Posted on 03/02/2006 10:35:01 AM PST by XR7
Seventh-Grader's Science Project Turns Up Some Disturbing Results
NEW YORK - Jasmine Roberts never expected her award-winning middle school science project to get so much attention. But the project produced some disturbing results: 70 percent of the time, ice from fast food restaurants was dirtier than toilet water.
The 12-year-old collected ice samples from five restaurants in South Florida -- from both self-serve machines inside the restaurant and from drive-thru windows. She then collected toilet water samples from the same restaurants and tested all of them for bacteria at the University of South Florida.
In several cases, the ice tested positive for E. coli bacteria, which comes from human waste and has been linked to several illness outbreaks across the country.
"These [bacteria] don't belong there," said Dr. David Katz, medical contributor to "Good Morning America." "It's not cause for panic, although it is alarming because what she found is nothing new. You're not more likely to get sick now. But she's done us a favor by sounding the alarm."
Both Roberts and Katz said that the ice is likely dirtier because machines aren't cleaned and people use unwashed hands to scoop ice. Toilet water is also surprisingly bacteria-free, because it comes from sanitized city water supplies.
Support from Big Brother
Roberts got interested in the project after reading a newspaper article about bacteria in airplane water and decided to do something similar. Plus, she said, all of her friends chew on ice, and it drives her crazy.
"I just picked the not-obvious choice," the seventh-grader said of her project.
Her 18-year-old brother, Justus, is also an award-winning science fair veteran who said he has encouraged his little sister's interest in science.
Justus said when Jasmine told him her idea for this project, "I gave her a high five, then said, 'You're a strange little kid.' But I supported her all the way."
The restaurants also have taken notice of Roberts' project. Two began new sanitary policies and have asked her to come back and do her tests again.
"First they appreciated the project," she said. "And one location even asked me to come back and test the temperature of their food."
I don't like it, so I expect 79 laws, regulations, and mandates to passed by all levels of legislatures immediately! Where's Hillary?? Where's Rev. Al? I'm sure this hits women and children the hardest...
Oh, and where is the President while his subjects are slowly being poisoned by rich, white male restaurant owners? Vacationing in the Middle East, I suppose...that figures. This is ALL BUSH'S FAULT!
Marvin Zindler...the only one that can say he remembers when Helen Thomas was a child.
Home of the Whopper takes on a whole new meaning.
Did you ever see the bottom of an ice bin in a bar? Talk about slime.
We watched an employee at a fast food restaurant clean the bathroom then wipe off the dispensers for the ice and the soda with the same rag. Told the manager.
LOL!!! Got to remember that one...
Must be; they rarely clean out the ice bin.. and maker.. Wonder how home ice makers rate too(you know in the frig.).. prolly the same..
"Bowel burgers au jus" Pynchonism.
I am the operator of a public utility. Water. Very strictly regulated. After it comes out of the tap, it's anybodies guess. Once, while taking a water sample for testing, I touched the inside of the lid with my thumb. Just for a split second. Test came back positive. Epa wasn't too happy 'bout that!
Positive for what?
Typhus? Cholera? E-Coli?
;)
Evian spelled backwards is ........
LOL! This reminds me of something I read or saw somehwere, where the janitor of a high school cured the teen girls of blotting their lipstick by "kissing" the mirrors in the bathrooms. He took a group of the most popular girls into the loo and showed them how he cleaned the mirrors: by dipping a squeegee into the toilet bowl and then wiping the mirrors with it.
Problem instantly solved.
I think I'm gonna hurl!
That drinking fountain is near slim's herman miller sheep pen ain't it......:o)
Reminds me of our 7th grade project.
Turns out the water in Boston Harbor was cleaner than the drinking water at our camp.
Yep. lol.
Only 12 years old, and has already done far more science and advanced the public good far more than the entire Intelligent Design movement put together.
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