Butt, Wait! Really?

There's retinal scanners, fingerprint scanners and other biometric ways of identifying someone.  Here's a new one.  How about an anal print?  

You read that correctly.  Scientists are working on toilets that can identify a person and possible health issues by their butthole or anoderm.  These scans would be used to test urine, feces and other things for medical use.  Of course, there's going to be concerns and privacy issues involved.  

Intrigued?  Read more in this article from futurism.com.  Fascinating stuff.

Tokyo's Floating Toilets

Check out these fascinating toilets in Tokyo which were built for the 2021 Olympics. The design gives the illusion of floating walls around the stalls.  The interior has beautiful wood used to surround the stalls.  Check out the short video tour of these restrooms as well.  

Floating Toilets 

The Toilet That Knows About You

Imagine a toilet that can check your heart rate, detect disease, check your caffeine intake, monitor toilet paper levels, use facial recognition to limit toilet paper use based on your past usage and more? Sound invasive? Science fiction? Not so! These toilets exist and are beginning to pique the interest of toilet manufacturers.

More and more smart toilets will begin to make their way into the market. Would you trust them? Would you use them? Are there pros and cons? The European Cleaning Journal contained an article in the April/May, 2021 issue addressing these kinds of toilets. Check out what the article has to say before you flush the idea out of your head.

World Toilet Day

Today is World Toilet Day.  Millions of people around the globe don't have access to proper restroom facilities.  Often they just "go" in the bushes or along the road.  It's not only unsanitary, but also dangerous, especially for women. Check out why today is such an important day for people around the globe.  

Disposable Urinal Bags

People are understandably worried about using toilets that are not theirs or that they've not cleaned.  This has led to a decline in the use of public restrooms.  It has led to an increase in the use of disposable urinal bags.

This article, found in CMM Daily News online, shared some interesting facts about this trend.  Check out the article below.

Concern about coming in contact with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in public restrooms has led many facilities to implement stringent cleaning protocols. As stay-at-home orders loosen and people begin leaving their homes, a variety of facilities, including roadside rest areas have stepped up their restroom cleaning efforts.

Despite all the extra cleanings, the public is apparently still leery of using public restrooms. This has led to an increased interest in disposable urinal bags, Crain’s Chicago Business reports.

These urinal bags contain chemicals that turn liquid into an odorless solid. After use, people can simply dispose of the bags in a trash can.

Profitero, an e-commerce analytics firm, found the Amazon.com search rank for disposable urinal bags has increased five times between May 2 and June 6. Other products people are searching more frequently for on the internet include a urination device for women to use while standing.

You can instill more confidence in the public’s perception of your facility’s restrooms by following these best practices.

This Company Wants Your Poop - Pictures That Is

Seed, a microbial health company, is requesting pictures of your poop.  They are studying the pictures and inputing them into a database wherein an AI program will analyze and categorize the poop for study on various diseases.  Check out the full article here for details on this interesting study.

A Crappy Situation - People Who Don't Flush...And Other Oddities

Simple. Just read this article.  

By User Cacetudo on en.wikipedia - Own work, CC BY-SA 2.5,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=876927

Vaporizing Poo

In many countries, proper sanitation and sewage treatement does not exist.  People are sickened, contaminated or even injured trying to go to the bathroom using whatever means they have. 

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is working with scientists and others to design an efficient, inexpensive toilet system that can be used worldwide.  This article discusses some interesting ideas and ways of managing waste.

World Toilet Day 2018

World Toilet Day always falls on November 19. That's Monday this year. World Toilet Day is dedicated to providing insight and information regarding countries that have limited or no toilets for citizens to use.  Eliminating disease, providing protection, creating privacy, all of these things are part of the overall goal of this day. Check out and support this day and see why World Toilet Day is such a big deal!

Toilet Seats - Thrones of Disease?

Toilets. We use them daily.  With that said, can we get sick or can we get some disease from sitting on a toilet seat, especially one that is not our own? Three separate microbioligists/immunologists answered that question in response to a query from gizmodo.com. Basically, the answer is maybe, but not likely. Check out gizmodo's article for a more in-depth answer to this concern.

A Crappy Way to Start the Day

In Holmdel, New Jersey, no time was "wasted" in searching for the culprit.  The slate needed to be "wiped" clean of possible suspects.  No "paper trail" led to the perpetrator. Any guesses as to who it might be were "flushed away" when he was seen on camera.  Who was this bizarre person who was leaving human feces on or near the school track every day? A disgruntled parent?  A student prankster?  An upset parent?  You'd never guess unless you read the news release from Q13 news. 

Wash, Dry, Contaminate

Restroom hand dryers are a common-place fixture in many restrooms.  They dry hands quickly and help move traffic in and out of restrooms faster than normal.  Plus, they save trees. 

A new study, however, shows that using hand dryers actually contaminates your hands after washing them.  The aersosolized feces that are in the air from the flushing of toilets, especially those without lids, is sucked into the hand dryers and then spread back onto your skin.  Even hand dryers with HEPA filters did not completely remove all bacteria.  Newsweek magazine reported on this new finding quoting statistics from Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 

Fatbergs

F.O.G. (Fat, Oil, Grease) These lipids are clogging sewers around the world and wreaking havoc on city sewer systems.  This National Geographic video gives a glimpse of what is happening.  More info can be found on nationalgeographic.com.