Scientists have used a combination of green lasers and cameras to illuminate the effects of the surrounding toilet flush, and we doubt you’ll ever have the chance to leave the lid open while flushing again after seeing the results.
The video produced by a team of researchers from the University of Colorado, Boulder in the United States, shows waves of tiny water droplets, invisible to the naked eye, flying out of a toilet bowl after flushing it. It’s pretty disgusting, when you think about what can be suspended in those tiny drops.
“People know about toilet spray, but they can’t see it.” says civil and environmental engineer John Crimaldifrom the University of Colorado Boulder.
“We’re showing that this is a much more active and pervasive column than anyone who knows the concept.”
As the researchers themselves admit, there is a “weak factor” here – amplified by the disturbing green glow of the laser beams – but also an important message on bathroom hygiene, both in private homes and in public toilets which are often uncovered.
Crimaldi and his co-researchers are careful to point out that they are not epidemiologists, so there is no precise calculation of the disease’s potential to spread here. However, their visualization provides a graphic element for Another study trying to estimate the characteristics of an aerosol laden with bacteria.
when Previous lessons Having clearly identified the possibility of particles escaping from the toilet when flushing, there is still a lot of uncertainty about how these particles travel and where they might end up.
Two types of lasers are used: one shines a continuous light on the toilet from above to illuminate the scene, and the other sends a quick pulse of light across the top of the toilet bowl to highlight the movement of the particles. High resolution images are captured simultaneously by the camera.
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The researchers showed drops of up to 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) high after the flow, moving at speeds exceeding 2 meters (6.6 feet) in some places. Researchers have shown that larger droplets land more quickly on the service, while smaller droplets can remain in the air for several minutes.
“We thought these aerosol particles were floating, but they came out like rockets.” Crimealdi said.
“The goal of a toilet is to effectively remove waste from the bowl, but also the other way around, which is to flush out a lot of contents.”
Nothing in the toilet except water when flushing an experience. Also, there are no stalls around the toilets and no people running around like there is a public toilet. In real life, all of these variables will affect the motion of the droplet.
However, even in this somewhat artificial setup, there’s clearly plenty of room for water – and whatever else is carrying it – to get out of the toilet bowl, where it can stick to surfaces and clothing.
Researchers believe that more needs to be done to reduce the risk of infection with such pathogens Escherichia coliAnd C. difficileAnd norovirusAnd Adenoviruses Widespread in public toilets, with improved methods in design, ventilation and disinfection with all options.
For these improvements to work effectively, it’s important to know where the water goes, which this research shows more dramatically than ever, and in a way we’ll never forget.
“If there’s something you can’t see, it’s easy to pretend it doesn’t exist.” Crimealdi said. “But once you watch this video, you’ll never think about flushing the toilet the same way again.”
“By creating compelling images of this process, our research can play an important role in public health messages.”
Research published in Scientific report.
