New York City has the dirtiest public transportation system of all major US cities - here's what the germs look like up close
To gather samples, Ward used damp sterile sponges that were cut in the shape of the subway line's name. He'd then put the findings into triptych soy agar and seal them in a petri dish, which cultivated growth.
Ward collected his samples during off-peak subway hours, when the trains wouldn't be as crowded. Regardless, no one ever questioned him while he diligently sponged down the poles. "Let's be honest, you can kind of do as you please on the subway," Ward told Business Insider. "People are pretty tolerant."
"Most of what I found was really very common and is no more than you’d expect to find by, say, shaking hands with a group of people before a meeting," he said.
Ward's 7 train sample contains Staphylococcus aureus, which is a common cause of skin infections, sinusitis, and food poisoning. Also on the 7 train was Micrococcus luteus, which is the normal flora of the skin and is also found in saliva and sweat.
The Times Square Shuttle sample contains E. coli, salmonella, and Staphylococcus aureus. E. coli causes gastroenteritis and urinary tract infections, and is commonly found in the lower intestine.
The G train sample contains E. coli, salmonella, Micrococcus luteus, and Bacillus subtilis — which is found in soil and humans' gastrointestinal tract.
The L train sample contains E. coli, Proteus mirabilis, Micrococcus luteus, Bacillus subtilis, and Serratia marcescens, which Ward describes as "bathroom slime, and the leading cause of hospital-acquired infections."
The D train sample contains E. Coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and mold. The mold is typically from decaying organic matter, or possibly food.
Ward told us he finds his discoveries to be "genuinely very beautiful ... they make an excellent visual analogy for the diversity of the city at large."
But he does think a bit differently now when he gets onboard with his 2-year old daughter. "I don’t really like to see her touching the railings and then putting her hands in her mouth," he said. Here, the B, D, F, and M lines all had traces of E. coli and some Staphylococcus aureus, which is a common cause of skin infections, sinusitis, and food poisoning.
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