Closing toilet-seat lids may not stop spread of germs
Many people believe that putting the toilet-seat lid down helps to prevent the spread of dangerous germs and viruses. A recent study pretty much dispels this supposition. A team of microbiologists from the University of Arizona conducted research on the aerial activity of viral particles after a toilet is flushed. The scientists determined that there is little difference in the spread of germs, regardless of whether the lid is up or down. Microbiologist Dr Charles Gerba has been studying lavatory pathogens for nearly five decades. He said: "All that air when you flush goes somewhere, and it carries the viruses that are in the toilet bowl out of it." He said a flush forces bacteria out from under the lid and contaminates nearby areas. |