Evaluation of Microbiological and Free-Living Protozoa Contamination in Dental Unit Waterlines

Anna Maria Spagnolo, Marina Sartini, David Di Cave, Beatrice Casini, Benedetta Tuvo and Maria Luisa Cristina
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Anna Maria Spagnolo: Department of Health Sciences, University of Genova, Via Pastore 1, 16132 Genova, Italy
Marina Sartini: Department of Health Sciences, University of Genova, Via Pastore 1, 16132 Genova, Italy
David Di Cave: Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
Beatrice Casini: Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
Benedetta Tuvo: Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
Maria Luisa Cristina: Department of Health Sciences, University of Genova, Via Pastore 1, 16132 Genova, Italy

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 15, 1-11

Abstract: Studies conducted over the last 40 years have demonstrated that the water output from dental unit waterlines (DUWLs) is often contaminated with high densities of microorganisms. It has been monitored the microbiological quality of the water in 30 public dental facilities in northern Italy in order to assess the health risk for patients and dental staff. In each facility, samples of water both from taps and from DUWLs were analyzed in order to evaluate heterotrophic plate counts (HPCs) at 22 °C and 36 °C, and to detect coliform bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Legionella pneumophila and amoebae. In 100% of the samples taken from the DUWLs, the concentration of HPCs was above the threshold as determined by the Ministère de la Santé et des Solidarités (2007). The concentration of P. aeruginosa was greater than the indicated threshold in 16.67% of the hand-pieces analyzed. A total of 78.33% of samples were contaminated by L. pneumophila , while in the samples taken from the DUWLs alone, this percentage rose to 86.67%. Amoebae were detected in 60% of the samples taken from hand-pieces; all belonging to the species V. vermiformis . This study documented the presence of various microorganisms, including Legionella spp., at considerably higher concentrations in water samples from DUWLs than in samples of tap water in the same facilities, confirming the role of the internal DUWLs in increasing microbial contamination, especially in the absence of proper management of waterborne health risks.

Keywords: contamination; dental waterlines; infection risk (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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