_ A team of engineers at the University of Colorado Boulder is revealing the secret lives of public toilets. Those ubiquitous, unlidded, industrial restroom fixtures can spew out a massive amount of aerosolized water and waste droplets. Blasting aerosols are a health concern since they can spread pathogens like E. coli or noroviruses, contagious viruses that can cause diarrhea and vomiting.
… We’ve known that unlidded toilet flushes can cough up a lot of liquid, but the engineers figured out how to visualize it. Using lasers to show off the spray, the study involved a commercial toilet like the ones often found in public restrooms. The researchers used only tap water and didn’t include toilet paper or solid waste.
… The particles made their way through the air, reached the ceiling of the lab and even spread out into the room. While larger particles can settle quickly, smaller particles tend to float for longer.
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