What's growing In Our Car ?

[Guest 9339]

Extracted from Topgear magazine:

What's growing in my car?

A study recently showed that there are greater quantities of nasty germs inhabiting the average seat of a tube train than under the rim of a toilet.

So rather than suffer the primitive hygiene of the hoi polloi, how much better it is to have a car. Here, you're safe in the knowledge that those bogeys gathering in the footwells are at least your very own lovable bogeys, unmolested by the detritus of strangers. It's better to sit in your own by-products, right?

We put this belief to a How Clean Is Your House?-style test, eschewing the frilly-Marigold-sporting services of Kim and Aggie for Suzanne Stubbs, Consultant Microbiologist for chemicals manufacturer Comma.

The patient getting the rubber-glove treatment was the Audi A6 from our long-term test fleet, run by Paul Walton.

The results were really quite unpleasant.

Stubbs took swabs from the footwell, boot floor, glovebox, driver's seat base, headrest, steering wheel, an air-conditioning vent and the child seat used by Paul's 16-month-old son, Jack.

These were then wiped on agar plates (getting an O-level biology flashback?) and left to incubate in a lab for four days. If you're tucking into a snack as you read this, it's probably best you put it to one side...

Stubbs identified 271 colonies of bacteria and moulds. Although after a superficial glance the A6 may have seemed relatively clean, it was remarkably mouldy.

"Mould spores are ubiquitous in the environment and can be easily isolated from the air and soil," says Stubbs.

"In the tests these were isolated from most parts of the car, being particularly numerous in areas where soil accumulates."

More colonies of all germs were found in the driver's footwell than anywhere else. Of the organisms singled out by Stubbs, some sound more concerning than others. Like the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, an inhabitant of steering wheels.

Stubbs says, that it's probably to be found there "if you pick your nose or sneeze while driving. Disease-causing strains can result in skin and throat infections, staphylococcal food poisoning and toxic shock syndrome. In hospitals, this organism is a serious threat and often known as Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, or MRSA, a major cause of wound and systemic infections." Gulp.

Also present, Escherichia coli. Stubbs reveals "the presence of this organism in food or water is used as an indicator of faecal contamination; the same principles can be applied to surfaces, where it indicates poor personal hygiene."

In fairness, we should point out that it wasn't all germ-ridden in there. As to the cleanest area of the Audi tested (arguably against expectations), this was the child seat - Walton junior, setting a fine example to the entire family.

There remains that nagging feeling that none of us should even dare to step back into the A6 without donning a bio-hazard suit first. "Incidents from 'contaminated' cars are relatively uncommon,"

Stubbs attempts to reassure us. "It is, however, worth noting that we do not live in isolation. Just because we cannot see them, doesn't mean that they are not there."

The Dirty Dozen found in our car:

STAPHYLOCOCCUS EPIDERMIDIS

Predominantly found on the human skin, does not cause disease.

MICROCOCCUS LUTEUS

Common in the environment and normally found on skin and soil. Does not normally cause disease.

STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS

Found on human skin and up the nose. Some strains can cause food poisoning or even major wound infections.

ESCHERICHIA COLI

Unpleasantly, the presence of this in food and water is used as an indicator of faecal contamination.

BACILLUS MYCOIDES

A very common variety of bacteria found in the environment in soil, water, boots and, therefore, footwells.

PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA

Widely distributed in soil, water and plants. Can cause infections of the skin, external ear canal and eye.

CLOSTRIDIUM TETANI

Inhabitants of soil. They can germinate in wounds and produce a powerful toxin that causes tetanus.

STREPTOMYCES GRISEUS

Found in soil and the environment, the antibiotic streptomycin is obtained from members of the genus.

ASPERGILLUS SPP.

Fungi commonly found in nature. They are isolated from soil, plant debris and the indoor air environment.

CLADOSPORIUM SPP.

Pigmented moulds widely distributed in air and frequently isolated as a contaminant on foods.

PENICILLIUM SPP.

Filamentous Fungi. They are widespread and are found in soil, decaying vegetation and the air.

BACILLUS CEREUS

Commonly found in soil, can cause food poisoning or eye infections and infections of open wounds.

[g8crasher]

Time to steam the car leow..

At the same time can make some dim sum with the steam jet... :yumyum:

[Guest angela]

in singapore... parked in direct sunlight around noon our cars can go up to 100 deg fahrenheit which is about 37 deg celsius... i'm no scientist but i think i'll die inside at that temp, i dunno about the bacteria...

[Guest 9339]

in singapore... parked in direct sunlight around noon our cars can go up to 100 deg fahrenheit which is about 37 deg celsius... i'm no scientist but i think i'll die inside at that temp, i dunno about the bacteria...

Provided you do it very often.....Most ppl got no chance to go under sunlight not to say their car....

[Guest Raskie]

yes .. these cars normally known as "Vampire Cars" .. hehehe

[Guest colrc]

if people do not do it at their back seat and not use tissue to wipe off excess and spills, this is the result!!! rent a room, mate. ha,ha,ha. :)