With the millions of people using the toilets at airports a lot of work goes into their cleaning and maintenance. Especially in India, it has been observed that the natives do not always leave the toilets clean for the next user. In turn, a lot of water has to be utilised daily to restore hygiene and make the unit fit for use. To resolve the pressing issue, the Terminal 2 of the Mumbai International Airport has sought help from a unique type of bacteria – green bacteria – who manifest as toilet cleaners through a green chemical.
The green chemical is an environment-friendly option to the usual cleaning agents that are found to release carcinogens. Interestingly, these chemicals are composed of various enzymes and bacteria that feed on ammonia. As uric acid accumulates, the ammonia generated is converted to nitrogen by the microorganisms. These tiny invisible creatures have been performing the gigantic task of cleaning 200 toilets and four lakh square meters of surface area, according to this report by the Times of India. Besides, the green chemical is also spritzed in the air to rid the toilet interiors of any floating stench, eliminating the requirement of any room fresheners.
As far as saving water is concerned, the auto-sensor flush dispenses the green liquid and water is required only when the toilets are cleaned manually. According to this report by The Better India the lab tests that were conducted to test the viability of the new cleaning agent showed that the toilets were actually more cleaner with the use of green bacteria than just water. A footfall of 90,000 men per day, including passengers and staff demands a lot of water to be put to use in the airport’s toilets with 1.2 litres of water being used per flush, enormous amounts of water can be saved via the green bacteria.
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