The gross reason airplane passengers might want to avoid using the water on flights

Flying with hundreds of other people at one time can be a gateway to illness Various airplane surfaces such as overhead bins tray tables instruction cards and seat covers are selected of the biggest sources of germs according to flight attendants Even the water in the bathroom can pose a peril leading selected people to question whether it's even sanitary to wash one's hands on a flight BIGGEST HANDWASHING MISTAKES THAT COULD INCREASE GERMS AND VIRUSES It's a good idea for passengers to use hand sanitizer after stowing away their luggage touching anything in the seat pocket in front of them and going to the bathroom flight attendant and movement blogger Josephine Remo who is based in Portugal previously described Movement Leisure Bathrooms can be especially dirty as the toilets are regularly cleaned but the locks and door handles may not be according to Remo The water in the bathroom can contain a plethora of contaminants research suggests which could be identified in bathroom sink water and drinking water as well as the coffee tea and ice served onboard A scrutiny by the Hunter College NYC Food Strategy Center approved that select airlines have potentially provided passengers with unhealthy drinking water Of the major and regional airlines studied airlines received an Onboard Water Healthcare Sum of or lower out of HEPATITIS A OUTBREAK INFECTS THOUSANDS OF TRAVELERS AT POPULAR DESTINATIONSThe federal regime s Aircraft Drinking Water Rule ADWR requires airlines to provide passengers and crew with safe drinking water according to the researchers Airlines are also required to test the water for bacteria and E coli and to disinfect and flush the aircraft s water tank four times per year Alternatively an airline may choose to disinfect and flush once a year but then it must test monthly the researchers noted The Airline Water Scrutiny also finds that the Environmental Protection Agency one of the federal agencies responsible for ensuring safe aircraft drinking water rarely levies civil penalties to airlines in violation of the ADWR FLIGHT TRAVELER CALLS OUT FELLOW TRAVELER FOR SPRAYING DISINFECTANT CAUSING COUGHING In an interview with Fox News Digital passage expert and author of ViewFromTheWing com Gary Leff approved that very little cleaning happens between the majority domestic flights Planes aren't on the ground very long an airline only makes money when their planes are in the air stated the expert who is based in Austin Texas And cleaning crews often have to come onboard and tidy while passengers are deplaning When an inbound aircraft is late the airline wants to make up time and cleaning is often sacrificed he pointed out When airlines face financial struggles deep cleans are one of the first things cut Bathrooms can be particularly dirty due to patron hygiene according to Leff and can get pretty gross over the lesson of a flight Different airlines take different approaches and cleaning will vary across cabins and classes of institution he noted I'm not going to suggest it's unsafe per se just disgusting Leff reported Don't go into the lavatory with bare feet Bring your own sanitizer And consider wiping down surfaces you'll be touching if you're so inclined just knowing that this hasn't been done for you Fox News' senior diagnostic analyst Dr Marc Siegel also certified to Fox News Digital how filthy airplane bathrooms tend to be including the water as various studies have shown The tray tables are common surfaces that can be covered with bacteria and viruses he cautioned And though the HEPA filters overhead are effective they don t really work until the plane is in the air and the filtration system is fully engaged And they don t prevent the person next to you from coughing on you CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR WELLBEING NEWSLETTERBefore and during a flight the practitioner suggested keeping well-hydrated which can help fight off infection by keeping nasal membranes moist He also encourages the use of sanitizers wipes or gels to disinfect surfaces and hands I prefer washing hands thoroughly with soap but on planes I prefer sanitizers and wipes Siegel stated In a comment sent to Fox News Digital the EPA explained that the primary purpose of the ADWR is to ensure that safe and reliable drinking water is provided to aircraft passengers and crew through requiring maturation and implementation of aircraft water system operations and maintenance plans that include strategies for monitoring disinfection and reporting The EPA revealed that drinking water safety is jointly regulated by the EPA FDA and FAA The regulatory structure for all society water systems including aircraft relies upon self-monitoring and reporting of results to the primacy agency the agency revealed The EPA is responsible for oversight of the aircraft residents water systems and provides guidance to help air carriers comply with ADWR For more Strength articles visit www foxnews com healthAn FAA spokesperson advised Fox News Digital in a declaration that the FAA is an aviation safety agency and water quality is not within our regulatory authority Fox News Digital reached out to OSHA for comment