(WSVN) - Washing your hands is vitally important to your health, but a new study says you should avoid restroom hand dryers at all costs!
A study published by Applied and Environmental Microbiology says hand dryers suck up feces when toilets are flushed and then spray the bacteria all over your hands.
Scientists compared normal bathroom air to air blasted from hand dryer nozzles. The study found that restrooms with hand dryers had up to 254 bacterial pathogens present.
“Bacteria in bathrooms will come from feces, which can be aerosolized a bit when toilets, especially lidless toilets, are flushed,” study author Peter Setlow told Newsweek.
According to the study, up to 60 bacteria colonies can be blown out of the dryer in a 30-second span.
The scientists tested the efficacy of filters when installed or retro-fitted in the dryers, finding the HEPA filters only blocked about 75 percent of bacteria.
Researchers say the hand dryers are not only just spreading bacteria to your hands. It’s also being spread to other areas.
“Within a large building, potentially pathogenic bacteria including bacterial spores may travel between rooms, and subsequent bacterial/spore deposition by hand dryers is a possible mechanism for spread of infectious bacteria including spores of potential pathogens if present,” the study said.
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