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If you’re a fan of MythBusters, there’s a good chance you remember an experiment exploring the potential pitfalls of leaving toothbrushes near a toilet due to the possibility of urine, fecal matter, and other fun substances making themselves at home in the bristles. After looking into the matter, the show not only confirmed that was the case but discovered those germs had the potential to contaminate any toothbrush left uncovered in a bathroom regardless of its proximity to the porcelain throne.
Further research has suggested you probably have bigger things to worry about when it comes to the risks that particular type of contamination poses to the average person. With that said, experts still advise putting the seat down before you flush when possible so it can be used as a sort of shield against the massive clouds of microscopic water droplets that have a tendency to erupt from the bowl whenever you pull the lever.
However, getting people to care about a virtually invisible enemy is easier said than done, It’s easy to understand why plenty of members of the general public aren’t particularly concerned about geysers of aerosolized particles that can’t be viewed with the naked eye—although they can be viewed with the lasers scientists used to capture some fairly gag-inducing footage that has some serious potential to make those skeptics reconsider their approach.
Last week, Nature published the results of a study conducted by a team of researchers at the University of Colorado examining “rapidly spreading aerosol plumes” produced by commercial toilets.
The paper in question was a continuation of previous research highlighting the role flushing can play when it comes to contributing to the spread of germs and infectious diseases with a special emphasis on visualizing the spread. The experiment itself was fairly straightforward: lead author John Grimaldi and the team he worked with in the school’s Ecological Fluid Dynamics Lab used green lasers and cameras to capture the “strong chaotic jet” that formed after flushing and, well, the video really speaks for itself.
Analysis of the footage found each flush has the potential to form a cloud that can reach a height of five feet in less than ten seconds. The smallest droplets have the potential to linger even longer and float around the bathroom before settling on various surfaces that are subsequently contaminated by any bacteria and viruses they may be carrying.
Grimaldi said one of the biggest goals of the study was to use the footage to bring increased awareness to the issue—and as someone who now dreads my next trip to a public restroom, it’s safe to say that box was firmly checked.