Farting is a normal physiological phenomenon of the human body; however, its unpleasant odor is often unwelcome in public spaces.
Air frequently enters the body when a person eats, drinks, or talks, and it is also produced by bacteria breaking down food in the stomach. Gas accumulates over time and is expelled from the body through the anus. Two signs to help you identify someone else’s fart are the sound and the distinctive smell.
Due to its unpleasant scent and the fact that it is released from the anus, people have long wondered whether farting … contributes to air pollution in the surrounding environment. During a conversation with listeners on a radio show, doctor and science journalist Karl Kruszelnicki received such a question.
He shared a short story about an experiment he conducted some time ago.
Doctor Karl Kruszelnicki – (Photo: Internet).
“It all started with a question from a nurse, asking whether gas in the stomach contains bacteria or if it just smells bad?,” Dr. Kruszelnicki shared on the Triple J radio program broadcast from Brisbane, Australia.
“So, I got in touch with Luke Tennant, a microbiologist based in Canberra, and we set up an experiment together. He asked a colleague to fart directly onto two petri dishes from a distance of 5 centimeters: the first time while fully clothed, and the second time after removing all clothing. We then observed what happened.”
“Overnight, the second petri dish developed bacterial colonies, containing two types of bacteria commonly found in the gut and on the skin. However, the fart through clothing did not leave any bacteria on the dish, indicating that clothing can act as a filter,” Dr. Kruszelnicki recounted.
A fart under thermal camera – (Photo: Internet).
He continued: “Our conclusion was that the bacterial colonies on the second petri dish originated from the fart itself, around the clusters of matter scattered in all directions due to the force of the fart, which also blew bacteria from the skin into the dish. Therefore, we deduced that a fart can cause pollution if it is released from bare skin, but does not cause pollution if the person is wearing clothes.”
Dr. Kruszelnicki confirmed that the results are not concerning, as both types of bacteria found on the petri dish are harmless. In fact, they are similar to the beneficial bacteria commonly found in yogurt; however, that does not mean one should fart onto food to make “homemade yogurt.”
The doctor and microbiologist reached a final conclusion: Do not fart near food, and everything will be fine.
