Gaby
The team of water quality experts at Waterfilterguru (USA) investigated the cleanliness of reusable eco-friendly water bottles and made an unexpected discovery. It turns out that inside these trendy containers, large quantities of two types of bacteria have taken up residence: gram-negative rods and bacilli.
Gram-negative bacteria, including E. coli and Klebsiella, can cause a range of serious infectious diseases, such as pneumonia. Meanwhile, certain types of bacilli can lead to gastrointestinal issues, including nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
What Else Did the Researchers Discover?
The specialists measured the colony-forming units (CFUs) inside four popular types of water bottles.
CFUs are an indicator of the number of viable microorganisms in a given volume. This unit of measurement is typically used to assess the concentration of bacteria in a tested sample.
The eco-bottles examined by the researchers contained an average of 20.8 million CFUs of bacteria. The highest concentration of various types of bacteria was found on the spout and cap, according to the Daily Mail. In comparison, a toilet seat harbors about 515 CFUs. This means that the bottles beloved by fitness enthusiasts contain 40,000 times more bacteria than a toilet seat.
Researchers also found that reusable bottles can host five times more bacteria than a computer mouse, which has about 5 million CFUs. For comparison, a pet food bowl averages 1.48 million CFUs.
According to the team’s findings, using reusable bottles is a sensible solution in the face of the ecological crisis our planet is experiencing. However, to ensure these bottles don’t harm health, they must never be left unwashed. They should be cleaned daily with hot, soapy water. Even if just for peace of mind, as the thought of regularly swallowing an army of bacteria is hardly appealing.
Other recent studies have shown similar results. Experts from the American laboratory EmLab P&K found over 300,000 CFUs per square centimeter in each of the 12 tested eco-water bottles.
