Latest study of mains water in England, United States and Denmark found bacteria in shower heads that are triggering lung infections.
The University of Colorado Boulder study found naturally occurring bacteria, which survive the heat and the chlorine added to disinfected water, living inside shower heads. The germs are then released into the air when hot water is run through the shower.
Researchers said that most of the bacteria are likely to be harmless, but not always.
This is early research, and doesn’t require any drastic measures. But taking precautionary measures like cleaning out your shower heads (with vinegar etc) regularly is not a bad idea.
The lead study author also recommended using metal shower-heads over plastic ones, as the plastic ones are more prone to have a build up of pathogen-enriched bio films.
To summarise, here’s what you can do to minimise your health risks from showering:
- Use metal shower-heads
- Disinfect and clean your shower-heads regularly
Turns out cleaning out your shower-head is important for more than just getting rid of limescale build-up!
Bacteria inside shower-heads. Go figure.
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