Almost all Americans can be found either actively using a phone or carrying one around, no matter the location. Phones accompany owners to the restaurant table, to the clothes store, and even to the bathroom. That’s one of the reasons why a new study, conducted by SellCell, found the presence of dangerous bacteria, such as E coli and P. Aeruginosa, to be thriving on cell phone screens.
Conducted in February of 2023, the lab research was reported by SellCell to have operated by collecting “…swab samples from the phone screens of ten individuals between the ages of 22 and 62. Four of the participants were male, with the remaining six participants being female. Two samples were collected from each phone screen using sterile swabs as part of a bacteria collecting kit issued by SYSCO Environmental. These swabs were stored in a developing fluid before being processed in a laboratory. Results were measured in CFU (Colony Forming Units).”
The study produced frightening, eye-opening results. [See also bacteria and shopping carts].
SellCell found that 50% of the tested phone screens contained P. aeruginosa (a type of germ that can cause infections in humans, often found in hospital settings, that can manifest as pneumonia, or blood infections). Additionally, 100% of the phone screens were found to contain the bacteria E. coli, fecal streptococci, S. aureus, and Bacillus cereus. Each of these can cause serious illness…..
According to one National Food Poisoning Lawyer, Ron Simon, the bacterium E. coli is “…usually found in the environment and intestines of healthy people and warm-blooded animals. And while the majority of E. coli strains are harmless, a few of them, such as E. coli O157:H7, are pathogenic, meaning they can cause serious, even life threatening, illness.”
Sellcell also shared information about the foodborne pathogen Bacillus cereus, stating that it “…has the potential to produce toxins. These can cause two types of gastrointestinal illness: emetic (vomiting) and diarrhoeal syndrome (diarrhea). Symptoms usually occur quite rapidly after ingesting contaminated foods.” The complete list of bacteria discovered and a brief description can be found on Sellcell’s online report of their phone bacteria study.
While the above study is indeed alarming, it was limited in size and may not be completely representative of all cell phones or cell phone users. That said, there are a few basic precautions individuals can take to decrease the likelihood of carrying bacteria around on their phone screen. Phones should never be used in the bathroom, and should be disinfected properly after being used by a person in and around public spaces. By being intentional with where phones are used, and taking great care to clean their device following public exposure, Americans can potentially avoid being contaminated by dangerous bacteria, found on their phone screens- as well as avoid a trip to the emergency room.
