Economists think about everything
A solution to the toilet seat problem. Leave it up or down?
posted by John B. Chilton at 2/03/2007 05:06:00 PM
Saturday, February 03, 2007
About Me
- Name: John B. Chilton
- Location: Orkney Springs, Virginia, United States
4 Comments:
Google toilet plume and that will lay your mind at rest (or cause serious ill-ease) on this issue for ever more.
"In 1975 Professor Gerba published a scientific article describing the little-known phenomenon of bacterial and viral aerosols due to toilet flushing. The more you learn about it, the scarier it sounds. According to Gerba, close-up photos of the germy ejecta look like "Baghdad at night during a U.S. air attack." The article ominously depicts a "floor plan of experimental bathroom with location of gauze pads for viral fallout experiments." A lot of virus fell on those gauze pads, Gerba found, and a lot of bacteria too. In fact, significant quantities of microbes floated around the bathroom for at least two hours after each flush."
I realise most arguments revolve around whether the inner lid should be left raised or lowered, but in hygiene terms there is only one seat that counts and that is the top cover. Unless desperate, I won't even use public toilets without covers, and in the rare instances I have to, I turn my back, press the flush with my foot as a I run away as quickly as possible. Last thing I want is a spray of fecal bacteria all over my face and in my eyes.
Too much information.
OK. You convinced me. Next time I'll close the lid before flushing.
Perhaps we shouldn't be flushing #1, only #2? But others in my life aren't convinced on that one.
I agree completely about the lid issue. Down is the only way to go.
There was a report about Jay Pil Choi's research a year ago - In Loo of Economic Analysis.
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