The Dirtiest Places In The Office

From the 24 May 2012 Medical News Today article

If you think the restroom is the place you are most likely to pick up germs at the office, perhaps you should think again, because new findings from the US suggest the dirtiest places in the office are in break rooms and kitchens, with sink and microwave door handles topping the list of germ “hot spots”…

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An ATP **count of 300 or more means the surface has a high level of contamination and there is a high risk of illness transmission. When they analyzed the samples, the researchers found ATP counts of 300 and higher on:

• 75% of break room sink faucet (tap) handles,
• 48% of microwave door handles,
• 27% of keyboards,
• 26% of refrigerator door handles,
• 23% of water fountain buttons, and
• 21% of vending machine buttons.

**ATP  (adenosine triphosphate) is the universal energy molecule found in all animal, plant, bacteria, yeast and mold cells. Large amounts are present in food and organic residues, which when left on a surface can harbor and grow bacteria.

Related articles

• The 6 Dirtiest Work Places (webmd.com)
• Door Handles are the dirtiest place in a workplace (prweb.com)
• Germy Office Surfaces: Study Reveals Most Contaminated Items At Work (huffingtonpost.com)
• Where Do The Germs Lurk At Work? Not Where You Think… (wdok.radio.com)
• Germs Lurk in Office Kitchens, Break Rooms (news.health.com)
• Where do germs flourish in your office? – CBS News (cbsnews.com)
• Germs Lurk in Office Kitchens, Break Rooms (health.usnews.com)

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