Study calls for changes to public toilet design

The study looked at the contribution toilet plume particles play on cross-contamination in indoor environments and recommended that public toilets should be designed with antimicrobial surfaces, should optimise ventilation and should introduce timely disinfection protocols. In doing so, the spread of infections including of C. difficilе infection, influenza and Norovirus could be curtailed.

Researchers investigated the factors contributing to increased bioaerosol exposure following flushing and developed a realistic model for predicting when and where there is a greater risk of spreading airborne disease.

In a statement, Elizabeth Paddy, a doctoral researcher from the University’s School of Architecture, Building and Civil Engineering, said: “When a toilet is used and flushed, the turbulence caused by the mixture of water and waste in the toilet bowl creates a plume. This releases tiny droplets into the air called bioaerosols – which can contain bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms. Depending on the nature of organisms, the bioaerosols can stay in the air for a while, and they can be inhaled by people using the toilet or, alternatively, they can settle on surfaces that people then touch. People who have poor hand washing habits can go on to ingest them, and then this potentially leads to the spread of diseases.