Yuk! Everyday Object 11,000 Times More Bacteria Laden Than A Toilet Seat?

So Kimberly-Clark commissioned a study last year by the University of Arizona to identify germ infested hotspots in the workplace. That study concluded that 71% of gas pump handles were highly contaminated with microscopic buggers that cause diseases!

Kimberly-Clark commissioned a followup study which has quantified exactly how germ laden these things can be. The sample size is small and I imagine things like ambient sunlight, temperature, humidity, etc have a very large impact but if this is indicative of the state of even a fraction the country's gas pumps at their worst, it's certainly something to consider.

Fortunately, we New Jerseyans are not to be trusted with gas pumps. We leave that to minimum wage experts in hazmat handling. Didn't know that about NJ? Yep, it's true, we're not even allowed to pump our gas — by law. Honestly with these findings, I'm cool with not pumping my own gas (who am I kidding, I love not having to get out in the snow/rain/beating sun — we also have the country's best weather — to pump gas).

What is 11,000 times dirtier than a toilet seat?

Read the full survey

Based on laboratory results from swabs from the sample gas pumps, handles on gas pumps had an average of 2,011,970 colony-forming units (CFUs), or viable bacteria cells, per square inch. Worse, the buttons on the pumps (where you select the grade of gas you want), had 2,617,067 CFUs per square inch. To put that in perspective, money, which is considered quite dirty since it changes hands often, has only 5.2 CFUs per square inch. A toilet seat has 172 CFUs per square inch. That makes a gas pump handle about 11,000 times more contaminated than a toilet seat, and a gas pump button 15,000 times more contaminated.

Does the type of gas you select safeguard you in any way? It would seem so, to some small degree. The sampling showed that the buttons for regular gas contained 3,255,100 CFUs per square inch, about a third of which were the gram-positive cocci (bad germs), and another third of which were bacilli, another type of bad-guy bacteria linked to food poisoning and infections in newborn babies. The other third were mostly the safer gram-positive rods, with a smattering, about 5 percent, of gram-negative rods. These latter germs are especially worrisome as they are linked to antibiotic resistance as well as meningitis and pneumonia. The premium gas button had about 2,022,034 CFUs per square inch, divided about half gram-positive rods and half yeast (and we all know about yeast infections).

I knew it. The premium button has less germs. The whole thing is rigged folks.

Cell phones, ipads, remote controls, and door handles are all probably much nastier than a toilet seat. Granted, I've seen some pretty nasty toilets in my day, but most toilets get cleaned a couple of times per day. The former not so much...

Then you'd better move to Oregon where it's illegal to pump your own gas. Good Lord, do you seriously want to worry about this?

Exposure to bacteria strengthens the immune system, so the more the merrier!

Just spray a little gas on your hands after getting done, also spray the buttons. It should kill the bacteria and also you if you light up a cigarette while driving down the road.

And here I thought you were going to say it was Donald Trump ...

Just kidding. What did they expect? Everyone from anywhere touches those things and no one ever cleans them and they're outside exposed to everything.

about a third of which were the gram-positive cocci (bad germs), and another third of which were bacilli, another type of bad-guy bacteria

Oy vey. The ignorance is strong.

A coccus (plural cocci) is any bacterium that has a spherical, ovoid, or generally round shape.[1] It is one of the three distinct bacterial shapes, the other two being bacillus (rod-shaped) and spiral-shaped cells.

en.wikipedia.org...

a reply to: theantediluvian

we New Jerseyans are not to be trusted with gas pumps. We leave that to minimum wage experts in hazmat handling. Didn't know that about NJ? Yep, it's true, we're not even allowed to pump our gas — by law.

Aside from the germyness of the pumps, ⬆️ that's weird.

a reply to: Phage

I took it as a reference to staphylococci and streptococci. Don't throw cold water on my gas station doom porn!

a reply to: theantediluvian

Which bacilli did you assume were found?

But you convinced me to buy a Model S. Now I have to take out a second mortgage.

originally posted by: snowspirit
a reply to: theantediluvian

we New Jerseyans are not to be trusted with gas pumps. We leave that to minimum wage experts in hazmat handling. Didn't know that about NJ? Yep, it's true, we're not even allowed to pump our gas — by law.

Aside from the germyness of the pumps, ⬆️ that's weird.

Indeed what kind of nannystate do some people live in. So lets get this straight, there are states where smoking weed is legal yet we still have states that have banned self serve pumps. wow.

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: theantediluvian

Which bacilli did you assume were found?

But you convinced me to buy a Series S.

Ones that cause horrible horrible diseases of course.

originally posted by: jellyrev

originally posted by: snowspirit
a reply to: theantediluvian

we New Jerseyans are not to be trusted with gas pumps. We leave that to minimum wage experts in hazmat handling. Didn't know that about NJ? Yep, it's true, we're not even allowed to pump our gas — by law.

Aside from the germyness of the pumps, ⬆️ that's weird.

Indeed what kind of nannystate do some people live in. So lets get this straight, there are states where smoking weed is legal yet we still have states that have banned self serve pumps. wow.

And what's funny is that when you encounter an Oregonian in Washington, they'll sit in their car waiting for someone to appear. No one does so they get all befuddled because they don't know how to pump their own gas. I've seen this happen. Of course, not all Oregonians are this dorky, but when you see this happen it's hilarious.

Of course, now we know they are protecting themselves from serious illness.

So if gas pump handles are so infectious, then think about all the door knobs, handles, the rail on the escalator in and out of the subway.... there is no end to the number of infection points. Should we all have pockets full of disposable rubber gloves?
It gets so bad that you can actually rationalize what Howard Hughes was going through... perhaps he was not so crazy.

a reply to: BlueShaman

Exposure to bacteria strengthens the immune system, so the more the merrier!

You know there's supposedly a recent fad in japanese erotica that involves fully clothed women licking door knobs?


a reply to: schuyler

Then you'd better move to Oregon where it's illegal to pump your own gas. Good Lord, do you seriously want to worry about this?

1. It's good to know that NJ isn't alone.
2. Yes of course I do! I'll never pump gas in NJ again!


a reply to: jellyrev

Indeed what kind of nannystate do some people live in. So lets get this straight, there are states where smoking weed is legal yet we still have states that have banned self serve pumps. wow.

Both are illegal here. Can you imagine what might happen otherwise? The whole state could be ablaze.


a reply to: ketsuko

And here I thought you were going to say it was Donald Trump ... Just kidding. What did they expect? Everyone from anywhere touches those things and no one ever cleans them and they're outside exposed to everything.

There might be a connection between bacteria on the lower grade buttons and support for Trump. Likely cocci concocted by his cohorts. (sorry, I needed a reason to use cocci, concocted and cohorts in the same sentence)

a reply to: rickymouse

Just spray a little gas on your hands after getting done, also spray the buttons. It should kill the bacteria and also you if you light up a cigarette while driving down the road.

You had me until the cigarette part. Back to the drawing board!


a reply to: schuyler

I live within probably half an hour of DE, PA and MD and when I first moved to NJ, it happened to me a few times in the first year or two.

a reply to: theantediluvian

You know there's supposedly a recent fad in japanese erotica that involves fully clothed women licking door knobs?

You are aware of this...how?

originally posted by: jellyrev

originally posted by: snowspirit
a reply to: theantediluvian

we New Jerseyans are not to be trusted with gas pumps. We leave that to minimum wage experts in hazmat handling. Didn't know that about NJ? Yep, it's true, we're not even allowed to pump our gas — by law.

Aside from the germyness of the pumps, ⬆️ that's weird.

Indeed what kind of nannystate do some people live in. So lets get this straight, there are states where smoking weed is legal yet we still have states that have banned self serve pumps. wow.

Now you've done it....another cause for SJW's to pick up....

originally posted by: theantediluvian
So Kimberly-Clark commissioned a study last year by the University of Arizona to identify germ infested hotspots in the workplace. That study concluded that 71% of gas pump handles were highly contaminated with microscopic buggers that cause diseases!

Kimberly-Clark commissioned a followup study which has quantified exactly how germ laden these things can be. The sample size is small and I imagine things like ambient sunlight, temperature, humidity, etc have a very large impact but if this is indicative of the state of even a fraction the country's gas pumps at their worst, it's certainly something to consider.

Fortunately, we New Jerseyans are not to be trusted with gas pumps. We leave that to minimum wage experts in hazmat handling. Didn't know that about NJ? Yep, it's true, we're not even allowed to pump our gas — by law. Honestly with these findings, I'm cool with not pumping my own gas (who am I kidding, I love not having to get out in the snow/rain/beating sun — we also have the country's best weather — to pump gas).

What is 11,000 times dirtier than a toilet seat?

Based on laboratory results from swabs from the sample gas pumps, handles on gas pumps had an average of 2,011,970 colony-forming units (CFUs), or viable bacteria cells, per square inch. Worse, the buttons on the pumps (where you select the grade of gas you want), had 2,617,067 CFUs per square inch. To put that in perspective, money, which is considered quite dirty since it changes hands often, has only 5.2 CFUs per square inch. A toilet seat has 172 CFUs per square inch. That makes a gas pump handle about 11,000 times more contaminated than a toilet seat, and a gas pump button 15,000 times more contaminated.

Does the type of gas you select safeguard you in any way? It would seem so, to some small degree. The sampling showed that the buttons for regular gas contained 3,255,100 CFUs per square inch, about a third of which were the gram-positive cocci (bad germs), and another third of which were bacilli, another type of bad-guy bacteria linked to food poisoning and infections in newborn babies. The other third were mostly the safer gram-positive rods, with a smattering, about 5 percent, of gram-negative rods. These latter germs are especially worrisome as they are linked to antibiotic resistance as well as meningitis and pneumonia. The premium gas button had about 2,022,034 CFUs per square inch, divided about half gram-positive rods and half yeast (and we all know about yeast infections).

I knew it. The premium button has less germs. The whole thing is rigged folks.

I knew it....the whole pipeline break was a ploy by the illuminati and TPTB to get flocks of Trump voters in the Southeast to go to the gas stations in fear...only to be infected by disease....

a reply to: Vasa Croe

I knew it....the whole pipeline break was a ploy by the illuminati and TPTB to get flocks of Trump voters in the Southeast to go to the gas stations in fear...only to be infected by disease....

I'm not saying it was chemtrails. That's just what I heard.