Petrol stations are one of the locations we visit weekly (even daily) without much thought. However, much like cash machines and public transport, the continuous use of petrol pumps by hundreds of people leaves a bacterial mark.
In light of this, our vehicle experts here at National Scrap Car sought to reveal the hidden bacterial makeup of England’s fuel pumps and spoiler… they all contain traces of faecal matter!
But don’t worry, we have done the hard part so you can focus on disinfecting your hands after filling up. To gather this data, we swabbed a number of test sites including; diesel and unleaded pumps, pay-at-pump monitors, and the handles of petrol station door handles across the country.
The results have painted a grotty picture of several different bacterial varieties existing across all stations. Hand sanitiser anyone?
Enter the bacteria, what did we find?
Firstly, bacterial pathogens are all around us; while some are relatively harmless, others can pose a risk to our health.
Our study found multiple illness-inducing germs across petrol stations in the UK’s North, South and Midlands. These included:
- Escherichia coli (E. coli)
A commonly occurring microorganism, E. coli can be found everywhere from keyboards, to kitchen sides and inside our intestines! Due to its presence in the human gut E.coli grows quickly in faecal matter and is a strong indicator of faecal contamination (traces of poo).
Coming in various strains, some of the most dangerous types of E. coli are responsible for food poisoning, diarrhoea, vomiting and urinary tract infections (UTIs).
- Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens)
Clostridium perfringens are found almost everywhere and often in decaying vegetation and our intestines. Despite its commonality, C. perfringens is the third largest cause of food poisoning in the UK. With its spores able to withstand cooking temperatures, if cooked food is left to stand for too long germination can start and develop infective bacterial colonies.
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is commonly found on cockroaches and in their faecal droppings. This bacterial pathogen is most likely to infect people who are immunocompromised, it typically infects the airway and urinary tract but can also cause infection in injuries following a trauma.
- Salmonella
Salmonella bacteria is another pathogen mainly associated with food poisoning. Infections from this bacteria usually occur when a person ingests foods that contain a high concentration, with infants and young children far more susceptible. Salmonella bacteria live in the gut of many farm animals. They can affect meat, eggs, poultry and milk with foods like green vegetables, fruit and shellfish contaminated through contact with manure in soil or sewage in the water.
Salmonella can also be spread from person to person by poor hygiene like not washing hands thoroughly after going to the toilet, or after handling contaminated food.
- Faecal streptococci & enterococci
Faecal streptococci and enterococci can be found in animal and human stomachs and intestines so their presence indicates faecal matter contamination.
- Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus)
Staphylococcus aureus is another bacteria that can cause infection, commonly occurring in domestic environments. Although it is not always illness-causing, in some instances it can result in food poisoning and respiratory and skin infections. S. aureus is also responsible for relatively minor conditions like acne, boils, cellulitis and folliculitis, and life-threatening diseases such as pneumonia.
- Bacillus Cereus
Bacillus cereus is a type of bacteria often found in soil and food. Some variants are harmful to humans and can cause foodborne illnesses, severe nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea. Bacillus foodborne illnesses occur due to the survival of the bacterial spores when food is improperly cooked.
The bacterial hotspots: Where did we find these germs?
Nottingham
Home to two universities, the legend of Robin Hood and a premier league football team, Nottingham is smack bang in the middle of England and one of the Midland’s largest cities.
Due to its location, and accessibility to the M1, Nottingham petrol stations are commonly frequented by all types of vehicles from lorry drivers and tradesmen in their vans to families on day trips out and students moving into halls.
For the most part, our study found that the city’s results fell within an expected range for public surfaces which are naturally unsterile environments. However, the elevated level of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (1720 colony-forming units) found is concerning. The mere presence of faecal indicators (E. coli and Faecal streptococci) suggests the need for better cleaning to limit the chance of illness in those visiting the petrol station.
Tomas Gabor, director at industrial hygiene consultancy Sysco, commented on the findings: “A count of 1720 CFU is significantly higher than typical levels expected. Even when compared to a clean toilet seat, the levels usually sit below 100 CFU/cm².
“It is unlikely that a Pseudomonas aeruginosa CFU count of 1720 could make a healthy adult seriously ill, but it could pose risks to those with weakened immune systems or open wounds.
“Pseudomonas aeruginosa can cause skin infections, respiratory issues, and infections in immunocompromised individuals.
“Ideally, a CFU count for Pseudomonas aeruginosa should be undetectable or below 100 CFU on surfaces.”
| Location | Bacteria | Concentration (CFU) |
| Petrol type 1 | Escherichia coli | <10 |
| Staphylococcus aureus | <20 | |
| Clostridium perfringens | <10 | |
| Bacillus cereus | <20 | |
| Pseudomonas aeruginosa | 100 | |
| Faecal streptococci | <20 | |
| Petrol type 2 | Escherichia coli | <10 |
| Staphylococcus aureus | <20 | |
| Clostridium perfringens | <10 | |
| Bacillus cereus | <20 | |
| Pseudomonas aeruginosa | 220 | |
| Faecal streptococci | <20 | |
| Diesel | Escherichia coli | <10 |
| Staphylococcus aureus | <20 | |
| Clostridium perfringens | <10 | |
| Bacillus cereus | <20 | |
| Pseudomonas aeruginosa | 1720 | |
| Faecal streptococci | <20 | |
| Salmonella spp | N/D | |
| Pay machine | Escherichia coli | <10 |
| Staphylococcus aureus | <20 | |
| Clostridium perfringens | <10 | |
| Bacillus cereus | <20 | |
| Pseudomonas aeruginosa | <20 | |
| Faecal streptococci | <20 | |
| Door | Escherichia coli | <10 |
| Staphylococcus aureus | <20 | |
| Clostridium perfringens | <10 | |
| Bacillus cereus | <20 | |
| Pseudomonas aeruginosa | <20 | |
| Faecal streptococci | <20 |
London
The UK’s capital city, London, is recognised globally for its infamous landmarks, fashion, and culture which attracts millions of tourists annually.
While visitors to the city are more likely to hop on one of London’s double-decker red buses or its vast underground system, millions of Londoners drive around the city each day.
Despite having the largest population in the UK, our study found that London’s petrol stations had fewer bacteria than Nottingham! This could, in part, be because it has one of the highest electric vehicle (EV) driving rates in the country.
Dorry Potter at National Scrap Car said: “It is interesting to see that London had one of the lowest counts of bacteria on its pumps. This could be a byproduct of the increased use of EVs, as the city has the country’s leading ULEZ.
“Our research into the rate of scrapped vehicles across the country found London, by far, had the highest rate of petrol cars being scrapped with 77% of all vehicles scrapped there being petrol.“
Fewer people heading to the pump could be why the amount of bacterium at London’s pumps was lower. But, that isn’t to say that London’s pumps were germ-free, as discovered at all petrol stations, there were traces of faecal contamination with the presence of Escherichia coli, Clostridium perfringens and Faecal streptococci.
Tomas commented: “It is fairly common to come into contact with Escherichia coli, Clostridium perfringens and Faecal streptococci in public spaces, especially in areas with poor hygiene or contaminated surfaces.
“Of all the bacteria listed, I find the presence of Escherichia coli the most concerning due to its association with faecal contamination and the potential for severe illness.”
| Location | Bacteria | Concentration (CFU) |
| Petrol type 1 | Escherichia coli | <10 |
| Staphylococcus aureus | <20 | |
| Clostridium perfringens | <10 | |
| Bacillus cereus | <20 | |
| Pseudomonas aeruginosa | <20 | |
| Faecal streptococci | <20 | |
| Petrol type 2 | Escherichia coli | <10 |
| Staphylococcus aureus | <20 | |
| Clostridium perfringens | <10 | |
| Bacillus cereus | <20 | |
| Pseudomonas aeruginosa | <20 | |
| Faecal streptococci | <20 | |
| Diesel | Escherichia coli | <10 |
| Staphylococcus aureus | <20 | |
| Clostridium perfringens | <10 | |
| Bacillus cereus | <20 | |
| Pseudomonas aeruginosa | <20 | |
| Faecal streptococci | <20 | |
| Pay machine | Escherichia coli | <10 |
| Staphylococcus aureus | <20 | |
| Clostridium perfringens | <10 | |
| Bacillus cereus | <20 | |
| Pseudomonas aeruginosa | <20 | |
| Faecal streptococci | <20 | |
| Door | Escherichia coli | <10 |
| Staphylococcus aureus | <20 | |
| Clostridium perfringens | <10 | |
| Bacillus cereus | <20 | |
| Pseudomonas aeruginosa | <20 | |
| Faecal streptococci | <20 |
Manchester
Manchester is a cultural hotspot, with two Premier League football teams, a flourishing music scene and universities that welcome millions of visitors yearly.
Perhaps surprisingly, Manchester, like London, proved to have lower bacteria levels at its petrol stations than Nottingham despite the two cities being significantly bigger. As with London, an expansive public transport infrastructure could be behind the lower levels with free city centre buses and tram services limiting the need for inner city driving.
That being said, as with all the petrol stations that we tested, we still found the presence of faecal matter on Manchester’s petrol pumps with the bacteria Escherichia coli, Clostridium perfringens and Faecal streptococci all discovered.
Tomas commented: “We would expect to find all the bacteria in these results on a toilet seat, but typically at low levels if it is cleaned regularly.”
Therefore, UK petrol stations are just as dirty as our toilets.
| Location | Bacteria | Concentration (CFU) |
| Petrol type 1 | Escherichia coli | <10 |
| Staphylococcus aureus | <20 | |
| Clostridium perfringens | <10 | |
| Bacillus cereus | <20 | |
| Pseudomonas aeruginosa | <20 | |
| Faecal streptococci | <20 | |
| Petrol type 2 | Escherichia coli | <10 |
| Staphylococcus aureus | <20 | |
| Clostridium perfringens | <10 | |
| Bacillus cereus | <20 | |
| Pseudomonas aeruginosa | <20 | |
| Diesel | Faecal streptococci | <20 |
| Escherichia coli | <10 | |
| Staphylococcus aureus | <20 | |
| Clostridium perfringens | <10 | |
| Bacillus cereus | <20 | |
| Pay machine | Pseudomonas aeruginosa | <20 |
| Faecal streptococci | <20 | |
| Escherichia coli | <10 | |
| Staphylococcus aureus | <20 | |
| Clostridium perfringens | <10 | |
| Door | Bacillus cereus | <20 |
| Pseudomonas aeruginosa | <20 | |
| Faecal streptococci | <20 |
Dorry added: “While much of the bacteria we found is standard of the type of environment petrol stations are, we wanted to inform motorists of the hidden risks so that they can take any necessary precautions when filling up.
“Disinfecting your hands with hand sanitiser after using fuel pumps (and before you get back into your vehicle) could help stop you from carrying bacteria home. It is particularly important to clean your hands if you are planning on eating directly after visiting a petrol station to limit the risk of illness.
“You may also want to keep antibacterial wipes in your vehicle to disinfect the steering wheel if you have touched it after handling fuel pumps.”
Methodology
Swabs were taken from the door handles, petrol and diesel pumps, and the pay-at-pump monitors at 4 selected petrol stations in London, Nottingham and Manchester. These were then submitted to industrial hygiene consultancy Sysco for independent testing. Once the results were received, we compiled them into tables for comparison.