If you’ve ever been worried about drinking out of fast-food soda fountains, fearing that they are full of germs and never cleaned, you may be justified in your thinking.
Researchers from Loma Linda University recently published a study in the journal Drinking Water that found the fountains are contaminated with coliform bacteria, an indicator of water impurity.
The study went on to say that the water was contaminated with the deadliest “superbug” germs on the planet, including the antibiotic-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Campylobacter jejuni.
Traces of other superbugs, like Listeria, salmonella, and E. coli, were also found at some soda fountains.
Overall, researchers said these disease-causing germs were found in almost half of all soda fountains. The germs were in 80% of taps of soda fountains, 50% of restaurant tap water, and 20% of water vending machines.
The study questioned the sanitation and maintenance of the machines, which rely on government and manufacturer standards.
The lead author of the study, Thomas Hile, shared with USA Today that the issue needs more attention because of the risk these superbugs carry.
“We cannot say that soda fountain contamination is only in the eastern Coachella Valley,” Hile said. “It’s a general problem that I believe is overlooked.”
Researchers shared that more needs to be done to regulate soda fountains at fast-food restaurants and water vending machines, as the consequences could be deadly.
“The presence of pathogenic microorganisms in drinking water is a serious public health concern and cannot be overemphasized,” the authors wrote in their study.
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