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. 1975 Aug;30(2):229–237. doi: 10.1128/am.30.2.229-237.1975

Microbiological Hazards of Household Toilets: Droplet Production and the Fate of Residual Organisms

Charles P Gerba 1, Craig Wallis 1, Joseph L Melnick 1
PMCID: PMC187159  PMID: 169732

Abstract

Large numbers of bacteria and viruses when seeded into household toilets were shown to remain in the bowl after flushing, and even continual flushing could not remove a persistent fraction. This was found to be due to the adsorption of the organisms to the porcelain surfaces of the bowl, with gradual elution occurring after each flush. Droplets produced by flushing toilets were found to harbor both bacteria and viruses which had been seeded. The detection of bacteria and viruses falling out onto surfaces in bathrooms after flushing indicated that they remain airborne long enough to settle on surface throughout the bathroom. Thus, there is a possibility that a person may acquire an infection from an aerosol produced by a toilet.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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