Sludge Watch ==> Germs - cheery and not-so-cheery stories

[Maureen Reilly]

Sludgewatch Admin:

This dentist publication has a lovely little story about Dr Gerba - aka "Dr 
Germ".

It runs through the usual issues:  germs on the toilet seat...wash you 
hands, etc.

Sludge Watch would love to see some work on the development of  antibiotic 
resistance in sewage sludge through the sewering and treatment process.  EPA 
promised such research but hasn't done it.  If we, as humans, were trying to 
create antibiotic resistance, we couldn't do a better job of it than what we 
do now in our sewage treatment process.

As it stands  - about 85% of North Americans flush their fecal waste into a 
combined sewer that contains all the antibiotic and antimicrobial agents 
that are disposed of into the sewers. All the most virulent diseases from 
patients in hospitals is similarly flushed into the system - including SARS, 
and other rapidly mutating pathogens.  (By the way, SARS patients fecal 
waste is flushed down the toilet...even though this aerosolizes the virus 
from the feces in the toilet bowl into contagious droplets that land all 
over the lavatory)  We tell hospital and nursing staff to dispose of all 
unused and staledated prescription medications into the toilet.

The fecal bacteria and the antiotics meet and swirl down the sewers together 
to the sewage plant. Those bacteria that are sensitive die off.  Those 
bacteria that are robust, virulent, and resistant to antibiotics , chlorine, 
and antimicrobial agents  - they reproduce.  They confer their resistance 
and virulence DNA to successive generations.  Essentially the sensitive 
bacteria die off and their resistant collegues take over the digester.

Then we take these antibiotic resistant organisms and put them on the food 
chain lands as biosolids.


So let us take a moment to celebrate the work of a dedicated former EPA 
scientist whose work led to another important discovery:  Dr David Lewis.  
Dr Lewis discovered that the way we disinfect our dental equipment didn't 
kill off the HIV.

His subsequent investigation of sewage sludge illnesses made the EPA so 
uncomfortable that he was hounded out of his job.  This dedicated scientist 
lost his job because he was a whistle blower.


For more info on the work of Dr David Lewis:

Athens, GA--A recent study entitled "Resistance of microorganisms to 
disinfection in dental and medical devices" has found that human 
immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other human pathogens can survive high 
level chemical disinfection by hiding in the various greases and oils used 
to lubricate many of today`s dental and medical devices.

http://www.whistleblowers.org/html/dr__david_lewis.html


Contaminated Equipment can carry HIV
http://cr.pennnet.com/articles/article_display.cfm?article_id=40003

...................

http://www.dentalofficemag.com/display_article/315663/54/none/none/Dept/Dr.-Germ

Dr. Germ
by Charles John Palenik, Dental Office Magazine

Charles P. Gerba, PhD, professor of environmental microbiology at the 
University of Arizona, is an expert on drinking water quality and pathogens 
in the environment. He has published more than 400 scientific articles and 
nine books. He developed the first method to test water for the presence of 
cryptosporidium, a parasite responsible for sporadic outbreaks of diarrhea. 
But it is his interest in household and workplace microbes that has brought 
him greater recognition and the moniker ? Dr. Germ. For Dr. Gerba, it all 
started after flushing a toilet in Houston, Texas.


While a postdoctoral fellow at Baylor University, Dr. Gerba was asked by his 
advisor to observe a toilet flushing and to note the aerosols generated. Dr. 
Gerba soon devised a method for studying the distribution patterns of the 
droplets emitted, and called it a commodograph. Analyses of emissions 
indicated the presence of high numbers of bacteria and viruses. 
Microorganisms form biofilms on porcelain surfaces with gradual elution 
after each flush. The study indicated the presence of fecal organisms on a 
variety of bathroom surfaces. Air currents moved aerosolized microbes to 
surrounding areas unless they were blocked by a door. Flushing with the lid 
down also reduced microbial spread. Dr. Gerba advocated placing toothbrushes 
within drawers or in the medicine cabinet to prevent contamination.

Few things strike more fear than toilet seats in public restrooms. But are 
toilet seats truly evil menaces?

Studies performed by Dr. Gerba indicate that toilet seats and door handles 
are actually the cleanest surfaces in public restrooms, perhaps because they 
are the two surfaces people avoid touching. The floor was by far the 
dirtiest, having more than two million bacteria per square inch. Sanitary 
napkin disposal units were also heavily contaminated. Sinks did not fare 
well either. Most people seek privacy and tend to use the stalls at the rear 
of the restroom so fewer bacteria were present in the first stall. Study 
results indicated fecal bacteria were present on the bottoms of more than 30 
percent of women?s purses. Placing a purse on the floor appears to be risky 
business. Dr. Gerba concluded that contamination of hands is more likely 
during a restroom visit than is contamination of bottoms. He advocates 
proper hand hygiene but without the use of hand dryers. Dryers use restroom 
air and blow suspended microorganisms over your hands. You may actually end 
up with dirtier hands than when you started.

Dr. Gerba thinks that the concern about restrooms and toilet seats may be 
somewhat misplaced. In his estimation, household areas outside the bathroom 
and many surfaces within the workplace are far more contaminated.


According to Dr. Gerba, the kitchen is the most germy place in the home. The 
worst offender is the kitchen sponge or dishcloth, followed by the sink, the 
cutting board, and the floor. Preparation of animal protein products plus 
contaminated fresh fruits and vegetables are the major culprits. Most 
foodborne illnesses originate in the home.

Dr. Gerba has also extensively studied microbes in the workplace. He found 
the most contaminated surfaces were phones, desktops, water fountain 
handles, microwave door handles, and keyboards. On average, desktops had 400 
times more bacteria than did toilet seats in the same office.
Most people consider their desk their private space, often covering it with 
photos and mementos. Cosmetics are commonly present. Gerba found that 
munchies were present in 75 percent of women's desks. Men and women 
frequently ate and drank at their desks. Young children often visited the 
offices/desks of women rather than men.

Desk areas that were frequently touched contained, on average, 10 million 
bacteria. Offices have almost 21,000 microbes per square inch. The two most 
contaminated surfaces for men were wallets and palm pilots. Dr. Gerba found 
mold on office surfaces, most commonly in the bottom desk drawer - a popular 
place for stashing lunch and snack foods. A 2006 American Dietician 
Association survey reported 57 percent of workers snack at least once a day 
at their desks. More than 75 percent only occasionally clean their desks 
before eating while 20 percent said they never do.
Dr. Gerba offers some simple, straightforward advice on how to combat 
workplace microorganisms. This includes:

use a disinfectant wipe on phones, desktops, keyboards, and other 
contaminated surfaces once a week
use a hand sanitizer throughout the day
avoid eating at your desk on a regular basis
wash coffee mugs and glasses regularly
install and use a dishwashing machine
if you are sick, do not go to work

According to Dr. Gerba, following these tips could potentially reduce 
absenteeism by 50 percent. This figure would be higher for workers with 
families since parents tend to stay home when their children are ill.
Dr. Charles John Palenik is the director of Infection Control Research and 
Services at the Indiana University School of Dentistry. He is the co-author 
of the popular "Infection Control and Management of Hazardous Materials for 
the Dental Team." In 2003, he was chairman of the Executive Board of OSAP.

Infection control questions may be directed to cpalenik at iupui.edu.