We report our ten-year experience of hyperchlorination, thermal shock, chlorine dioxide, monochloramine, boilers and point-of-use filters for controlling legionella contamination in a hospital hot water distribution system. Shock disinfections were associated with a return to pre-treatment contamination levels within one or two months. We found that chlorine dioxide successfully maintained levels at <100cfu/L, whilst preliminary experiments gave satisfactory results with monochloramine. No contamination was observed applying point-of-use filters and electric boilers at temperatures of >58°C and no cases of nosocomial legionellosis were detected in the ten-year observation period. Our performance ranking in reducing legionella contamination was filter, boiler, chlorine dioxide, hyperchlorination and thermal shock. Chlorine dioxide was the least expensive procedure followed by thermal shock, hyperchlorination, boiler and filter. We suggest adopting chlorine dioxide and electric boilers in parallel.

Effectiveness of different methods to control legionella in the water supply: ten-year experience in an Italian university hospital / Marchesi, Isabella; Marchegiano, P; Bargellini, Annalisa; Cencetti, S; Frezza, Giuseppina; Miselli, M; Borella, Paola. - In: THE JOURNAL OF HOSPITAL INFECTION. - ISSN 0195-6701. - STAMPA. - 77:(2011), pp. 47-51. [10.1016/j.jhin.2010.09.012]

Effectiveness of different methods to control legionella in the water supply: ten-year experience in an Italian university hospital.

MARCHESI, Isabella;BARGELLINI, Annalisa;FREZZA, Giuseppina;BORELLA, Paola
2011

Abstract

We report our ten-year experience of hyperchlorination, thermal shock, chlorine dioxide, monochloramine, boilers and point-of-use filters for controlling legionella contamination in a hospital hot water distribution system. Shock disinfections were associated with a return to pre-treatment contamination levels within one or two months. We found that chlorine dioxide successfully maintained levels at <100cfu/L, whilst preliminary experiments gave satisfactory results with monochloramine. No contamination was observed applying point-of-use filters and electric boilers at temperatures of >58°C and no cases of nosocomial legionellosis were detected in the ten-year observation period. Our performance ranking in reducing legionella contamination was filter, boiler, chlorine dioxide, hyperchlorination and thermal shock. Chlorine dioxide was the least expensive procedure followed by thermal shock, hyperchlorination, boiler and filter. We suggest adopting chlorine dioxide and electric boilers in parallel.
2011
77
47
51
Effectiveness of different methods to control legionella in the water supply: ten-year experience in an Italian university hospital / Marchesi, Isabella; Marchegiano, P; Bargellini, Annalisa; Cencetti, S; Frezza, Giuseppina; Miselli, M; Borella, Paola. - In: THE JOURNAL OF HOSPITAL INFECTION. - ISSN 0195-6701. - STAMPA. - 77:(2011), pp. 47-51. [10.1016/j.jhin.2010.09.012]
Marchesi, Isabella; Marchegiano, P; Bargellini, Annalisa; Cencetti, S; Frezza, Giuseppina; Miselli, M; Borella, Paola
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
J Hospital Infect 2011.pdf

Accesso riservato

Descrizione: Articolo principale
Tipologia: Versione pubblicata dall'editore
Dimensione 181.85 kB
Formato Adobe PDF
181.85 kB Adobe PDF   Visualizza/Apri   Richiedi una copia
Pubblicazioni consigliate

Licenza Creative Commons
I metadati presenti in IRIS UNIMORE sono rilasciati con licenza Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal, mentre i file delle pubblicazioni sono rilasciati con licenza Attribuzione 4.0 Internazionale (CC BY 4.0), salvo diversa indicazione.
In caso di violazione di copyright, contattare Supporto Iris

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11380/647687
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? 28
  • Scopus 92
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 84
social impact