Chairs, phones most contaminated surfaces in office buildings: study
San Diego – Chairs and phones were the most bacteria-contaminated surfaces in 90 tested offices across the country, according to research from San Diego State University and the University of Arizona.
Researchers took 450 samples from office buildings in New York; San Francisco; and Tucson, AZ. They identified more than 500 bacteria after swabbing chairs, phones, computer mice, keyboards and desktops. They found the primary source of bacterial contamination was from human skin and oral and nasal cavities. Surfaces inhabited by men were consistently more contaminated than those occupied by women.
The study appeared in the May 30 issue of PLoS ONE.
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