7th Grade Student Finds Toilet Water Cleaner Than ICE

[CrimsonTide4]

Miss Jasmine Roberts



This is quite alarming to me. And folks wonder why I always stress no ice.


THESE ARE ONLY ARTICLE EXCERPTS
1st Article: http://www.tampabays10.com/news/news.aspx?storyid=25442

Jasmine Roberts, 7th-grade student:
"My hypothesis was that the fast food restaurants’ ice would contain more bacteria that the fast food restaurants’ toilet water."

So Roberts set out to test her hypothesis, selecting five fast food restaurants, within a ten-mile radius of the University of South Florida.

Roberts says at each restaurant she flushed the toilet once, the used sterile gloves to gather samples.



Follow Up Article: http://www.tampabays10.com/news/news.aspx?storyid=25602

Jasmine Roberts, 7th-Grade Student: "When I get ice, sometimes I order ice just to chew on it, and now I know I'm not going to do that anymore just because of the amount of bacteria I found."

Dr. Daniel Lim is a microbiology professor at USF and a mentor to Jasmine Roberts. Dr. Lim says as a scientist, he wasn't surprised the toilet water had less bacteria than the ice.

Dr. Daniel Lim, USF Microbiology Professor:
"And simply the act of flushing may cleanse the toilet of any residual bacteria, most residual bacteria."

But Dr. Lim says ice inside an ice machine could be there awhile.

Dr. Daniel Lim:
"If you don't clean the receptacle, the materials routinely, there may be a possibility of bio-film or residual material remaining in that receptacle."

Jim Griffith, the President of Suncoast Ice Machines, sells leases and services ice machines. He also wonders about the cleanliness of the ice dispensers the student sampled.

Jim Griffith, Suncoast Ice Machines: "How old was that ice and where had it been all the time. Was it manual-fill or was it dispensed out."


UPDATE:
New Tampa 7th grader Jasmine Roberts received first place in a regional science fair for her project. 12-year-old Jasmine compared ice, to toilet water at fast food restaurants, and in most cases, the toilet water was cleaner. Jasmine won $800 for her project.