Microbes Have Been Found On ATMs Across New York; Are They Harmful?

Microbes found on automated teller machines have been studied by a group of researchers to know how prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbes are being distributed in the environment. The study revealed that ATM surfaces are covered with microbes from human skin and those that are common in bathrooms, kitchens, pillows and food.

As per a report from Fox News, Director of the Center for Genomics and Systems Biology Jane Carlton of NYU and senior author of the study said that the microbes retained on ATMs came from varying origins. "Our results suggest that ATM keypads integrate microbes from different sources, including the human microbiome, foods, and potentially novel environmental organisms adapted to air or surfaces," Dr. Carlton revealed in a statement.

Though a number of varying microbes have been discovered on ATMs, users need not worry as Dr. Carlton emphasized that the majority of the microbes they discovered are harmless. However, the research still plays an important role in studying the DNA of the city through the microbe leftovers traced from ATMs.

As reported by New York Times, microbes on such machines reflect the activities of the people that use them regularly. It was also found that the study of the microbes left on ATMs can be used in the analysis of microbe characteristics that come from the urban environment.

The researchers took samples from 66 ATMs in banks and across places in Manhattan to Queens and Brooklyn during summer of 2014. The study found that majority of microbes came from unidentified sources but the rest were revealed to be originated from human's skin, ears, nose as well as feces.

Microbes on ATM findings, according to Dr. Carlton, is just a piece of a puzzle of microbes in New York. Apparently, it is just a small part of a larger research study that is currently being conducted to characterize the urban microbiome of New York City. Check out a video that discusses microbiome research below.