Germs from urine and faeces travel 5ft from toilet in seconds after flushing, study finds

Toilets spray an “invisible plume” of particles containing urine and faeces almost 5ft from the pan during flushing, a study has found.

Researchers at the University of Colorado at Boulder used lasers and cameras to show how germs are ejected from a lidless toilet at 6.6ft per second, reaching 4.9ft above the toilet within eight seconds.

The airborne droplets can transport E. coli, C. difficile, noroviruses and adenoviruses, scientists say.

“Once you see these videos, you’re never going to think about a toilet flush the same way again,” lead author Professor John Crimaldi said.

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