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Unlike toilets found in residences, hospital toilets do not have lids and operate at high pressure using Flushometer valves. Laboratory and small clinical studies have shown that these toilets produce large quantities of particles that can contain viruses, bacteria, and hazardous drugs excreted from patients receiving chemotherapy. Most of these particles are small enough to be inhaled into the respiratory tract. In 2023, a small laboratory-based study showed that both a disposable pad and a reusable engineering barrier control effectively reduced toilet aerosols. However, no studies have looked at the effectiveness of covering hospital toilets in actual clinical settings. The goals of this multicenter study were to measure actual numbers of particles generated by flushing uncovered toilets in a variety of clinical settings, and to determine the effectiveness of the Splashblocker (SB). Fourteen hospitals (including 7 NCI-designated cancer centers) located in the eastern, southern, northern, and western U.S. were enrolled in the study. A total of 123 inpatient toilets on oncology, medical-surgical and other floors were tested. Using a TSI optical particle counter, the isokinetic inlet was placed 22 inches above the floor and counted particles from 0.3 to 5.0 um in diameter for 60 seconds. The testing sequence involved obtaining a baseline ambient measurement followed by flushing the toilet using the SB, followed by an uncovered flush (UC). Net SB particles were calculated by subtracting the ambient results. Since testing showed non-significant differences between ambient and flushing with the SB, the UC net was determined by subtracting the SB from the UC. Flushing uncovered toilets in all study sites produced large quantities of particles. A statistically significant decrease in the total number of particles was measured using the SB (p <0.0001), with a reduction of 105% ± 29%. Median net particles were 8,533 compared to 52. Nurses and other healthcare workers do not normally wear respirators when flushing hospital toilets. This can lead to the potential inhalation of bioaerosols and hazardous drugs. These tiny particles can linger in the air for more than 20 minutes before settling on surfaces creating a vulnerability for staff. This study shows that the Splashblocker resulted in a statistically significant reduction of inhalable particles and that covering the toilet should be considered an integral clincal safety component, particularly in the oncology setting.

[...]residents are battling dangerous amounts of pollution from agriculture and sewer systems that causes harmful algal blooms in the surrounding Baltic Sea. According to proponents of urine diversion, it could see uses in sites from temporary military outposts to refugee encampments, rich urban centres and sprawling slums. According to Simha's estimates, humans produce enough urine to replace about one-quarter of current nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers worldwide; it also contains potassium and many micronutrients. First sold in the 1990s and 2000s, most urine-diverting toilets have a small basin at the front to capture the liquid - a set-up that requires careful aim.

Initially dedicated to promoting the conversion to two-pit toilets, SISSO now works to promote human rights, improve waste management, and broaden educational opportunities. In 2012, India's Supreme Court asked SISSO for special assistance with a community of widows living in extreme poverty in Vrindavan, a city in Uttar Pradesh. Pathak was the recipient of many awards, including the 2009 Stockholm Water Prize for his work in sanitation that improved public health and as an advocate of human rights.

Legionella pneumophila, Mycobacterium avium, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa are opportunistic premise plumbing pathogens (OPPPs) that persist and grow in household plumbing, habitats they share with humans. Infections caused by these OPPPs involve individuals with preexisting risk factors and frequently require hospitalization. The objectives of this report are to alert professionals of the impact of OPPPs, the fact that 30% of the population may be exposed to OPPPs, and the need to develop means to reduce OPPP exposure. We herein present a review of the epidemiology and ecology of these three bacterial OPPPs, specifically to identify common and unique features. A Water Research Foundation-sponsored workshop gathered experts from across the United States to review the characteristics of OPPPs, identify problems, and develop a list of research priorities to address critical knowledge gaps with respect to increasing OPPP-associated disease. OPPPs share the common characteristics of disinfectant resistance and growth in biofilms in water distribution systems or premise plumbing. Thus, they share a number of habitats with humans (e.g., showers) that can lead to exposure and infection. The frequency of OPPP-infected individuals is rising and will likely continue to rise as the number of at-risk individuals is increasing. Improved reporting of OPPP disease and increased understanding of the genetic, physiologic, and structural characteristics governing the persistence and growth of OPPPs in drinking water distribution systems and premise plumbing is needed. Because broadly effective community-level engineering interventions for the control of OPPPs have yet to be identified, and because the number of at-risk individuals will continue to rise, it is likely that OPPP-related infections will continue to increase. However, it is possible that individuals can take measures (e.g., raise hot water heater temperatures and filter water) to reduce home exposures.