Legionella detection in wastewater treatment plants with increased risk for Legionella growth and emission
Legionnaires’ disease (LD) is a severe pneumonia mainly caused by the bacterium Legionella pneumophila. Although many environmental sources of LD have been described, the sources of the majority of non-outbreak LD cases have not been identified. In several outbreaks in the Netherlands, wastewater tr...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IWA Publishing
2023-09-01
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| Series: | Journal of Water and Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://jwh.iwaponline.com/content/21/9/1291 |
| _version_ | 1797661639906951168 |
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| author | Harold van den Berg Willemijn Lodder Alvin Bartels Petra Brandsema Lucie Vermeulen Gretta Lynch Sjoerd Euser Ana Maria de Roda Husman |
| author_facet | Harold van den Berg Willemijn Lodder Alvin Bartels Petra Brandsema Lucie Vermeulen Gretta Lynch Sjoerd Euser Ana Maria de Roda Husman |
| author_sort | Harold van den Berg |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Legionnaires’ disease (LD) is a severe pneumonia mainly caused by the bacterium Legionella pneumophila. Although many environmental sources of LD have been described, the sources of the majority of non-outbreak LD cases have not been identified. In several outbreaks in the Netherlands, wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) were identified as the most likely source of infection. In this study, four criteria for Legionella growth and emission to air and surface waters were selected based on the literature and a risk matrix was drafted. An inventory was made of all WWTPs and their characteristics in the Netherlands. The risk matrix was applied to identify WWTPs at risk for Legionella growth and emission. Wastewater was collected at WWTPs with moderate to high risk for Legionella growth and emission. In 18% of the sampled WWTPs, Legionella spp. was detected using culture methods. The presented risk matrix can be used to assess the risks of Legionella growth and emission for WWTPs and support surveillance by prioritizing WWTPs. When Legionella is detected in the wastewater, it is recommended to take action to prevent emission to air or discharge on surface waters and, if possible, reduce the Legionella concentration.
HIGHLIGHTS
The developed risk matrix to assess the risks of Legionella growth and emission from WWTPs supports prioritizing WWTP for Legionella surveillance.;
Legionella spp. was detected in 18% of the WWTP with moderate to high risk.;
This work contributed to the development of a guidance document to support owners of WWTPs to identify and control Legionella risks.; |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T18:48:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4fc99409716c45b1b64213186df733d9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1477-8920 1996-7829 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T18:48:06Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | IWA Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Water and Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-4fc99409716c45b1b64213186df733d92023-10-11T15:20:25ZengIWA PublishingJournal of Water and Health1477-89201996-78292023-09-012191291130210.2166/wh.2023.164164Legionella detection in wastewater treatment plants with increased risk for Legionella growth and emissionHarold van den Berg0Willemijn Lodder1Alvin Bartels2Petra Brandsema3Lucie Vermeulen4Gretta Lynch5Sjoerd Euser6Ana Maria de Roda Husman7 National Institute for Public Health and The Environment (RIVM), Centre for Infectious Disease Control, Center for Zoonoses and Environmental Microbiology, P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA, Bilthoven, The Netherlands National Institute for Public Health and The Environment (RIVM), Centre for Infectious Disease Control, Center for Zoonoses and Environmental Microbiology, P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA, Bilthoven, The Netherlands National Institute for Public Health and The Environment (RIVM), Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Coordination Centre for Communicable Disease Control, P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA, Bilthoven, The Netherlands National Institute for Public Health and The Environment (RIVM), Centre for Infectious Disease Control, Centre for Infectious Diseases, Epidemiology and Surveillance, P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA, Bilthoven, The Netherlands National Institute for Public Health and The Environment (RIVM), Centre for Infectious Disease Control, Center for Zoonoses and Environmental Microbiology, P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA, Bilthoven, The Netherlands National Institute for Public Health and The Environment (RIVM), Centre for Infectious Disease Control, Center for Zoonoses and Environmental Microbiology, P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA, Bilthoven, The Netherlands Regional Public Health Laboratory Kennemerland, Boerhaavelaan 26, 2035 RC, Haarlem, The Netherlands National Institute for Public Health and The Environment (RIVM), Centre for Infectious Disease Control, Center for Zoonoses and Environmental Microbiology, P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA, Bilthoven, The Netherlands Legionnaires’ disease (LD) is a severe pneumonia mainly caused by the bacterium Legionella pneumophila. Although many environmental sources of LD have been described, the sources of the majority of non-outbreak LD cases have not been identified. In several outbreaks in the Netherlands, wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) were identified as the most likely source of infection. In this study, four criteria for Legionella growth and emission to air and surface waters were selected based on the literature and a risk matrix was drafted. An inventory was made of all WWTPs and their characteristics in the Netherlands. The risk matrix was applied to identify WWTPs at risk for Legionella growth and emission. Wastewater was collected at WWTPs with moderate to high risk for Legionella growth and emission. In 18% of the sampled WWTPs, Legionella spp. was detected using culture methods. The presented risk matrix can be used to assess the risks of Legionella growth and emission for WWTPs and support surveillance by prioritizing WWTPs. When Legionella is detected in the wastewater, it is recommended to take action to prevent emission to air or discharge on surface waters and, if possible, reduce the Legionella concentration. HIGHLIGHTS The developed risk matrix to assess the risks of Legionella growth and emission from WWTPs supports prioritizing WWTP for Legionella surveillance.; Legionella spp. was detected in 18% of the WWTP with moderate to high risk.; This work contributed to the development of a guidance document to support owners of WWTPs to identify and control Legionella risks.;http://jwh.iwaponline.com/content/21/9/1291aerosolairborneemissionindustrial wastewaterlegionnaires’ diseasesewage |
| spellingShingle | Harold van den Berg Willemijn Lodder Alvin Bartels Petra Brandsema Lucie Vermeulen Gretta Lynch Sjoerd Euser Ana Maria de Roda Husman Legionella detection in wastewater treatment plants with increased risk for Legionella growth and emission Journal of Water and Health aerosol airborne emission industrial wastewater legionnaires’ disease sewage |
| title | Legionella detection in wastewater treatment plants with increased risk for Legionella growth and emission |
| title_full | Legionella detection in wastewater treatment plants with increased risk for Legionella growth and emission |
| title_fullStr | Legionella detection in wastewater treatment plants with increased risk for Legionella growth and emission |
| title_full_unstemmed | Legionella detection in wastewater treatment plants with increased risk for Legionella growth and emission |
| title_short | Legionella detection in wastewater treatment plants with increased risk for Legionella growth and emission |
| title_sort | legionella detection in wastewater treatment plants with increased risk for legionella growth and emission |
| topic | aerosol airborne emission industrial wastewater legionnaires’ disease sewage |
| url | http://jwh.iwaponline.com/content/21/9/1291 |
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