Toilets: male and female equally contaminated
9 December 2011
A study of the distribution of bacteria in public toilets has found that distinct bacterial communities inhabit the floor, toilet and surfaces routinely touched by hands.
"On toilet surfaces, [bacteria from the bowel] were more prevalent, suggesting faecal contamination of these surfaces," the US authors said (PLoS One 2011; online 23 Nov).
"Vagina-associated Lactobacillaceae" were widely distributed in female restrooms, likely from urine contamination."
"[But] overall community level comparisons between ... surfaces in male and female restrooms were not statistically significant".
Last Reviewed: 09 December 2011
- 1. Flores GE, Bates ST, Knights D, et al. Microbial biogeography of public restroom surfaces. PLoS One 2011; 6: e28132. [Epub 2011 Nov 23.] http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0028132 (accessed Dec 2011).
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