Instant Alert: New York City has the dirtiest public transportation system in the US — here’s what the germs look like up close

MANAGE SUBSCRIPTIONS   |   UNSUBSCRIBE   |   VIEW ONLINE   New York City has the dirtiest public transportation system in the US — here's what the germs look like up close by Sarah Jacobs on Feb 29, 2016, 5:39 PM Advertisement If you're a germophobe, you might want to stay away from the New York City subway.  A recent study by Travelmath found that the New York City subway has the most germs of five major US public transit lines, beating out Washington D.C., Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco. Researchers found that underground trains in New York had an average of two million colony-forming units per square inch, according to Conde Nast Traveler. That's roughly 900 times the number of germs found on a typical airplane tray table. But if you're a typographer, designer, and photographer with a twisted fascination for germs like Craig Ward, you might want to swab a sample, take it home, put it under a microscope, and snap a picture. Ward began taking samples of germs from across all 22 New York City subway lines in the summer of 2015. For each sample, he cultivated the germs into the shape of the train line's name, creating a depiction of the subway system that is both grotesque and captivating.  While his findings may not be 100% accurate given his less-than-precise process, he told us that his results "are true with a degree of certainty."  UP NEXT: A geneticist says any new parent should 'roll their child on floor of the New York subway' — here's why SEE ALSO: Here's what your tears look like under a microscope 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. See the rest of the story at Business Insider   Share the latest business news with your network: Email sent to:   |   Manage your email preferences   |   Unsubscribe Terms of Service   |   Privacy Policy Business Insider. 150 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10011