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Title: AUTOMATED DEAD-END ULTRAFILTRATION FOR ENHANCED SURVEILLANCE OF LEGIONELLA 2 PNEUMOPHILA AND LEGIONELLA SPP. IN COOLING TOWER WATERS

Abstract

Detection of Legionella pneumophila in cooling towers and domestic hot water systems involves concentration by centrifugation or membrane filtration prior to inoculation onto growth media or analysis using techniques such as PCR or immunoassays. The Portable Multi-use Automated Concentration System (PMACS) was designed for concentrating microorganisms from large volumes of water in the field and was assessed for enhancing surveillance of L. pneumophila at the Savannah River Site, SC. PMACS samples (100 L; n = 28) were collected from six towers between August 2010 and April 2011 with grab samples (500 ml; n = 56) being collected before and after each PMACS sample. All samples were analyzed for the presence of L. pneumophila by direct fluorescence immunoassay (DFA) using FITC-labeled monoclonal antibodies targeting serogroups 1, 2, 4 and 6. QPCR was utilized for detection of Legionella spp. in the same samples. Counts of L. pneumophila from DFA and of Legionella spp. from qPCR were normalized to cells/L tower water. Concentrations were similar between grab and PMACS samples collected throughout the study by DFA analysis (P = 0.4461; repeated measures ANOVA). The same trend was observed with qPCR. However, PMACS concentration proved advantageous over membrane filtration by providing larger volume, moremore » representative samples of the cooling tower environment, which led to reduced variability among sampling events and increasing the probability of detection of low level targets. These data highlight the utility of the PMACS for enhanced surveillance of L. pneumophila by providing improved sampling of the cooling tower environment.« less

Authors:
; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1026835
Report Number(s):
SRNL-MS-2011-00192
TRN: US201121%%129
DOE Contract Number:  
DE-AC09-08SR22470
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Journal of Applied Environmental Microbiology
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Name: Journal of Applied Environmental Microbiology
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY; CENTRIFUGATION; COOLING TOWERS; DEFEROXAMINE; DETECTION; FILTRATION; FLUORESCENCE; GEOTHERMAL HOT-WATER SYSTEMS; IMMUNOASSAY; INOCULATION; LEGIONELLA PNEUMOPHILA; MEMBRANES; MICROORGANISMS; MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES; PROBABILITY; SAMPLING; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; TARGETS; ULTRAFILTRATION

Citation Formats

Brigmon, R, Leskinen, S, Kearns, E, Jones, W, Miller, R, Betivas, C, Kingsley, M, and Lim, D. AUTOMATED DEAD-END ULTRAFILTRATION FOR ENHANCED SURVEILLANCE OF LEGIONELLA 2 PNEUMOPHILA AND LEGIONELLA SPP. IN COOLING TOWER WATERS. United States: N. p., 2011. Web.
Brigmon, R, Leskinen, S, Kearns, E, Jones, W, Miller, R, Betivas, C, Kingsley, M, & Lim, D. AUTOMATED DEAD-END ULTRAFILTRATION FOR ENHANCED SURVEILLANCE OF LEGIONELLA 2 PNEUMOPHILA AND LEGIONELLA SPP. IN COOLING TOWER WATERS. United States.
Brigmon, R, Leskinen, S, Kearns, E, Jones, W, Miller, R, Betivas, C, Kingsley, M, and Lim, D. 2011. "AUTOMATED DEAD-END ULTRAFILTRATION FOR ENHANCED SURVEILLANCE OF LEGIONELLA 2 PNEUMOPHILA AND LEGIONELLA SPP. IN COOLING TOWER WATERS". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1026835.
@article{osti_1026835,
title = {AUTOMATED DEAD-END ULTRAFILTRATION FOR ENHANCED SURVEILLANCE OF LEGIONELLA 2 PNEUMOPHILA AND LEGIONELLA SPP. IN COOLING TOWER WATERS},
author = {Brigmon, R and Leskinen, S and Kearns, E and Jones, W and Miller, R and Betivas, C and Kingsley, M and Lim, D},
abstractNote = {Detection of Legionella pneumophila in cooling towers and domestic hot water systems involves concentration by centrifugation or membrane filtration prior to inoculation onto growth media or analysis using techniques such as PCR or immunoassays. The Portable Multi-use Automated Concentration System (PMACS) was designed for concentrating microorganisms from large volumes of water in the field and was assessed for enhancing surveillance of L. pneumophila at the Savannah River Site, SC. PMACS samples (100 L; n = 28) were collected from six towers between August 2010 and April 2011 with grab samples (500 ml; n = 56) being collected before and after each PMACS sample. All samples were analyzed for the presence of L. pneumophila by direct fluorescence immunoassay (DFA) using FITC-labeled monoclonal antibodies targeting serogroups 1, 2, 4 and 6. QPCR was utilized for detection of Legionella spp. in the same samples. Counts of L. pneumophila from DFA and of Legionella spp. from qPCR were normalized to cells/L tower water. Concentrations were similar between grab and PMACS samples collected throughout the study by DFA analysis (P = 0.4461; repeated measures ANOVA). The same trend was observed with qPCR. However, PMACS concentration proved advantageous over membrane filtration by providing larger volume, more representative samples of the cooling tower environment, which led to reduced variability among sampling events and increasing the probability of detection of low level targets. These data highlight the utility of the PMACS for enhanced surveillance of L. pneumophila by providing improved sampling of the cooling tower environment.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1026835}, journal = {Journal of Applied Environmental Microbiology},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Oct 10 00:00:00 EDT 2011},
month = {Mon Oct 10 00:00:00 EDT 2011}
}