An Ill Wind Blowing
Those gusty hand dryers installed in public bathrooms are supposed to reduce exposure to microbial menaces, such as disease-causing bacteria that may be lurking on, well, just about everything else.
But maybe not. In a report published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology a few years ago, researchers collected samples of bacterial colonies on plates. A typical bathroom air sample averaged less than one colony, while those positioned under a hand dryer for 30 seconds averaged 18 to 60 colonies per plate.
The researchers couldn't determine whether the dryers were actually harboring bacteria or simply sucking it up and then blowing a concentrated amount back out. The dryer nozzles harbored only minimal bacteria levels.
They deduced that bacteria in public bathrooms was likely originating from nearby lidless toilets, which can release fecal particles when flushed. So even if you thoroughly wash your hands, you may end up just blowing new microbes on them.
Grab a paper towel next time.
Body of Knowledge
Cognitive neuroscientists estimate humans are conscious of only about 5% of their cognitive activity, leaving most decisions, actions, emotions and behaviors to brain activity operating beyond our awareness.
Get Me That, Stat!
In American adults 18 and older, the prevalence of diagnosed arthritis is 21.5% in women and 16.1% in men, according to the 2022 National Health Interview Survey.
Doc Talk
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