Viral, bacterial, and fungal contamination of Automated Teller Machines (ATMs)

Introduction and objective: While the qualitative information about bacterial and fungal pollution of automated teller machine (ATM) surfaces is available in the scientific literature, there are practically no studies precisely quantifying this type of contamination. Regarding viruses, such data in relation to ATM surfaces are not available at all. Material and methods: The quantitative and qualitative control of adeno- and coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2 (based on qPCR/RT-qPCR and v-qPCR/v-RT-qPCR), bacterial and fungal contaminants (based on morphological and biochemical characteristics followed by PCR/RAPD typing) deposited on internal and external ATM surfaces (swab sampling), as well as present in the air of premises housing the ATM machines (inertial impaction sampling) belonging to the network of one of the largest Polish banks was performed. Results: As the air of premises housing ATMs was relatively clean, the internal (i.e. safe boxes and cash dispenser tracks) and external (i.e. touch screens and keypads) ATM surfaces were heavily polluted, reaching 599 CFU/cm2, 522 CFU/cm2, 17288 gc/cm2 and 2512 gc/cm2 for bacterial, fungal, coronaviral and adenoviral contaminants, respectively. The application of propidium monoazide (PMA) dye pretreatment for v-qPCR/v-RT-qPCR allows detection of the potentially infectious SARS-CoV-2 and adenoviral particulates on ATM surfaces. Conclusions: The packaged banknotes and people involved in their distribution, as well as general population using ATMs, can be the sources of this type of contamination and its potential victims. Highly efficient hygienic measures should be introduced to prevent unwanted pollution of both the distributed means of payment and ATM surfaces, and to avoid subsequent dissemination of microbial contaminants.

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