Assessment of Relative Potential for Legionella Species or Surrogates Inhalation Exposure from Common Water Uses
Citation:
Hines, S., D. Chappie, R. Lordo, B. Miller, R. Janke, Alan Lindquist, K. Fox, H. Ernst, AND S. Taft. Assessment of Relative Potential for Legionella Species or Surrogates Inhalation Exposure from Common Water Uses. WATER RESEARCH. Elsevier Science Ltd, New York, NY, 56(0):203-213, (2014).
Impact/Purpose:
The Legionella species have been identified as important waterborne pathogens in terms of disease morbidity and mortality. Microbial exposure assessment is an important tool that can be utilized to assess the potential of Legionella species inhalation exposure from common water uses. This screening-level exposure assessment developed emission factors to model aerosolization, quantitatively assessed inhalation exposures of aerosolized Legionella species or Legionella species surrogates, and resulted in a relative ranking of six common in-home uses of water for potential Legionella species inhalation exposure. Considerable variability in the calculated exposure dose was identified between the six identified exposure pathways, with the doses differing by over five orders of magnitude in each of the evaluated exposure scenarios. The assessment of exposure pathways that have been epidemiologically associated with legionellosis transmission (ultrasonic and cool mist humidifiers) produced higher estimated inhalation exposure doses than pathways where epidemiological evidence of transmission has been less strong (faucet and shower) or absent (toilets and therapy pool). With consideration of the limited precision of the assessment process, a relative ranking of exposure pathways from highest to lowest exposure doses was produced using culture-based measurement data. In this ranking, the ultrasonic and cool mist humidifier exposure pathways were estimated to produce the highest exposure doses, followed by the shower and faucet exposure pathways, and then the toilet and therapy pool exposure pathways.
Description:
Journal Article
URLs/Downloads:
ASSESSMENT OF RELATIVE POTENTIAL FOR LEGIONELLA SPECIES OR SURROGATES INHALATION EXPOSURE FROM COMMON WATER USES