Comments on: NCBI ROFL: Airplane vacuum toilets: an uncommon travel hazard. http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/discoblog/2011/07/28/ncbi-rofl-airplane-vacuum-toilets-an-uncommon-travel-hazard/ Sat, 11 May 2013 22:50:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: William http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/discoblog/2011/07/28/ncbi-rofl-airplane-vacuum-toilets-an-uncommon-travel-hazard/#comment-25275 William Sat, 13 Aug 2011 20:28:52 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/discoblog/?p=18433#comment-25275 One problem with that MythBusters episode was that the vacuum being supplied to the toilet in their tests was occurring too slowly to adhere the fake behind to the bowl. A vacuum toilet setup has the sewage tank at a -3 to -8 psi vacuum (depending on the design and the current altitude of the plane) and thus instantly creates a super intense suction when the flush valve is opened. If the MythBusters wanted to test it correctly, they should have obtained a tank, connected it to the toilet, and pumped the air out to the necessary vacuum, then opened the flush valve when the fake behind was placed on the bowl. One problem with that MythBusters episode was that the vacuum being supplied to the toilet in their tests was occurring too slowly to adhere the fake behind to the bowl. A vacuum toilet setup has the sewage tank at a -3 to -8 psi vacuum (depending on the design and the current altitude of the plane) and thus instantly creates a super intense suction when the flush valve is opened.
If the MythBusters wanted to test it correctly, they should have obtained a tank, connected it to the toilet, and pumped the air out to the necessary vacuum, then opened the flush valve when the fake behind was placed on the bowl.

]]> By: Alan Dove http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/discoblog/2011/07/28/ncbi-rofl-airplane-vacuum-toilets-an-uncommon-travel-hazard/#comment-25274 Alan Dove Fri, 29 Jul 2011 14:06:59 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/discoblog/?p=18433#comment-25274 If you click on the image above, it'll take you to the primary reference in the biomedical literature. That's how this blog works. In case you can't or won't do that, the reference is Meldon S, Hargarten S, "Airplane Vacuum Toilets: An Uncommon Travel Hazard," J Travel Med. 1994 Jun 1;1(2):104-105. Meldon and Hargarten are (or at least were in 1994) at the Metro Health Medical Center, Emergency Medicine Department, Cleveland, OH. Mythbusters should've checked the literature. If you click on the image above, it’ll take you to the primary reference in the biomedical literature. That’s how this blog works. In case you can’t or won’t do that, the reference is Meldon S, Hargarten S, “Airplane Vacuum Toilets: An Uncommon Travel Hazard,” J Travel Med. 1994 Jun 1;1(2):104-105. Meldon and Hargarten are (or at least were in 1994) at the Metro Health Medical Center, Emergency Medicine Department, Cleveland, OH.

Mythbusters should’ve checked the literature.

]]> By: Lyle Kim http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/discoblog/2011/07/28/ncbi-rofl-airplane-vacuum-toilets-an-uncommon-travel-hazard/#comment-25273 Lyle Kim Thu, 28 Jul 2011 23:35:17 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/discoblog/?p=18433#comment-25273 Could you tell me what investigators you are referring to who reported the injuries. On the Mythbusters Pilot program they looked into the myth of a woman being stuck to a vacuum toilet and proved that it could not occur as the person would have to be so large to seal the top of the toilet that they would not actually fit onto the plane. Vacuum toilets are now being used in far more areas, like trains, prisons, green buildings that I am sure people would be interested if what you are saying is actually a fact and not a myth. Could you tell me what investigators you are referring to who reported the injuries.
On the Mythbusters Pilot program they looked into the myth of a woman being stuck to a vacuum toilet and proved that it could not occur as the person would have to be so large to seal the top of the toilet that they would not actually fit onto the plane.
Vacuum toilets are now being used in far more areas, like trains, prisons, green buildings that I am sure people would be interested if what you are saying is actually a fact and not a myth.

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