In April 2018, a study titled "Deposition of Bacteria and Bacterial Spores by Bathroom Hot-Air Hand Dryers," was conducted in healthcare facilities to determine if electric hand dryers, now installed in many airports around the world, were releasing bacteria, germs and other pathogens into the air that could potentially spread disease. This research was the latest in a series of similar studies on this subject going back several years. This study made it clear, however, that they were not looking to see if these airborne contaminants caused a specific disease. They wanted to confirm, that if this was happening, what potential problems could occur.
They discovered that, yes, it was happening. The researchers found evidence that restroom electric hand dryers do disperse bacteria from hands, and it can be inhaled, as well as land on touchable surfaces such as walls, partitions, countertops, faucets and dispenser and restroom fixture handles.
Further, the researchers suggested that when electric hand dryers release pathogens "within a large building, [these] potentially pathogenic bacteria, including bacterial spores, may travel between rooms… spreading of infectious bacteria, including spores of potential pathogens if present."
It would follow that this study, and the others similar, would make the leap and recommend that one way to prevent the problem would be to remove electric dryers and replace them with paper hand towels. While this situation would likely be minimized, if not eliminated, if hand towels were installed, the hand dryers are not solely to blame.
The other culprit is people. The simple fact is that many people often “wash” their hands in a "hit or miss" fashion. This issue might be even more evident in an airport where people are rushing to catch their plane. They generally do not take the time to rinse their hands thoroughly with warm water, place soap on their hands, gently scrub their hands for about twenty seconds and then rinse. As a result, pathogens remain on hands and once placed under a hand dryer, the electric hand dryer acts merely as a conduit, blowing the pathogens into the air.
Instead of blaming something (electric hand dryers) or somebody (airport users), the best approach is to realize the serious health implications and figure out what to do about it. For example, the researchers in this last study did find that many different strains of bacteria were released into the air, some potentially dangerous to human health. They also noted that this was true whether or not the electric hand dryer included a HEPA filter, which some of the newer systems now have. An installed HEPA filter does seem to reduce the number of pathogens released into the air during the hand drying process but does not eliminate the problem.
So, because we cannot only blame electric hand dryers for this situation, and because many airports around the world like electric hand dryers for several reasons, including paper reduction and related costs, it leaves airport administrators with two steps to take to keep their restrooms as healthy as possible. These are:
1. Test surfaces to pinpoint areas that are most likely to become contaminated due to electric hand dryer usage
2. Employ cleaning technologies and methodologies that most effectively remove the pathogens, and do so quickly, because airports can be such busy locations.
Testing Surfaces
When ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) rapid monitoring systems were first introduced to the professional cleaning industry more than a decade ago, they were considered a major step forward in bringing science into the industry. To determine if a surface was hygienically clean before ATP came on the scene, an environmental swab of the specific area in question would need to be sent to a laboratory. The swabs would then be dabbed into a Petri's dish, and after a few days, it could be determined if there were bacterial or other forms of pathogens on that surface.
With the introduction of ATP rapid monitoring systems, the results can now be determined in 15 seconds or less, a significant advancement and one reason these systems are now widely used throughout the professional cleaning industry. However, as important as they are to the cleaning industry, they do have their limitations. For instance, as typically used by the cleaning worker, they are only able to test an immediate area, such as a specific part of a door handle or knob. What about the entire handle and surrounding area, which may also be touched when opening and closing a door? Studies have found that cleaning professionals often miss the surrounding area, which can be even more contaminated with pathogens.
To address ATP limitations, new imaging technologies have been introduced, according to Brad Evans, chief executive of Optisolve. "The technology takes pictures of a wider surface, pinpointing where potentially harmful pathogens are located and in what concentrations. These [pathogens] cannot be seen by the naked eye," he said.
This technology allows airport administrators and cleaning professionals to know "more precisely what [surface] areas of an airport restroom are being impacted with airborne pathogens from electric hand dryers so that they can be hygienically cleaned."
Cleaning Methodologies
As referenced earlier, once the pathogens become airborne, they can land on a variety of nearby surfaces and most particularly, floors and walls. To remove these pathogens, airport-cleaning professionals should consider employing one of the following two cleaning methods:
- If using traditional solutions to clean walls and floors, they should be cleaned twice: once using an all-purpose cleaner and then a second time, addressing the same areas with a disinfectant to kill pathogens. While this can be a slower process, both steps are necessary. The cleaning process removes soils; the disinfectant kills contaminants.
- Another option, which will likely prove faster and eliminate the two-step process, is to use what the worldwide cleaning association, ISSA, calls “spray-and-vac” or “no-touch” cleaning systems. According to Marc Fergusson with Kaivac, manufacturers of this type of cleaning equipment, essentially what these machines do is dispense a cleaning solution or a cleaning solution/disinfectant combination onto all surfaces. “The machine is then used to pressure rinse the same areas, loosening and removing pathogens. This is followed by using the machine again to vacuum-up moisture, the cleaning solution, and pathogens.”
The Whys
When it comes to protecting human health, airport administrators are in a far more challenging situation than facility managers who oversee many other facilities including schools and office buildings. Thousands of people from all over the world are using their facilities every hour, every day of the year. While these people may be perfectly healthy, they may also be carrying with them germs, viruses and bacteria that can impact the health of others from various areas of the world.
This problem can have far-reaching effects. It is also why airport administrators must be aware of how pathogens can spread in their facilities. Electric hand dryers can contribute to the problem, but we have learned that people, themselves, play a far bigger role. Administrators need to take this knowledge and incorporate appropriate steps in locating these pathogens and removing them from surfaces effectively. No matter what part of the world people are coming from or going to, taking these steps will help protect the health of all travelers.
Robert Kravitz is a frequent writer for the professional cleaning industry.
