Fecal Coliform question

May 29, 2009 8:39 AM

Fecal coliform contamination. Not in bathrooms, or kitchens, or doorhandles, or workplaces, but on you. Related to a previous Mefi post which I've been unable to find.

Recently there was a MeFi or AskMe post dealing with this, but I've been unable to find the comment (or cites!) dealing with it.

The gist of the comment was that despite anyone's best intentions, throughout the day they would become contaminated with fecal coliform bacteria (might have just been trace amounts, might not have.) This wasn't dealing with pickups from doorhandles or keyboards, but just, well, natural is the word I guess, contamination from going about one's day. The punchline was that no matter what you do, by then end of the day you skin is basically contaminated from waistline to mid-thigh. Can anyone help me find the comment/cite?

posted by Barmecide to health & fitness (11 comments total)

I should add. I'm not asking this as a health concern, but more to prove a point. The idea seems reasonable on it's face, if only trace amounts are considered, but I happened to gross out a number of friends last night by stating this as fact with nothing to back it up but a vague memory of a mefi post and what seemed common sense.

Yes, drinking was involved.
posted by Barmecide at 8:45 AM on May 29, 2009 [1 favorite]

I remember this. It was in the last couple of days right? there was some discussion of guys that do or do not wash hands after using the urinal.

was it this one?
posted by ArgentCorvid at 8:49 AM on May 29, 2009

MSTPT quoted Cecil Adams here.

However, I just heard a radio report saying that the forearm is the most contaminated part of your body, but I think they misread this report.
posted by maudlin at 8:50 AM on May 29, 2009

Are you thinking of this recent comment from DU and ensuing comments?
posted by Nelson at 8:50 AM on May 29, 2009

Oh, and this should probably have been posted in MetaTalk.
posted by ArgentCorvid at 8:52 AM on May 29, 2009

Or there was this thread about whether one should close the toilet lid or not. We like to talk about toilets.

why would one be contaminated from waist to knees? i mean, if it's everywhere then it's just not going to get you when you drop your drawers, right?
posted by amanda at 8:53 AM on May 29, 2009

Oop, should'a previewed.
posted by amanda at 8:55 AM on May 29, 2009

Ah! Yes, that's the thread I couldn't find.



(But as for the self contamination, it's starting to sound like I conflated bits of that thread with my own 'common sense.')

Amanda: Well, I think you have it exactly backwards from what I was intending to say.

Assume no possible outside contamination, assume no self contamination to arms or fingers, etc. while using the bathroom. Afterwards, while going about the day, you are going to spread the residual bacteria around your anus. Where is it mostly likely to be spread to? It's all in a fairly confined area. And given clothing movement, walking, standing, sitting, etc, where is the highest concentrations likely to be? Within/around your crotch, no?
posted by Barmecide at 9:17 AM on May 29, 2009

Mythbusters did an episode on this, where they did a controlled experiment on toothbrushes in bathrooms. Same conclusion: there is poop-stuff in the air, and you can't get away from it!
posted by drinkcoffee at 11:20 AM on May 29, 2009

Contamination is probably not the right word. I mean where do your friends thing the E. coli in their gut comes from anyway? Spontaneous generation? You pick it up from the environment when you're a kid by, well, putting every damn thing you interact with in your mouth.

And it’s a good thing too, because you’d miss it if it was gone. For the rest of your short, miserable life.
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 11:22 AM on May 29, 2009 [2 favorites]

Just a helpful note: you could have saved yourself your weekly Ask Mefi question by asking this on MeTa.
posted by WCityMike at 3:46 PM on May 29, 2009