The sneeze effect!
August 1st 2005

We all know that when we sneeze we risk spreading infection and illness and it is considered anti-social by those around us, if we don’t cover our mouth and nose. So why do we allow our toilets to do the same? The greatest risk for the spread of disease in a washroom comes from contaminated faeces deposited in the WC bowl. Until the WC is flushed, these faeces remain harmless. It is not physically possible for the bacteria within it to spread around the washroom. The Research and Development department at Initial Washroom Solutions have been studying the affects of contamination within the washroom as a result of flushing the toilet. Known as the ‘Sneeze Effect’, flushing toilets sneeze an invisible spray of dirty water droplets, contaminated with faecal bacteria, which can contain E.coli, over toilet seats, toilet paper, seat covers and handles. These bacteria spread around the washroom on the normal air currents and can remain airborne for up to one hour, producing a bacterial fallout over a wide area. Some faecal bacteria, e.g. E.coli 0157 have a low infectious dose and ingesting low numbers can result in severe haemorrhagic colitis.

When the bacteria are floating in the air, it can be breathed into the lungs of other washroom users. Once it has landed on a surface, it can also be picked up on hands leading to cross-contamination. If you touch a contaminated surface, e.g. the exit handle to the washroom, and your hands are slightly damp after washing, any bacteria you pick up can multiply rapidly causing risk of infection to you if you put your fingers in your mouth or more alarmingly if you handle or prepare food. Once in an appropriate food, bacteria will multiply even more rapidly.

Over a million bacteria can be left within the toilet water until the next flush. Given good growing conditions, a bacterium will grow slightly bigger in size or length and it will then divide into 2. Under optimum conditions, 2 bacteria will divide to form over 15,000,000 bacteria in 8 hours! Small children are particularly at risk, either when using the toilet or just accompanying adults into the cubicle in public washrooms. Their heads are at the height of the aerosol generated by the toilet flush and they may breathe in or ingest droplets. They are likely to touch the toilet seat and other surfaces, which may have just been contaminated by the toilet flushing and then put their fingers into their mouths. Their immune systems may not have fully developed so will be less able to fight off infections. The disturbing fact is that daily cleaning and manual disinfecting is not sufficient to eliminate these risks, therefore every time the WC is flushed the spread of bacteria is compounded. By applying science to problems, the Initial R&D department developed a threeway programme to combat bacterial build up, clearly demonstrating the importance of sanitization in public washrooms.

The first step is to conduct a deep cleansing treatment, which removes scale encrustation thus removing the root cause of bad odours and bacterial feeding grounds.

Secondly, the Elite Calmic Sanitizer is installed beside the WC, that automatically releases a controlled dosage of the Santizer fluid formulation into the last part of the flush water. This is made up of three key components. ‘Bactericide’ kills greater than 99.9% bacteria on contact in both the flush water as well as the fall-out on outside surfaces. This removes a major cause of bad odours and risk of contamination at source. ‘Surfactant’ produces surface active detergents which help to prevent and remove the damp encrusted deposits that attract dirt and bacteria, and break up the films of bio-plaque which are bacterial feeding grounds.

‘Scale Inhibitor’ is a solution to prevent the formation of carbonate scale and deposits of uric acid salts building up on the WC surface and in pipes, thus allowing them to be flushed away. The Calmic Sanitizer only protects those areas touched by the treated flush water therefore the final stage of the process requires regular antibacterial treatments to maintain a bacteriologically clean environment. Servicing will include treatment of plumbing fixtures, the floor and all surfaces of the WC.

The three steps of sanitization protect the whole community from spread of infection arising from faecal bacteria. They especially protect vulnerable members of society.