How your eco-friendly water bottle can contain 40,000 times more bacteria than a toilet seat…

They are a sustainable solution to the plastic pollution crisis on Earth.

That is, if you can stomach the grim army of bacteria lurking inside your refillable water bottle.

Adored by gym goers and Love Island stars, studies have shown that bottles can contain 40,000 times more bacteria than the average toilet seat.

For this reason, some experts refer to them as “portable petri dishes”.

Researchers at the American website waterfilterguru.com have done one of the darkest studies on the insects that live in our water bottles.  The study looked at how colony forming units (CFUs) are found inside four popular types of water bottles.  This is the unit of measurement commonly used to estimate the concentration of bacteria in a test sample.  On average, they contained 20.8 million CFU of Gram-negative bacteria.

Researchers at the American website waterfilterguru.com have done one of the darkest studies on the insects that live in our water bottles. The study looked at how colony forming units (CFUs) are found inside four popular types of water bottles. This is the unit of measurement commonly used to estimate the concentration of bacteria in a test sample. On average, they contained 20.8 million CFU of Gram-negative bacteria.

The researchers also found two types of bacteria present in reusable water bottles: Gram-negative rods and bacilli.  Gram-negative bacteria, including E. coli and Klebsiella, can cause a number of serious infections such as pneumonia.  Although some types of bacilli can also cause gastrointestinal disturbances, including nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

The researchers also found two types of bacteria present in reusable water bottles: Gram-negative rods and bacilli. Gram-negative bacteria, including E. coli and Klebsiella, can cause a number of serious infections such as pneumonia. Although some types of bacilli can also cause gastrointestinal disturbances, including nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

To prevent bacteria from building up, experts recommend washing the bottle daily with “hot soapy water” instead.

in USA waterfilterguru.comA team of water treatment experts and a member of the Water Quality Association, has done one of the darkest studies on the bugs that live in our water bottles.

They found two types of bacteria: gram-negative rods and bacilli.

Gram-negative bacteria, including E. coli and Klebsiella, can cause a number of serious infections such as pneumonia.

Although some types of bacilli can also cause gastrointestinal disturbances, including nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

The study looked at how colony forming units (CFUs) are found inside four popular types of water bottles.

This is the unit of measurement commonly used to estimate the concentration of bacteria in a test sample.

On average, they contained 20.8 million CFU of Gram-negative bacteria.

The spout and screw-top bottle appeared to contain the most at 30 million CFU.

In comparison, a toilet seat has 515.

With an average CFU of 20.8 million, reusable bottles can contain five times more bacteria than a computer mouse (5 million), researchers have found.

It also accounts for a staggering 14 times the recorded amount compared to a pet bowl, averaging 1.48 million CFU.

Other studies have suggested similar values.

Researchers at EmLab P&K, an American indoor air quality laboratory, recently found more than 300,000 CFU per square centimeter in each of 12 water bottles tested.

However, despite the warnings, experts told MailOnline that there is little evidence that the types of bacteria found in these water bottles are harmful to humans.

Dr Andrew Edwards, a molecular microbiologist at Imperial College London, said: “The human mouth is home to a wide variety of bacteria.

“So it’s not surprising that drinking vessels are covered in germs.”

However, he also warned that household items, including faucets, are already riddled with harmless bacteria.

Dr Edwards added: “While it is important to keep bottles clean using hot, soapy water, the mere presence of bacteria is not necessarily a problem.

“And in this study, there is no evidence that the types of bacteria found are harmful to humans.

“Indeed, domestic water faucets are often colonized by many bacteria that do not have a harmful effect on humans.”

Meanwhile, Dr. Simon Clark, a microbiologist at the University of Reading, told MailOnline: “It really depends on which bacteria are the problem or not.

“Having a lot of bacteria can be a sign that something hasn’t been cleaned in a while, but it’s not necessarily dangerous.

“I have never heard of anyone getting sick from a bottle of water, just like taps are not a problem, when was the last time you heard someone get sick from pouring a glass of water from the tap?”

He added: “Water bottles are most likely contaminated with bacteria that people already have in their mouths.”