Interactive Effects of Corrosion, Copper, and Chloramines on Legionella and Mycobacteria in Hot Water Plumbing

Environmental Science & Technology
William J RhoadsMarc A Edwards

Abstract

Complexities associated with drinking water plumbing systems can result in undesirable interactions among plumbing components that undermine engineering controls for opportunistic pathogens (OPs). In this study, we examine the effects of plumbing system materials and two commonly applied disinfectants, copper and chloramines, on water chemistry and the growth of Legionella and mycobacteria across a transect of bench- and pilot-scale hot water experiments carried out with the same municipal water supply. We discovered that copper released from corrosion of plumbing materials can initiate evolution of >1100 times more hydrogen (H2) from water heater sacrificial anode rods than does presence of copper dosed as soluble cupric ions. H2 is a favorable electron donor for autotrophs and causes fixation of organic carbon that could serve as a nutrient for OPs. Dosed cupric ions acted as a disinfectant in stratified stagnant pipes, inhibiting culturable Legionella and biofilm formation, but promoted Legionella growth in pipes subject to convective mixing. This difference was presumably due to continuous delivery of nutrients to biofilm on the pipes under convective mixing conditions. Chloramines eliminated culturable Legionella and preve...Continue Reading

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Citations

Mar 28, 2020·International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health·Stefania PaduanoAnnalisa Bargellini
Mar 7, 2018·ACS Chemical Biology·Eric McGivneyKelvin B Gregory
Dec 29, 2017·Environmental Science & Technology·Xing-Fang Li, William A Mitch

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