A breeding ground for bacteria: scientists have proven the dangers of hand dryers

It turns out that you can pay dearly by following a simple procedure for preparing for dinner. Scientists have again confirmed that electric hand dryers in public places literally turn into a cannon with volleys of dangerous bacteria. The more powerful and modern the device, the larger the damage radius. Is it possible to be saved, the correspondent wondered REN TV Sergey Khaidarov.

More than a million different bacteria accumulate on our hands alone. By washing our hands thoroughly, we get rid of most germs. But we completely forget that such a seemingly ordinary thing as a hand dryer – it is a source of new microorganisms.

Our journalists conducted their own experiment and asked employees of the Erisman Hygiene Center to take samples from the hands of two volunteers. The result shocked even scientists – after drying, there were more bacteria.

“If we take after the dryer, but, let’s say, before. We see a large number of dots that represent microorganisms. After drying there are much more of them,” – said Alexey Sivov, a researcher at the Federal Center for Hygiene named after F. F. Erisman.

This is what a regular dryer looks like in a public toilet under ultraviolet light. According to research by scientists at the University of Leeds, this small plastic box, accelerating the air to six hundred meters per second, scatters harmful bacteria throughout almost the entire room.

“Most people don’t wash their hands perfectly. And bacteria still remains on them. So when a person puts their hands in the dryer, these bacteria are transferred by the air flow into the environment: on cars, on the floor, on people themselves, in the air,” – explained medical microbiology professor Mark Wilcox.

The more modern and powerful the dryer, the further it scatters the bacteria that accumulate inside it. This happens if you do not change the filter for a long time or use it incorrectly.

“The accumulation of moisture can lead to the accumulation of certain bacteria, most importantly, spores, various fungi. And then the spread of bacteria of these pathogens can cause some kind of risk,” – noted Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor, Head of the Department of Virology of the Russian Medical Academy of Postgraduate Education of the Ministry of Health of Russia Elena Malinnikova.

More often than others, people with pathologies or poor immunity are at risk of getting the disease. But according to some experts, the dangers of hand dryers have been overblown by scientists.

“It is important to note that many modern dryers operate at a fairly high temperature. Inside the dryer it is above 60 degrees. This kills some bacteria – this is a known fact,” – emphasized candidate of medical sciences, infectious disease doctor Georgy Vikulov.

So sellers began to worry that demand would fall. And they list places where there are much more germs than in their dryers.

“When we are in a public bathroom, we touch the door handle, the soap dispenser, the faucet lever. These are already three contacts with at least a large number of bacteria,” – noted the general director of a company selling electrical appliances, Stanislav Ivanov.

But even skeptics cannot completely eliminate the entry of bacteria through hand dryers. Especially when it comes to public toilets with poor hygiene and high traffic. Besides, it’s hard to argue with the numbers.

“We had about 2,300 colony-forming units on our left arm, which is three times higher.”, – noted Alexey Sivov, a researcher at the F. F. Erisman Hygiene Center.

At the same time, the staff of the hygiene center conducted another experiment. We learned how much more hygienic it is to use paper towels.

“Results using paper towels are four times better than using an electric dryer.”, – stated the head of the department of disinfection and sterilization of the Institute of Disinfectology of the Federal Center of Hygiene named after. F. F. Erismana Natalya Eremeeva.

But, of course, scientists are not calling for completely abandoning dryers. In addition, this is often the only way to dry your hands. Therefore, they are advised to wash them even more thoroughly and not ignore antiseptics.