AFTER we have done what is needed in the toilet, only a few make it a habit to keep the toilet lid down since its intended purpose is to protect users from what is in the toilet bowl.
According to a report by Business Insider, a team of scientists published a study and made a follow-up video showing tiny water particles ejected from the toilet bowl when flushing with the lid up.
It is seen in the video, a bright green color laser was used to detect the tiny water droplets and a whole lot of them could be seen shooting straight out of the toilet bowl and continuing to settle in other parts of the area.
The experiment was carried out without solids in the toilet bowl, so the presence of fecal matter or toilet paper can affect the plumes’ trajectory.
There are additional concerns related to the water vapors emitted from flushing excrement as fecal matter and vomit are proven breeding grounds for harmful bacteria like Shigella, Salmonella and even parasites.
“The very first time we did it, our jaws just dropped,” John Crimaldi, a study author and engineering professor at the University of Colorado said.
John said his team “had no idea and no reason to expect” the vapors would travel as high and as far as demonstrated.
University of Nebraska Medical Center microbiologist Joshua Santarpia, the plumes may harbor microbes that could be harmful and detrimental to our health.
“It is actually incredibly difficult to demonstrate the mode of transmission, much less the source, in most cases,” Santarpia explained.
Meanwhile, the best way to protect oneself from these harmful aerosols is to just put the toilet lid down after doing ones’ business, which can reduce droplets spreading to other areas in the bathroom and limit odors.
