A pair of natural science researchers from Marymount Manhattan College has found that high levels of dog feces landing on sidewalks in New York city has resulted in high levels of bacteria in homes and businesses. In their paper published in the journal Indoor and Built Environment, Alessandra Leri and Marjan Khan describe collecting and testing environmental samples from a large number of sites on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.

Enterococci are a type of bacteria found in the intestines and fecal matter of most animals. They can also make their way into the environment during defecation and are known to persist on many materials, such as cement, carpeting and other flooring material. In this new effort, Leri and Khan have attempted to measure the amount of dog excrement landing on public sidewalks in New York City, and the degree to which the bacteria it