Novak Babič Monika, Gunde-Cimerman Nina
Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Microorganisms. 2021 Jan 12;9(1):160. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms9010160.
Global warming, globalization, industrialization, and the rapidly growing population at present increasingly affect the production of safe drinking water. In combination with sustainable bio-based or recycled materials, used for water distribution systems, these factors promote emerging pathogens, including fungi. They can proliferate in oligotrophic water systems, affect the disinfection process, degrade building materials, and cause diseases in humans. In this study, we explored fungal-based degradation of modern concrete water storage tanks and the presence of fungi in chlorinated drinking water at the entrance and exit of the tanks. The degradation potential of isolated 52 fungal strains and their growth at different oligotrophic conditions was tested in vitro. Forty percent of strains grew at extremely oligotrophic conditions, and 50% classified as aerophilic. Two-thirds of tested strains produced acids, with strains as the best producers. Only 29.7% of the strains were able to grow at 37 °C, and none of them was isolated from drinking water at consumers' taps. Although not yet part of the guidelines for building materials in contact with drinking water, fungi should be taken into consideration in case of visible degradation. Their number of consumers' endpoints should be checked to exclude possible health risks for consumers.
全球变暖、全球化、工业化以及当前迅速增长的人口，日益影响着安全饮用水的生产。这些因素与用于供水系统的可持续生物基或再生材料相结合，促使包括真菌在内的新出现病原体滋生。它们能在贫营养水系统中增殖，影响消毒过程，降解建筑材料，并导致人类患病。在本研究中，我们探究了现代混凝土储水箱基于真菌的降解情况以及水箱进出口氯化饮用水中真菌的存在情况。对分离出的52株真菌菌株的降解潜力及其在不同贫营养条件下的生长情况进行了体外测试。40%的菌株能在极端贫营养条件下生长，50%被归类为需氧菌。三分之二的测试菌株产生酸，其中[具体菌株]是最佳产酸菌株。只有29.7%的菌株能在37℃下生长，且没有一株是从消费者水龙头的饮用水中分离出来的。尽管真菌尚未成为与饮用水接触的建筑材料指南的一部分，但在出现明显降解的情况下应予以考虑。应检查其对消费者的影响程度，以排除对消费者可能的健康风险。
