Toilet horror stories
Manufacturers of hand dryers reassured visitors to public toilets
Dryer manufacturers do not agree that the use of their devices contributes to the spread of germs in public toilets. As a confirmation of their words, representatives of the manufacturer of dryers cited a link to a study conducted by British and Swedish scientists and published in the Journal of Applied Microbiology. This is reported in a press release received by the editorial office of "Lenta.ru" from one of the companies.
"The study, commissioned by paper towel manufacturers and published in the Journal of Hospital Infection, was conducted under artificial conditions that do not reflect the real situation. There are some weaknesses and limitations in this study – and yet the manufacturers of paper towels decided to present it as objective information," the press release says.
The company's representatives called the study biased for several reasons. Firstly, "bacteria were applied to the gloved hands in an amount significantly exceeding the real values." Secondly, "hands with unrealistically high levels of bacteria were then dried–without washing." Thirdly, "the number of bacteria found in the air is insignificant and is presented without parallels with real situations when a person takes off his jacket or changes his shoes, more bacteria enter the air than was found in this study."
The statement of one of the manufacturers of dryers was a reaction to the news, in which it was reported that paper towels are more suitable for removing water from hands after washing. The authors of the study also claimed that a powerful jet of warm air from the dryers can promote the spread of bacteria.
In turn, the lead author of the study, Professor Mark Wilcox, admitted that the project was funded by the European Association of Manufacturers of Sanitary and Hygienic Paper (European Tissue Symposium). At the same time, the scientist noted that the association did not influence the experimental part and the analysis of the results in any way, and he himself did not receive any financial support from it.
From the editorial office:It should be recalled that 2 years ago the same noise in the press was caused by a message with a link to an article in the American Journal of Infection Control and with such horrors:
"We found that the concentration of bacteria in paper from recycled raw materials exceeded the number of bacteria in cellulose from primary raw materials by a hundred or even a thousand times... The most common bacteria in towels were representatives of the genus Bacillus, known for the ability to produce toxins, including those that cause food poisoning. A strain of Bacillus cereus was found in towels of one of the brands, which also causes infectious damage to the eyes, lungs, blood and central nervous system... Experts believe that air dryers are the most hygienic for drying hands after washing."
I wonder who funded the study on the deadly dangers of paper towels?
And if you type the query "dirtier than a toilet bowl" in Google and believe everything you read about it, scoleciphobia (aka bacteriophobia, bacillophobia, etc.) is guaranteed to you.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru25.11.2014