About 90 percent of Australians own a mobile phone and there are approximately seven billion smartphones in the world, according to research from Deloitte.
On average, Australians use their phones for around five hours a day for work, entertainment and communication, and this number is rising.
It’s a worrying trend for scientists like Dr Lotti Tajouri of Bond University in Queensland.
“Cell phones act as contaminated mobile petri dishes,” he said.
The molecular geneticist was part of a team that checked phones of international travelers who had flown into Sydney.
Extrapolating the results to account for 6.8 million arrivals in Australia between January and October 2023, the study authors estimate that 749.2 million microbes may have been introduced into Australia via mobile phones in 2022.
Not only can bacteria on phones be harmful to personal health, but they can also pose a risk to flora and fauna when unknowingly brought into the country by travelers.
An example is the fungus ‘Fusarium solani’, which has been linked to the blast hole borer, a small beetle that has been destroying trees in Western Australia for three years.
The borers have a symbiotic relationship with the fungi and can kill a tree in two years.
“Protecting our biodiversity and reducing the spread of superbugs is not only crucial for the economy, but also for our national security,” Tajouri said.
“A clear argument can be made that international travelers’ phones should be disinfected upon arrival in Australia, in addition to existing biosecurity measures.”
SBS News has contacted the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, which is responsible for biosecurity, for comment.
How dirty are our phones?
Phone screens can become dirty and contaminated for a number of reasons, including poor personal hygiene due to people not washing or sanitizing their hands after going to the toilet.
This can be especially harmful if people are scrolling on their phones while sitting on the toilet.
Studies have found widespread evidence that contaminated surfaces are a cause of fecal-oral transmission in public bathrooms.
Environmental scientist Professor Erica Donner says a wide range of gut, skin and soil bacteria and respiratory viruses have been identified in public toilet areas, which pose risks of transmission.
“There is no doubt that thorough hand washing and effective hand drying are critical to stopping the spread of disease,” she said.
“These habits will not only reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection, but also reduce the risk of bacterial infections.”
Different attitudes towards hygiene
Personal hygiene habits play a major role in the transmission of bacteria and pathogens.
A study into the cleanliness of hospital bathrooms in Britain found that men’s toilets had more bugs and superbugs than women’s bathrooms.
Microbiologist Stephanie Dancer says hand hygiene studies show that women clean their hands more often after going to the toilet than men.
“Our results seem to confirm what is commonly thought in society: women clean because their perception of dirt and disgust drives action, while men do not notice or care about a dirty environment. It follows that women are more likely to leave a dirty environment behind. bathroom clean, while men assume someone will clean up after them,” she said.
Tips to keep your phone clean
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a list of ways to improve the hygiene of your phone.
- When you are outdoors, keep your phone in your pocket, bag or car.
- When shopping, use a written shopping list, and not one kept on your smartphone.
- Use a credit card for payment, preferably contactless, and not the mobile payment option on your smartphone.
- After being in public places, you should only touch your phone after washing or sanitizing your hands.
- When calling, use a hands-free device so that your phone is not pressed against your face.
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