The
average work desk is 400 times more contaminated with bacteria than a toilet
seat, according to researchers at the University of Arizona.
More
and more employees eating at their desks combined with a lack of cleaning,
means a desk surface has 20,961 bugs per square inch – while toilet seats have
a mere average of 49.
The
least hygienic part of your work area is the telephone, where 25,127 microbes
reside per square inch. Researchers said this is due to handsets being shared
between colleagues.
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Microbiologist
Dr Charles Gerba, who conducted the study, said that staff should think twice
about eating at their desks.