A combination of high-efficiency flush toilets and hospital cleaning products sets the stage for the spread of C. difficile in a hospital setting. How? Via • @knowablemag 🚽 The first graphic shows the dispersal of water droplets from a high-efficiency toilet 5 seconds after a flush. Droplets may reach as far as 1.4 meters from the toilet bowl, with most landing in front of the toilet, and some as high as 0.8 meters above the floor. Total volume of water ejected is 6.8 milliliters. The weight of larger droplets leads most to fall back down into the toilet or onto surfaces. Smaller droplets, which are more likely to form after the use of some cleaning products, can be cast up into the air, where they may remain suspended. 💧 Lydia Bourouiba’s studies suggest airborne droplets from toilets in hospitals could contribute to the spread of bacterial spores that cause a potentially deadly form of diarrhea. Read more: https://knowmag.org/3zDb76X CREDIT IMAGE TWO: L. BOUROUIBA/THE FLUID DYNAMICS OF DISEASE TRANSMISSION/MIT . . . . . . .#sciencejournalism #knowablemagazine #knowablemag #nonprofitjournalism #sciencemagazine #sciencemedia #scicomms #sciart https://www.instagram.com/p/CUaIz4AAJpN/?utm_medium=tumblr
