Ever thought about the microscopic world that gets stirred up when you flush the toilet? A study monitored aerosols in a shared office lavatory using the Wideband Integrated BioAerosol Sensor, WIBS. The findings? Flushing toilets not only generate visible droplets, but also produce numerous smaller airborne droplets through atomization. These droplets can potentially aerosolize pathogens from stool or urine, posing health risks. Interestingly, while placing the toilet lid down, reduced total and fluorescent particle counts by 30 to 50 percent, it changed the characteristics of the aerosols and seemingly prolonged their stay in the air. The takeaway? While toilet lids can prevent the spread of visible droplets, their effect on smaller particles is more nuanced, so the next time you're about to flush, maybe consider closing that lid. Stay sharp with Tye-L!