Effectiveness of a Water Disinfection Method Based on Osmosis and Chlorine Dioxide for the Prevention of Microbial Contamination in Dental Practices

Michele Totaro, Federica Badalucco, Francesca Papini, Niccolò Grassi, Marina Mannocci, Matteo Baggiani, Benedetta Tuvo, Beatrice Casini, Giovanni Battista Menchini Fabris and Angelo Baggiani ()
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Michele Totaro: Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
Federica Badalucco: Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
Francesca Papini: Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
Niccolò Grassi: Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
Marina Mannocci: Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
Matteo Baggiani: San Rossore Dental Unit, 56122 Pisa, Italy
Benedetta Tuvo: Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
Beatrice Casini: Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
Giovanni Battista Menchini Fabris: San Rossore Dental Unit, 56122 Pisa, Italy
Angelo Baggiani: Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 17, 1-9

Abstract: In dental clinics, the infections may be acquired through contaminated devices, air, and water. Aerosolized water may contain bacteria, grown into the biofilm of dental unit waterlines (DUWLs). We evaluated a disinfection method based on water osmosis and chlorination with chlorine dioxide (O-CD), applied to DUWL of five dental clinics. Municipal water was chlorinated with O-CD device before feeding all DUWLs. Samplings were performed on water/air samples in order to research total microbial counts at 22–37 °C, Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Legionella spp., and chlorine values. Water was collected from the taps, spittoons, and air/water syringes. Air was sampled before, during, and after 15 min of aerosolizing procedure. Legionella and P. aeruginosa resulted as absent in all water samples, which presented total microbial counts almost always at 0 CFU/mL. Mean values of total chlorine ranged from 0.18–0.23 mg/L. Air samples resulted as free from Legionella spp. and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Total microbial counts decreased from the pre-aerosolizing (mean 2.1 × 10 2 CFU/m 3 ) to the post-aerosolizing samples (mean 1.5 × 10 CFU/m 3 ), while chlorine values increased from 0 to 0.06 mg/L. O-CD resulted as effective against the biofilm formation in DUWLs. The presence of residual activity of chlorine dioxide also allowed the bacteria reduction from air, at least at one meter from the aerosolizing source.

Keywords: dental unit waterlines; reverse osmosis; chlorine dioxide; waterborne pathogens (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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