Toilet Sneeze: Beware the Flush
"In many older toilets, water aerosolizes up to 20 feet from the center of the flush."
Philip M. Tierno, Jr, PhD, author of "The Secret Life of Germs"; Director, Clinical Microbiology & Immunology New York University Medical Center; Associate Professor, Departments of Microbiology & Pathology New York University School of Medicine.
Biofilm on a stainless steel surface. Biofilms are primarily accumulations of bacteria in aqueous environments. They form when bacteria secrete slimy, mucilaginous materials that provide the microorganisms with a means of attachment to moist surfaces. Biofilm microorganisms often prefer the phase boundaries in moist environments. Biofilms can form on many different kinds of materials such as inorganic soil particles, animal and plant surfaces, plastics, metals, medical devices, etc. Biofilms can be created by a single bacterial species but often contain many species of bacteria along with fungi, protozoa, algae, and organic / inorganic debris. Biofilm microorganisms carry out a variety of detrimental or beneficial reactions under certain environmental conditions.
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