Gaby
A team of water-quality experts at WaterFilterGuru in the U.S. investigated the cleanliness of reusable eco-friendly water bottles — and found an unpleasant surprise. It turns out that inside these trendy containers, large quantities of two types of bacteria have taken up residence: gram-negative rods and bacilli.
Gram-negative bacteria, including E. coli and Klebsiella, can cause a range of serious infectious diseases such as pneumonia. Certain types of bacilli can cause gastrointestinal problems, including nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
What Else Did the Researchers Discover?
The specialists measured the colony-forming units (CFUs) inside four popular types of water bottles.
CFUs indicate the number of viable microorganisms in a given volume and are commonly used to assess bacterial concentration in a tested sample.
The eco-bottles examined by the researchers contained an average of 20.8 million CFUs of bacteria. The highest concentrations were on the spout and cap, according to the Daily Mail. By comparison, a toilet seat harbors about 515 CFUs. That means the bottles beloved by fitness enthusiasts contain roughly 40,000 times more bacteria than a toilet seat.
Researchers also found that reusable bottles can host five times more bacteria than a computer mouse, which has about 5 million CFUs. For comparison, a pet food bowl averages 1.48 million CFUs.
The team says reusable bottles remain a sensible eco choice, but never leave them unwashed. Clean them daily with hot, soapy water. Even for peace of mind — the thought of regularly swallowing an army of bacteria is hardly appealing.
Other recent studies have shown similar results. Experts from the American laboratory EmLab P&K found over 300,000 CFUs per square centimeter in each of the 12 tested eco-water bottles.
