Toilets and Toothbrush Issues

Modern sanitation is a luxury for much of the world: with a simple flush, our waste disappears. ⁽¹⁾

With the press of a handle and a powerful whoosh of water, toilets send waste far away from humans and down into the sewer system. But research shows in surprising detail just how much waste they also spew into the air, potentially spreading contagious diseases in the process. ⁽²⁾

Using lasers and cameras, scientists visualized the plume of tiny, aerosolized particles ejected from commercial toilets during flushing. During experiments using continuous and pulsed lasers, airborne particles ejected from the toilet traveled at speeds of up to 6.6 feet per second and reached 4.9 feet above the toilet within eight seconds. And, once airborne, smaller particles measuring less than 5 microns hung in the air for more than a minute. ⁽³⁾

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