Hospital or Crime Scene? What Forensic Science Reveals About “Clean”

Hospital or Crime Scene? What Forensic Science Reveals About “Clean”

From Infection Control Matters by Brett Mitchell

January 28, 2026 · 27 min · Season 4 · Episode 176

About this episode

This episode discusses a study on hospital cleanliness using forensic science to uncover invisible contamination.

In this episode, Martin Kiernan talks to Dr Sarah Fieldhouse, Associate Professor of Forensic Science and Dr Emmanuel Babafemi, Senior Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences both of the University of Staffordshire, UK. We discuss a recent paper looking at hospital cleanliness. Using forensic light, the study uncovered invisible contamination on surfaces that looked clean to the naked eye. We discuss what fluorescence reveals, what ATP misses, and how this approach could reshape environmental monitoring in healthcare. The open access paper is available here:Fieldhouse S, Bastaki BB, Ledgerton A, Clarke P, Lewis T. Assessing the effectiveness of hospital cleaning using fluorescence: a proof-of-concept study and comparison with ATP testing. J Hosp Infect 2025;166:38-45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2025.08.008. https://www.journalofhospitalinfection.com/action/showPdf?pii=S0195-6701%2825%2900267-1

People in this episode

Host: Martin Kiernan

Guests: Dr Sarah Fieldhouse, Dr Emmanuel Babafemi

Topics covered

  • hospital cleanliness
  • forensic science
  • environmental monitoring
  • invisible contamination
  • healthcare

Keywords

  • hospital cleanliness
  • forensic light
  • invisible contamination
  • ATP testing
  • environmental monitoring

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Staffordshire, Journal of Hospital Infection

Books & works: Assessing the effectiveness of hospital cleaning using fluorescence: a proof-of-concept study and comparison with ATP testing

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