Which public places have the most germs?

Question

I think this would be a good science fair project.

But i was wondering how i would test the amount of germs in certain places. How can i do that?

Answer 1

Do you have access to a lab?

get or make sterile agar plates

use a sterile swab to wipe each of  various surfaces

immediately open agar plate/Petrie dish and wipe swab across the surface using the same method for each sample in a fresh dish with a fresh swab. (Method would be like zigzag back and forth, then zigzag upand down.)

Put it in the incubator upside down and after 48 hours or sooner depending on rate of growth, count how many colonies are growing on each plate. You don't want them to grow into eachother making it impossible to count each colony. They must all incubate same amount of time.

Make a chart or graph of the results. Where are the most colonies?

There are many ways to count bacteria, but this seems easiest to me for a science project. If you have more materials and knowledge, you can grow in broth and measure turbidity You could put the swab in broth and pipette out an amount and mix, they take same amount etc and culture a drop of each dilution to get a more accurate count of the bacteria.

What resources do you have, including your ability level? that would help the answerers help you!

Answer 2

go to a hospital and tell them about your project and ask them. they will know. they may say they dont know, because they are not willing to help or find out, but they do. they have testers there, i garuntee it. ive used one. just ask them there.

Answer 3

I saw a doco on this and the public bathroom taps have lots of germs.You can avoid some germs by..not touching your nose or mouth with your hands/ eat  anything without washing your hands/wash you hands with soap and hot water as soon as you arrive home/dont touch taps/door handles(use paper towel ) in public toilets after youve washed your hands with licquid soap.

Answer 4

airplanes

Answer 5

ATMs and other keypads, grocery store carts and baskets, gas station pumps, and dollar bill notes.  All of these have a higher amount of bad bacteria than public restrooms, believe it or not.

Answer 6

City side walks and money.

Answer 7

Restrooms, Malls, Restaurants, Church, Homes, and other places. By making a bar graph and go to the bathroom and to survey how many people wash their hands or not.

Answer 8

telephone booths, currency notes, public toilets.......