Study: How ‘Invisible’ Toilet Water Sprays Into The Air After You Flush

There’s long been arguments and discussions in households all around the world as husbands and wives try to figure out whose responsibility it is to raise and lower the toilet seats. Most often it is said that the men should lift and lower it; but there’s a couple problems with that idea. Firstly; it’s biased against men. But much more importantly – it’s not sanitary!

The truth is that EVERYONE should be raising and lowering seats on the toilet. Because if you’re not lowering that toilet lid every time you flush then your whole bathroom is probably coated in invisible toilet particles; and so are you. It’s called the toilet plume, or invisible plume, and if you’ve never heard of it, Scientists at the University of Colorado at Boulder say the “invisible plume” is a health hazard for those who follow.

“If it’s something you can’t see, it’s easy to pretend it doesn’t exist,” says lead author Professor John Crimaldi, a professor of civil, environmental, and architectural engineering, in a statement. “But once you see these videos, you’re never going to think about a toilet flush the same way again. By making dramatic visual images of this process, our study can play an important role in public health messaging.”

Scientists used two bright green lasers for the study. One shone continuously on and above a toilet, while the other sent out fast pulses of light over the same area. The constant laser revealed where in space the airborne particles were, while the pulsing laser could measure their speed and direction. Meanwhile, two cameras took high resolution images.

Video shows the airborne droplets shoot out at speeds of 6.6 feet per second, reaching 4.9 feet above the toilet within eight seconds. The largest droplets settle onto surfaces. Smaller ones — less than five microns, or one-millionth of a meter — linger suspended for many minutes.

The particles headed mostly upwards and backwards towards the rear wall, but their movement was unpredictable. Similarly, the plume also rose to the lab’s ceiling, and with nowhere else to go, moved outward from the wall and spread forward, into the room. The experimental setup did not include any solid waste or toilet paper in the bowl, and there were no stalls or people moving around.

These real-life variables could all exacerbate the problem, study authors warn.

In short, it’s a good idea for everyone to put both lids up, and down, anytime you use the toilet.

Source: https://bit.ly/3FcaTZa

Image – dirtyboxface / CC