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Accessibility statementSkip to main content Democracy Dies in Darkness SubscribeSign in Advertisement Democracy Dies in Darkness Well+BeingBody Food Fitness Mind Life Well+BeingBody Food Fitness Mind Life CAN YOU GET SICK FROM THE GERMS IN TOILET PLUMES? When you flush a toilet, invisible plumes, which may contain viruses, can shoot almost five feet into the air and spread horizontally within a short time, a study showed. 4 min New! Catch up quickly with key takeaways Close alert banner 221 Key takeaways Summary is AI-generated, newsroom-reviewed. * Flushing a toilet causes aerosols containing any pathogen residing in the bowl to spray out. * Plumes can reach five feet high within eight seconds * Pathogens can stay airborne for tens of minutes * Infection risk is low unless someone with a highly contagious disease previously used the toilet. * Good hand hygiene is among the most effective ways to protect against infections. Did our AI help? Share your thoughts. When you flush a toilet, invisible plumes, which may contain viruses, can shoot almost five feet into the air and spread horizontally within a short time, a study showed. (Linnea Bullion for The Washington Post) By Lindsey Bever August 16, 2024 at 7:00 a.m. EDT THE QUESTION: Is it true that there’s an invisible plume of pathogens that spews out of the toilet when you flush it — and that it can make you sick? Subscribe for unlimited access to The Post You can cancel anytime. Subscribe THE SCIENCE: When you flush a toilet, aerosols containing any pathogen residing in the bowl spray into the bathroom. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Skip to end of carousel IS IT TRUE? Lindsey Bever digs into the science and reveals surprising truths in this weekly myth-busting feature. End of carousel A 2022 study that used lasers to illuminate these aerosolized plumes found that the plumes, which may contain bacteria and viruses, can shoot almost five feet into the air — the approximate height of the nose and mouth of an average adult — within about eight seconds of the flush, said John Crimaldi, a professor of civil, environmental and architectural engineering at the University of Colorado at Boulder, who was the lead author of the study. Story continues below advertisement The plume also spread several yards horizontally within a short time, Crimaldi said. 🧘 Follow Health & wellness Follow “We were able to see it spread across a fairly large lab in the span of minutes,” he said. “If you’re in a large, public restroom that has a dozen stalls, there’s a dozen plumes spreading throughout there constantly.” Advertisement The largest particles, which can be as big as droplets, can land on nearby surfaces and items such as a towel or toothbrush almost immediately, but the smallest ones can stay airborne for “tens of minutes,” Crimaldi said. Air flow can then blow the particles through the room. “By the time the next user goes into the toilet stall, certainly that plume is still present,” Crimaldi said. Movie showing the laser-illuminated aerosol plume ejecting from a commercial toilet during the first eight seconds of the flush cycle. (Video: John Crimaldi/University of Colorado Boulder) But it is unlikely for most people to become infected by pathogens in the plume unless someone with a highly contagious disease such as the stomach bug norovirus previously used the toilet, said Katrin Kuhn, an infectious-disease epidemiologist who is also an associate professor and vice chair of the department of biostatistics and epidemiology at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences. Story continues below advertisement Bacteria and viruses can live on certain surfaces from hours to weeks but, to become infected, a person would have to inhale or ingest what is called an infectious dose, which varies from one pathogen to the next. For instance, with shigella, a gastrointestinal bacteria, it may take 10 organisms to cause illness, whereas with salmonella, it would take more than 50,000, research shows. Advertisement A 2013 literature review reported that while infectious aerosols may be produced by flushing a toilet, no study has proved that toilet plumes lead to infection. “That’s why you don’t see public health advisories about making sure the lid is down before you flush,” said William Schaffner, a professor of infectious diseases and preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University. Story continues below advertisement The risk from the organisms on your hands is much higher than from the organisms in the toilet plume, experts said. When you touch surfaces, including doorknobs, elevator buttons and shopping carts, you can pick up pathogens and then, when you scratch your nose or wipe your mouth, you can become infected. WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD KNOW: Studies have shown that closing the toilet lid before you flush does reduce the number of particles that are ejected into the air, but it does not eliminate them. One study reported that the lid reduced the total concentration of particles by 48 percent, and total surface area concentration by 76 percent. Advertisement Typically, there are spaces between the toilet lid and the seat as well as between the seat and the bowl. These spaces redirect “the energy in the plume to be more horizontal rather than vertical,” Crimaldi said. It changes the distribution, but closing the lid “certainly does not eliminate the plume,” he added. Story continues below advertisement Another study also reported that closing the lid did not reduce viral contamination of other bathroom surfaces. Good hand hygiene is among the most effective ways to protect against infection, Kuhn said. THE BOTTOM LINE: When you flush the toilet, there is an invisible aerosolized plume that spews any pathogen residing in the bowl into the air. While it is theoretically possible to become infected, more so when someone with a highly contagious disease has previously used the toilet, it is unlikely in most cases. Share 221 Comments More Well+Being articles about the Body HAND CURATED * After social media outcry, CDC tells doctors to better manage IUD pain August 8, 2024 After social media outcry, CDC tells doctors to better manage IUD pain August 8, 2024 * You can take it easy. Your Apple Watch is ready to embrace rest. August 5, 2024 You can take it easy. Your Apple Watch is ready to embrace rest. August 5, 2024 * Did swimming in the Seine make athletes sick? Here’s what we know. August 5, 2024 Did swimming in the Seine make athletes sick? Here’s what we know. August 5, 2024 View 3 more stories NewsletterDaily Today’s Headlines The most important news stories of the day, curated by Post editors, delivered every morning. Sign up Subscribe to comment and get the full experience. 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