The Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine conducted a study to see what types of bacteria was found on those self checkout machines that we all know and love. Well, spoiler alert – they are disgusting.
According to this study, you may get a certain amount of poop matter on your person when using these self checkouts.
“We live in a bacterial world — bacteria and microbes are everywhere, and we come into contact with them all day, every day,” said Dr. Adam Roberts, according to the Liverpool Express. Roberts was responsible for studying the samples from the experiment. 19 different items that people are touching on a daily basis were analyzed. Door handles, keyboards, handrails and self service checkouts were all high on the list.
While there was harmful bacteria found on all sorts of items, one of the most concerning results was found on the self checkout machines. Scientists found that there were 5 different types of bacteria on the machines. Some of these bacteria found can be quite harmful to humans. Enterococcus, which is a type of bacteria typically found in fecal matter, was one of the most dangerous types that scientists found.
Fecal matter bacteria was found in rather high quantities on self checkout machines. Ugh, Gross. So the next time you are in your local Walmart or grocery store and you head for the self checkout – just remember – someone could have just used the restroom, done a little wipey-wipe, didn’t wash their hands and then heading to that exact same self checkout machine that you are headed for!
Be careful out there, it’s a gross, bacteria filled world!