Comparing the temporal colonization and microbial diversity of showerhead biofilms in Hawai'i and Colorado

The household is a potential source of opportunistic pathogens to humans, a particularly critical issue for immunodeficient individuals. An important human–microbe interface is the biofilm that develops on showerhead surfaces. Once microbe-laden biofilms become aerosolized, they can potentially be i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	FEMS microbiology letters Vol. 363; no. 4; p. fnw005
Main Authors:	Abe, Jonathan, Alop-Mabuti, Aleena, Burger, Peyton, Button, Jackson, Ellsberry, Madeline, Hitzeman, Jaycinth, Morgenstern, David, Nunies, Kasey, Strother, Mara, Darling-Munson, Jared, Chan, Yvonne L., Cassady, Robert, Vasconcellos, Sarah Maile K., Iseman, Michael D., Chan, Edward D., Honda, Jennifer R.
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	England Oxford University Press 01-02-2016
Subjects:	Arid environments Aridity Bacteria - growth & development Bacteria - isolation & purification Baths Biodiversity Biofilms Biofilms - growth & development Biomedical Research - education Biomedical Research - methods Chlorine Colonization Colorado Culture techniques Hawaii Household Articles Households Humans Humidity Hydrogen-Ion Concentration Immunodeficiency Microbiology Microorganisms Opportunist infection Science - education Students Time Factors Water - chemistry Water hardness United States > US Colorado citizen science microbial biofilms water quality environmental health microbiology education
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Summary:	The household is a potential source of opportunistic pathogens to humans, a particularly critical issue for immunodeficient individuals. An important human–microbe interface is the biofilm that develops on showerhead surfaces. Once microbe-laden biofilms become aerosolized, they can potentially be inhaled into the lungs. Understanding how quickly a new showerhead becomes colonized would provide useful information to minimize exposure to potentially pathogenic environmental microbes. High school scientists sampled the inner surfaces of pre-existing and newly fitted showerheads monthly over a nine-month period and applied standard microbiologic culture techniques to qualitatively assess microbial growth. Water chemistry was also monitored using commercial test strips. Sampling was performed in households on Oahu, Hawai'i and Denver, Colorado, representing warm/humid and cold/arid environments, respectively. Pre-existing showerheads in Hawai'i showed more diverse microbial growth and significantly greater microbial numbers than a comparable showerhead from Colorado. New, chrome-plated or plastic showerheads in Hawai'i showed diverse and abundant growth one month after installment compared to new showerheads from Colorado. The pH, total chlorine and water hardness levels varied significantly between the Hawai'i and Colorado samples. Enthusiastic student and teacher participation allowed us to answer long-standing questions regarding the temporal colonization of microbial biofilms on pre-existing and new showerhead surfaces. Comparing microbial showerhead diversity in Hawai'i and Colorado using high school scientists to promote microbiology education.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23
ISSN:	1574-6968 0378-1097 1574-6968
DOI:	10.1093/femsle/fnw005