Are There Poop Particles in Your Toothbrush?

There is a myth that has been going around over the internet that when you flush the toilet, poop particles can splash up and land on your toothbrush. So many people for some time now have taken extra precaution to distance their toothbrushes from their toilets. Many people also worry that the poop particles on the toothbrushes can cause them to become very sick.

It is believed that poop particles are the tiny microscopic particles that become "detached" from the main unit. When they detach, they are then able to float in the air, landing on different areas of the bathroom. This is where the fear that they can land on your toothbrush originates from.

Feces however isn't that big of a health concern as it is primarily made up of water (75 percent). The remaining substance is fiber and bacteria. As both water and fiber are harmless, the only harmful material is bacteria.

Fecal bacteria does not pose a health risk. As it originates from the body, it does not pose a serious health risk to anyone. The risk comes from other bacteria such as Hepatitis A or dysentery that can attach to it when feces is outside of the body.

So does feces actually land on your toothbrush?

A group of scientists tested this theory out by testing toothbrushes in different rooms for poop particles. They did indeed find poop particles in the bathroom toothbrushes. However, they also found poop particles in control toothbrushes that were a few rooms away from the bathroom.

This signified to them that poop particles are actually everywhere. They are not limited to the bathroom, but can be found in other rooms as well. They are also found outside in the open air.

The important thing to keep in mind is that you don't have to worry about getting sick over it. For many years, people have gotten by perfectly healthy brushing their teeth with the toothbrushes in their bathrooms. So don't worry!

About this Author

Tofer is going to graduate school a NYU and is pursuing a degree in journalism. In the meantime, he is working on a few different sites, one of which is about bottled drinking water.

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