Reusable Water Bottles More Dirty Than Toilet Seat
Shocking! A new research has shown that reusable water bottles carry more bacteria than an average toilet seat. Check out the details here.
A new research has shown that reusable water bottles carry 40,000 times more bacteria than an average toilet seat. Researchers at US-based waterfilterguru.com conducted the study by examining four popular types of water bottles: spout, screw-top, straw, and squeeze-top.
The researchers swabbed different bottle parts and found how much bacteria is present. They majorly found two types of bacteria named gram-negative rods and bacillus. Gram-negative bacteria such as E. Coli and Klebsiella can cause serious infections such as pneumonia. The infections caused by the bacteria are becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics; meaning they are superbugs. Meanwhile, ingestion of bacillus can lead to nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and gastrointestinal issues. The bottles carried bacteria four times that of a computer mouse, 14 times of a pet bowl, and yes, 40,000 times more than a toilet seat. "The human mouth is home to a large number and range of different bacteria. So it's not surprising that drinking vessels are covered in microbes," said one of the scientists.
The scientists stated that to avoid drinking contaminated water, the bottles should be washed at least once a day with hot soapy water. Moreover, the bottles should be sanitised at least once a week. You can wash properly with dettol. "I've never heard of someone getting sick from a water bottle. Similarly, taps are clearly not a problem: when did you last hear of someone getting ill from pouring a glass of water from a tap? Water bottles are likely to be contaminated with the bacteria that are already in people's mouths," Dr Simon Clarke, a microbiologist at the University of Reading, told New York Post.
So make sure you wash your bottle regularly and check for fungus at the bottom.
