropped womb), anxiety and others.

While most people are scared of sitting on the public toilet seats, fearing they may catch urinary bladder infections, the real threat might be lurking silently behind the folds. 

Public toilet as a haven of germs

As per an article published in The Conversation, a human body produces about a litres of urine and over 100 grams of fecal matter each day. 

The microbes, bacteria and viruses, found in the fecal material end up staying in the toilet.

In a public toilet, these microbes accumulate and form a microbial soup, thriving in the warmth and moisture of the toilet pool.

If the restrooms are frequently used or understaffed, they are less likely to be cleaned on a regular basis.

Diseased fecal matter will further pollute the pool with harmful microbes, often found in gastrointestinal disorders.

When a person happens to use a public toilet, they are more likely to play safe around the seat, avoiding an extended contact with the surface.

However, the moment one pulls the flush lever, a fast moving aerosol is released into the air.

A study, using a laser light to illuminate the ejected aerosols, found the speed of the flow to be dramatic in public restrooms.

It produced a strong, chaotic jet with speed exceeding 2 m/s and launching the aerosol or flush plumes to a height of 1.5 m within 8 seconds of pulling the flush lever.

These aerosols, which are liquid droplets suspended in air, are commonly found to have E.coli, Klebsiella, Enterococcus, bacteria causing illness.

While these bacteria are commonly found in the gut, they are opportunistic pathogens and can cause infections when exposed to sensitive body tissues and fluids. Many of them are resistant to the effects of antibiotics.

It also contains viruses like norovirus and rotavirus, often associated with gastrointestinal infections.

As per multiple studies, there might be presence of multi-drug resistant skin bacteria and parasite eggs that can cause abdominal pain.

How can germs spread?

There are several ways in which germs can spread in a public restroom.

As per experts, the plumes ejected from the flushing system can be inhaled and enter the respiratory tract through nostrils.

The ejected germs can rest on other surfaces like one’s hands, surface of sink or taps and even on hand dryers which are exposed to infected skin or sweat.

If one’s hand is contaminated, touching the face could also give an entry to them. Other times, one can contaminate the door knobs.

There is also a misconception that one only contracts UTI in a public washroom, warn experts.

More young people are increasingly carrying mobile phones to the toilet seat, risking the spread of those germs to other spaces like bedrooms, bedsheets and pillows over which the phone rests.

A study done by the University of South Australia, found that the flushed aerosols can remain suspended in the air for about 30 minutes.

The findings suggest one must close the toilet lid before flushing or at least buy some time after another person has just flushed.

Hand washing and sanitising remain the two important practices after using a restroom.