From Peter Hambleton
Julian Smith’s report on the human microbiome cloud (5 March, p 39) reminded me of studies carried out by colleagues at the UK Microbiological Research Establishment, Porton Down, in the early 1970s. These may have been the first attempts to analyse and quantify the way humans shed bacteria into the air.
Volunteers made a variety of movements while wearing different types of clothing in an enclosed chamber fitted with a range of air samplers. Much to colleagues’ amusement, one male stood out because his shedding peaked significantly after he removed his undergarments.
Porton, Wiltshire, UK
