Originally Aired - Monday, November 18 • 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
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Location: Islander C, North Convention Center
Title: Above the Rim-The "Toilet Volcano"
Cost: Available to All Access Passes Only
Description:
The "Toilet Volcano" is very common in any washroom. This is when aerosols are produced during the toilet flushing. Fecal bacteria (yes, poop particles) and viruses are ejected from the toilet during flushing. These have the potential to travel over eight feet from the toilet. The droplets settle out in the washroom contaminating the restroom with fecal microorganisms. Due to the amount of area that the Plume effect covers, it impacts a lot of the washroom.
Bacteria, viruses, and spores are transported in droplets. Knowing where the droplets go is the crux of the problem and is the reason we need to study how diseases spread.
A team of scientists put physics of fluids to the test to investigate droplets generated from flushing a toilet and a urinal in a public restroom under normal ventilation conditions. To measure the droplets, they used a particle counter placed at various heights of the toilet and urinal to capture the size and number of droplets generated upon flushing.
This session will look at the research that came out of this study, with an emphasis on transmission risks in healthcare facilities. There is a lack of national and international toilet plume studies and the best ways to mitigate the risks to staff and patients. These studies should lead to the creation of a national standard of engineering controls that prevent unnecessary exposure of staff and patients.
Type: Seminars
