Spread of flushing-generated fecal aerosols in a squat toilet cubicle: Implication for infection risk.
Sci Total Environ
; 859(Pt 1): 160212, 2022 Nov 14.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2309676
ABSTRACT
Toilet flushing generates and spread fecal aerosols, potentially leading to infection transmission risk. Squat toilets are widely used in public restrooms in some Asian countries including China and India, and remain to be studied. Aerosol dispersion while flushing squat toilet in cubicle was visualized, while the aerosol concentrations were measured on different surfaces by monitoring fluorescence intensity through seeding simulated fluorescence feces. Flushing-generated fecal aerosols could spread to the breathing zone, deposit on floor, and partitions in squat toilet cubicles, and spread even beyond to the restroom lobby. A total of 0.24 % and 0.17 % of seeded fecal waste deposits on the floor and partition (lower than 0.20 m) for each flush. Aerosol concentration decays rapidly, with 86.8 ± 2.2 % reduction in the second minute after a previous flush compared to that in the first minute. Public toilet users are recommended to wait for 2 min after the early flush before entering the cubicle.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
/
Prognostic study
Language:
English
Journal:
Sci Total Environ
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
J.scitotenv.2022.160212
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