Plastic trays at airport security have more respiratory viruses than public toilets, according to recently published research. The study, called Deposition of respiratory virus pathogens on frequently touched surfaces at airports, was based on 90 surface samples and four air samples collected at Helsinki-Vantaa airport over the course of three weeks in 2016.

Samples were collected weekly at three different times of day from various points along the passenger journey, from handrails on escalators and lift buttons to trolley handles and toys in the children’s play area. Of the samples tested, security trays were found to pose the highest potential risk of viral contamination, with four of eight samples testing positive. Respiratory viruses detected on the trays included deno, influenza A, rhino and human corona OC43.

In comparison, of the 42 samples taken from three areas in the airport’s public toilets – the toilet bowl lid, the flush and the lock – none contained any detectable respiratory viruses.