Germs are a Concern

Overview

This project tested if hand sanitizer or soap was more effective at killing bacteria on children and adults. It was believed that soap would be better across the board, but that there would be a difference between children and adults. Hands were swabbed before and after using hand sanitizer and bacteria colonies were counted. Hands were swabbed before and after using soap and bacteria colonies were counted. There were 40 tests that were conducted, 20 adults and 20 children, ages 6-7. The results of this project showed that hand sanitizer was better all around for eliminating bacteria. Adults had a 102.27% increase in bacteria with soap and a 91.42% decrease with hand sanitizer. Children had a 42.02% increase with soap and a 73.54% decrease with hand sanitizer. These results were so unexpected that further testing was conducted, which included testing the water and soap to see if they contained any bacteria. The outcome of those tests was that there were no bacteria in either substance. One possible explanation was that the air might be full of bacteria and it stuck to wet hands. Overall, hand sanitizer was found to be more effective in killing and getting rid of bacteria for both adults and kids.

Competition history

• CSEF 2026 Microbiology (Junior Division) · Entry J-16-12

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