Infectivity of Norovirus GI and GII from Bottled Mineral Water during a Waterborne Outbreak, Spain.

During a waterborne outbreak of norovirus in Spain, we estimated 50% illness doses for a group of exposed (secretor) persons to be 556 (95% CI 319-957) genome copies/day for norovirus GI and 2,934 (95% CI 1,683-5,044) genome copies/day for norovirus GII. Use of a propidium monoazide viability assay reduced these values.

Mycological Investigation of Bottled Water Dispensers in Healthcare Facilities.

The usage of bottled water dispensers (BWDs) has spread worldwide. Despite their popularity, few studies have dealt with their microbial contaminants, and little attention is given to their fungal contamination. To our knowledge this is the first mycological study of BWDs in Europe. 36 devices have been examined in Budapest, Hungary. Despite of the strictly regulated water hygiene system in Hungary, molds and yeasts were detected in 86.8% of the samples, 56.76% were highly contaminated. Elevated heterotrophic plate counts were also observed in all samples compared to that of Hungarian drinking water. As all physical and chemical water quality characteristics have met the relevant national and European parametric values and neither totally explained the results of microbial counts, the effect of usage and maintenance habits of the devices were examined. Fungal concentrations were affected by the time elapsed since disinfection, days remaining until expiration of bottles, month of sampling and exposure to sunlight during storage. Microbes are able to proliferate in the bottled water and disperse inside the BWDs. Many of the detected fungal species (Sarocladium kiliense, Acremonium sclerotigenum/egyptiacum, Exophiala jeanselmei var. lecanii-corni, Exophiala equina, Meyerozyma guilliermondii, Cystobasidium slooffiae, Aspergillus jensenii, Bisifusarium biseptatum) are opportunistic pathogens for subpopulations of sensitive age groups and patients with immunodeficient conditions, including cystic fibrosis. Thus BWDs may pose a health risk to visitors of healthcare institutions, especially to patients with oral lesions in dental surgeries. The study draws attention to the need to investigate microbial contamination of these devices in other countries as well.

Leaching of phthalate esters from different drinking stuffs and their subsequent biodegradation.

Phthalate esters (PAEs) are mainly used as plasticizers, and their release in the environment during the manufacturing, use, and disposal has caused serious environmental health concerns, since some of them are suspected to be mutagens, hepatotoxic agents, and carcinogens. In the present study, leaching of PAEs from different drinking stuffs (water cooler, mineral water bottles) exposed to sunlight and baby feeders subjected to different heating treatments (boiling, autoclave and oven) was studied. Results showed that a total of 10 PAEs were leached and identified. Among them, dimethyl phthalate, bis(2-methoxyethyl) phthalate, diethyl phthalate, and dibutyl phthalate were the major leached PAEs found in the range 9-112.50 µg L-1. Boiling treatment was found safer for baby feeders as PAE leaching was ~26-54% less as compared to other two treatments. The leached PAEs in water samples were then subjected to biodegradation experiment with Bacillus thuringiensis strain at optimized conditions (time 72 h and 30 °C). Hence, leaching of hazardous PAEs from different water stuffs is alarming and needs immediate attention. Moreover, B. thuringiensis strain was found effective for PAE remediation (75-96% degradation) at neutral pH. Graphical abstract ᅟ.

Assessment of Drinking Water Quality from Bottled Water Coolers.

BACKGROUND: Drinking water quality can be deteriorated by microbial and toxic chemicals during transport, storage and handling before using by the consumer. This study was conducted to evaluate the microbial and physicochemical quality of drinking water from bottled water coolers. METHODS: A total of 64 water samples, over a 5-month period in 2012-2013, were collected from free standing bottled water coolers and water taps in Isfahan. Water samples were analyzed for heterotrophic plate count (HPC), temperature, pH, residual chlorine, turbidity, electrical conductivity (EC) and total organic carbon (TOC). Identification of predominant bacteria was also performed by sequence analysis of 16S rDNA. RESULTS: The mean HPC of water coolers was determined at 38864 CFU/ml which exceeded the acceptable level for drinking water in 62% of analyzed samples. The HPC from the water coolers was also found to be significantly (P < 0.05) higher than that of the tap waters. The statistical analysis showed no significant difference between the values of pH, EC, turbidity and TOC in water coolers and tap waters. According to sequence analysis eleven species of bacteria were identified. CONCLUSION: A high HPC is indicative of microbial water quality deterioration in water coolers. The presence of some opportunistic pathogens in water coolers, furthermore, is a concern from a public health point of view. The results highlight the importance of a periodic disinfection procedure and monitoring system for water coolers in order to keep the level of microbial contamination under control.