According to researcher Harriet Whiley from Flinders University, healthy people do not need to be particularly concerned about their own toilet at home, she told The Guardian.
It may be different for people with weakened immune systems. Some bacteria in water can make vulnerable people seriously ill, even though they do not normally pose a problem for healthy people.
The researchers are therefore working on ways to make toilets safer, including those in hospitals and care homes.
One goal is to use less water while also creating less turbulence in the water when the toilet is flushed.
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More than the toilet
In public toilets, the toilet itself is not the only potential source of microorganisms.
According to researcher Lotti Tajouri, they can be found on floors, doors and other surfaces. Mobile phones can also become contaminated if they are used during a visit to the toilet.
The Guardian reports that Tajouri therefore recommends keeping contact with surfaces to a minimum.
What happens when you flush
Researchers from Flinders University have reviewed 22 studies on small particles released into the air when a toilet is flushed.
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The findings, published in the journal Science of the Total Environment, show that flushing can send microscopic particles from the water and toilet bowl into the air.
The particles can contain biological material capable of transmitting pathogens including Legionella, influenza and norovirus.
They can reach the height at which adults breathe and remain in the air for at least 20 seconds.
Closing the toilet lid does not necessarily solve the problem either. The researchers found no clear evidence that the lid completely prevents the particles from escaping.
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This article is made and published by Ida-Marie Palm Varbæk, who may have used AI in the preparation.