Key Points
- The CSIRO has created an app called Chart Your Fart as part of a research project on flatulence.
- Participants are asked to record the stench, loudness, duration, linger, and detectability when they break wind.
- Researchers emphasize that while some find the topic embarrassing, it is a natural and healthy bodily function.
Tracking food diaries or exercise routines is common, but the CSIRO is taking it a step further by asking Australians to record their flatulence observations.
Yes, the CSIRO is urging the community to monitor and track their farts to aid scientists in gaining insights into gut health.
Chart your fart
Researchers are encouraging individuals to use the CSIRO’s Chart Your Fart app to provide vital data on the frequency and characteristics of flatulence, a prevalent gut health symptom in Australia.
People aged 14 years and older are invited to track their flatulence for at least three days using the free phone app.
Participants will document the quantity and quality of their gas emissions, including attributes like stench, loudness, duration, linger, and detectability.
Research participants will be asked to input data on their farts into an app. Source: Supplied / research.csiro.au
By sharing these details, participants will help create a comprehensive chart of what ‘normal’ flatulence may look like across different groups of Australians.
Expelling gas is healthy and normal
CSIRO research dietitian Megan Rebuli highlights that while some individuals may feel uncomfortable discussing the topic, passing gas is a natural bodily function.
“Releasing gas is a natural process and indicates that our digestive system is functioning correctly to expel excess gas generated during food digestion,” she explained.
“Various factors like diet, medical conditions, or even eating habits can influence how our bodies process excess gas, leading to variations in smell, frequency, or volume.”
Human input on gas output
The Chart Your Fart initiative forms part of a new public-led research project facilitated by CSIRO health and wellbeing researchers in the realm of citizen science.
Dr. Emily Brindal, the project lead and a CSIRO behavioral scientist, underlines the significance of personal experiences and observations in enhancing health and wellbeing research.
“We depend on the public to share their experiences with us,” she stated.
“Research quality relies on accurate data, and we aim to engage with a diverse range of Australians to drive innovation in health and wellbeing research and achieve meaningful outcomes.”
While the research data will be treated seriously, the creators of the Chart Your Fart app have adopted a more lighthearted approach within the app interface.
The app features a dashboard showing the number of times a person has recorded their flatulence for the day, along with a meter to rate the stench level from ‘odourless’ to ‘toxic.’
“We aim to maintain authenticity and relevance, but also inject some fun into the process,” Brindal added.
The Chart Your Fart app has been created specifically for the collection of data for research on flatulence experienced by Australians. Source: Supplied / research.csiro.au
Serious wind
Although flatulence is a normal bodily function, a 2021 CSIRO gut health study revealed that over 60% of Australians reported experiencing what they considered excessive flatulence, with up to 43% experiencing it on a daily basis.
According to an article by Associate Professor Terry Bolin from the University of New South Wales, most human gas is odorless, but around 40% of individuals produce smelly hydrogen sulphide gas due to specific bacteria in their bowels.
In his piece for The Conversation, he stated: “Foul-smelling gas is usually not a cause for concern unless accompanied by symptoms like colitis, which is inflammation of the colon. Seek medical advice if smelly flatulence is accompanied by diarrhea or bleeding.”
