Ecology home > Toxics Cleanup > Sites > DOT - WASHTUCNA MAINTENANCE SITE dot - washtucna maintenance site The Washington Department of Ecology works to clean up contaminated properties throughout the state. Cleanup projects vary greatly in size and complexity.
Hello and thanks for the questions. Based on the research in regards to HIV living on surfaces the science indicates that the virus begins to die immediately once exposed to air. While there is some question about how long HIV can live outside the human body, the facts state it can take from 30 seconds to 3 minutes. It is our recommendation that no person shares personal grooming devises including razors.
Mycobacteria, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and spore-forming bacteria, including Clostridium difficile, can also survive for months on surfaces. Candida albicans as the most important nosocomial fungal pathogen can survive up to 4 months on surfaces. Persistence of other yeasts, such as Torulopsis glabrata, was described to be similar (5 months) or shorter (Candida parapsilosis, 14 days). Most viruses from the respiratory tract, such as corona, coxsackie, influenza, SARS or rhino virus, can persist on surfaces for a few days.