Pitell Sarah, Spencer-Williams Isaiah, Huffman Daniel, Moncure Paige, Millstone Jill, Stout Janet, Gilbertson Leanne, Haig Sarah-Jane
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, United States.
Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States.
ACS ES T Water. 2024 Nov 25;4(12):5364-5376. doi: 10.1021/acsestwater.4c00492. eCollection 2024 Dec 13.
The incidence of waterborne disease outbreaks in the United States attributed to drinking water-associated pathogens that can cause infections in the immunocompromised DWPIs (e.g., , nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), and , among others) appears to be increasing. An emerging technology adopted to reduce DWPIs are point-of-use devices, such as showerheads that contain silver, a known antimicrobial material. In this study, we evaluate the effect of silver-containing showerheads on DWPI density and the broader microbiome in shower water under real-use conditions in a full-scale shower system, considering three different silver-modified showerhead designs: (i) silver mesh within the showerhead, (ii) silver-coated copper mesh in the head and hose, and (iii) silver-embedded polymer composite compared to conventional plastic and metal showerheads. We found no significant difference in targeted DWPI transcriptional activity in collected water across silver and nonsilver shower head designs. Yet, the presence of silver and how it was incorporated in the showerhead influenced the metal concentrations, microbial rare taxa, and microbiome functionality. Microbial dynamics were also influenced by the showerhead age (i.e., time after installation). The results of this study provide valuable information for consumers and building managers to consider when choosing a showerhead meant to reduce microorganisms in shower water.
在美国，由饮用水相关病原体引起的水源性疾病暴发的发生率似乎在上升，这些病原体可导致免疫功能低下的与饮用水相关的感染（DWPI）（例如非结核分枝杆菌（NTM）等）。一种被采用来减少DWPI的新兴技术是使用点式设备，例如含有已知抗菌材料银的淋浴喷头。在本研究中，我们在一个全尺寸淋浴系统的实际使用条件下，考虑三种不同的银改性淋浴喷头设计，评估含银淋浴喷头对DWPI密度和淋浴水中更广泛微生物群落的影响：（i）淋浴喷头内的银网；（ii）喷头和软管中的镀银铜网；（iii）与传统塑料和金属淋浴喷头相比的银嵌入聚合物复合材料。我们发现，在收集的水中，针对DWPI转录活性，银质和非银质淋浴喷头设计之间没有显著差异。然而，银的存在及其在淋浴喷头中的掺入方式影响了金属浓度、微生物稀有分类群和微生物群落功能。微生物动态也受淋浴喷头使用年限（即安装后的时间）影响。本研究结果为消费者和建筑管理人员在选择旨在减少淋浴水中微生物的淋浴喷头时提供了有价值的信息。
