A study from the University of Nottingham in England and the Finnish National Institute for Health and Social Welfare reveals the significant presence of viruses in plastic bins at the airport.
The study, published Aug. 29 in BMC Infectious Diseases, was conducted in 2015-2016 at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, Sweden. It revealed the presence of viruses in more than half of the plastic trays analyzed: influenza A, rhinovirus… In total, 10% of the bins tested in the airport contained viruses.
More microbes than in the toilets
The greater presence of germs in the plastic tubs is explained by the fact that they are rarely cleaned – unlike toilets, where the amount of virus detected by the researchers proved to be minimal. Previous research has shown that microbes can survive on different surfaces for several days, according to Niina Ikonen, who participated in the study.
The researchers therefore recommend that airports provide passengers with hand antiseptics at entry and exit points, and regularly clean and sanitize plastic tubs.
