Are Gas Pumps The Dirtiest Thing That You Touch?
Are gas pumps one of the dirtiest (contaminated with known pathogens)
things that you can touch? Apparently so, based on the findings of a
new study performed by Kimberly-Clark professionals while investigating
“germ hot spots” as a component of the company’s Healthy Workplace
Project.
While you probably won’t have too much trouble convincing most people
that gas stations are filthy, the findings are still interesting, if
unsurprising. Regardless of germs, though, one should probably be
washing their hands after pumping gas anyways, owing to the chemical
contamination that results.
It’s pretty easy to visualize how the great quantity of pathogenic
microbes on the pump handles found their way there — just think of every
person who used the handle to pump gas over the last few weeks, and now
think of the restroom breaks that tend to accompany gas stops, and I
think that we have a pretty good starting point.
The new research was led by University of Arizona microbiologist Dr
Charles Gerba. Considering that he is apparently known as “Dr Germ,”
Gerba was probably a good choice for just such study.
The findings of the new work are pretty clear — 71% of all the
gas-pump handles that were sampled were “highly contaminated” with sorts
of microbes most highly associated with illness and disease.
I guess that makes for another advantage for electric
vehicles. Whenever the next pandemic gets around to hitting, you can
avoid picking up germs at congregating sites such as gas stations —
instead, simply get your “fuel” at home (especially if you have an off-grid solar energy system). The story of electric vehicles and their significant consumer benefits just keeps getting better and better, doesn’t it?
The other primary sites of contamination are interesting, if
unsurprising, as well: the handles of street corner mailboxes (68%); ATM
buttons (41%); and escalator railings (43%) lead that list. Yet other
sites of notable contamination are fairly obvious as well: parking
meters, kiosks of various kinds, crosswalk buttons, and vending
machines.
Too bad that they don’t just use brass, copper, or bronze for all
those surfaces right? Taking a page (if a rather expensive one) from the
protocol of various militaries throughout history might do some good
there.
But back to the EVs: Will this encourage more people to switch to
home electricity for their transportation needs? I’m not so sure, but
it’s certainly one more thing that EV owners and lessees can feel good
about.
Courtesy: cleantechnica
