Biosafety, Air and Water Microbiology Group, National Infection Service, Public Health England, Salisbury, UK.
School of Biosciences and Medicine, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK.
Perspect Public Health. 2018 Sep;138(5):254-260. doi: 10.1177/1757913918786322. Epub 2018 Jul 3.
To determine the presence and prevalence of Legionella spp in domestic rainwater storage butts and to quantify its aerosolisation when collected rainwater is used for common gardening activities.
Volunteers were asked to take a water sample from their garden rainwater storage butt. The presence of Legionella was determined using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Two new rainwater storage butts were installed on-site at PHE Porton and positioned in sunlight or in the shade. Ambient conditions and those within the two 'experimental' water butts were continually monitored. A cyclone air sampler was used to detect the presence of Legionella in the air when collected rainwater was poured from a watering can or delivered via a hosepipe attached to a submersible water butt pump.
A total of 63 volunteers provided water samples from 113 different rainwater storage butts. Legionella spp was detected in 107 of these samples at a mean concentration of 4.7 × 10 genomic units l. Two of these samples also contained L. pneumophila. The water butt positioned in the shade stored water at a significantly lower temperature than that exposed to sunlight. While the concentration of Legionella was significantly higher in this cooler water, meteorological conditions rather than conditions within the water butt had the greatest effect upon Legionella concentration. No Legionella was detected in the air when rainwater was poured from a watering can. However, using a hose pipe on a 'fine spray' setting increased both the number of organisms detected in the air and their dissemination.
In this study, Legionella spp were common contaminants of collected rainwater. However, the use of rainwater for common gardening activities should not be discouraged. Aerosolisation of Legionella when using a watering can is minimal and any increased risk associated with hose pipe use can be mitigated by using a coarse spray setting.
确定家用雨水储存桶中军团菌属的存在和流行情况，并量化收集雨水用于常见园艺活动时的气溶胶化。
志愿者被要求从他们的花园雨水储存桶中采集水样。使用定量聚合酶链反应（qPCR）确定军团菌的存在。在 PHE Porton 现场安装了两个新的雨水储存桶，并将其放置在阳光直射或阴凉处。持续监测环境条件和两个“实验”储水罐内的条件。使用旋风空气采样器在从浇水壶中倒出收集的雨水或通过连接到潜水式储水罐泵的软管输送时，检测空气中是否存在军团菌。
共有 63 名志愿者从 113 个不同的雨水储存桶中提供了水样。在这些样本中，107 个样本中检测到军团菌属，平均浓度为 4.7×10 基因组单位 l。其中两个样本还含有嗜肺军团菌。放置在阴凉处的储水罐储存的水温度明显低于暴露在阳光下的水。虽然在较冷的水中军团菌浓度明显更高，但气象条件而不是储水罐内的条件对军团菌浓度的影响最大。当从浇水壶中倒出雨水时，空气中未检测到军团菌。然而，使用软管在“细喷雾”设置下增加了空气中检测到的生物数量及其传播。
在这项研究中，军团菌属是收集雨水的常见污染物。然而，不应劝阻使用雨水进行常见园艺活动。使用浇水壶时，军团菌的气溶胶化作用很小，使用软管时与使用相关的任何增加的风险可以通过使用粗喷雾设置来减轻。
