What is it about?
The study aimed to assess the efficacy of an integrated water safety plan in controlling Legionella re-growth in a respiratory hydrotherapy system located in a spa centre, supplied with sulphurous water, which was initially colonised by Legionella pneumophila. Heterotrophic Plate Counts, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Legionella spp. were detected in water samples taken six-monthly from the hydrotherapy equipment (main circuit, entry to benches, final outlets). On the basis of the results obtained by the continuous monitoring and the changes in conditions, the original water safety plan, including physical treatments of water and waterlines, environmental surveillance and microbiological monitoring, was integrated introducing a UV/ultrafiltration system. The integrated treatment applied to the sulphurous water (microfiltration/UV irradiation/ultrafiltration), waterlines (superheated stream) and distal outlets (descaling/disinfection of nebulizers and nasal irrigators), ensured the removal of Legionella spp. and P. aeruginosa and a satisfactory microbiological quality over time.
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Why is it important?
The results highlight the importance of the environmental surveillance in evaluating the hazard and identifying the most suitable preventive strategies to avoid Legionella re-growth.
Perspectives
Ultrafiltration is a technology to take into account in the control of microbial contamination of therapeutic spas, since it does not modify the chemical composition of the water, thus allowing it to retain its therapeutic properties.
Professor ERICA LEONI
Universita degli Studi di Bologna
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Controlling
Legionella
and
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
re-growth in therapeutic spas: implementation of physical disinfection treatments, including UV/ultrafiltration, in a respiratory hydrotherapy system, Journal of Water and Health, June 2015, IWA Publishing,
DOI: 10.2166/wh.2015.033.
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