title: Assessment of the bacterial contamination of hand air dryer in washrooms.
abstract: The present study was carried out, using standard techniques, to identify and count the bacterial contamination of hand air dryers, used in washrooms. Bacteria were isolated from the air flow, outlet nozzle of warm air dryers in fifteen air dryers used in these washrooms. Bacteria were found to be relatively numerous in the air flows. Bacterially contaminated air was found to be emitted whenever a warm air dryer was running, even when not being used for hand drying. Our investigation shows that Staphylococcus haemolyticus, Micrococcus luteus, Pseudomonas alcaligenes, Bacillus cereus and Brevundimonad diminuta/vesicularis were emitted from all of the dryers sampled, with 95% showing evidence of the presence of the potential pathogen S. haemolyticus. It is concluded that hot air dryers can deposit pathogenic bacteria onto the hands and body of users. Bacteria are distributed into the general environment whenever dryers are running and could be inhaled by users and none-users alike. The results provide an evidence base for the development and enhancement of hygienic hand drying practices.
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Sulaiman Ali
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Alharbi
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Saleh Hussein
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Salmen
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Arunachalam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chinnathambi
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Naiyf S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Alharbi
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Zayed
authors.affiliation: Biological Sciences Department, Faculty of Science - King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Bassam O
authors.initials: BO
authors.lastname: Al-Johny
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia; Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, S102TN, UK.
authors.forename: Milton
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wainwright
keywords: Bacterial pathogens; Contamination; Hand air dryers; Washrooms