Legionnaires' Disease Bacteria in power plant cooling systems: downtime report. Final report

Technical Report · Mon Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:5707091

Tyndall, R L; Solomon, J A; Christensen, S W

Legionnaires' Disease Bacteria (Legionella) are a normal part of the aquatic community that, when aerosolized, can be pathogenic to man. The downtime study was designed to determine the degree to which Legionella populations are aerosolized during cleaning and maintenance operations in a closed-cycle steam-electric power plant. Both high-volume and impinger air samples were collected prior to and during downtime operations. Emphasis was placed on sampling inside or adjacent to water boxes, condensers, and cooling towers. Control air samples were taken upwind from the plant site. Water and sludge samples were also collected at various locations. In the laboratory, the concentrations of Groups A, B, and C Legionella were determined using the direct fluorescent antibody method. All positive air samples, and other selected air samples, were injected into guinea pigs to detect infectious Legionella. Legionella could be detected in only 12 of the 126 air samples collected. These were predominantly Group A Legionella (L. pneumophila, serogroups 1 to 6). All 12 positive samples had been collected in the vicinity of water boxes, condensers, detention ponds, and cooling towers during downtime operations where aerosolization of Legionella populations would be expected. None of the air samples yielded infectious Legionella when injected into guinea pigs. Detection of Legionella in air samples taken during downtime was significantly more likely than detection during normal operating conditions (p <0.01). 13 refs., 4 figs., 10 tabs.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 5707091
• Report Number(s): EPRI-EA-1901-1; ON: DE85005925
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS
200201 -- Fossil-Fueled Power Plants-- Waste Management-- Thermal Effluents
200202* -- Fossil-Fueled Power Plants-- Waste Management-- Noxious Gas &amp; Particulate Emissions
AEROSOL MONITORING
AIR POLLUTION MONITORING
ANIMALS
BACTERIA
COOLING SYSTEMS
DATA
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ENERGY SYSTEMS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
GUINEA PIGS
INFECTIVITY
INFORMATION
LEGIONELLA PNEUMOPHILA
MAMMALS
MICROORGANISMS
MONITORING
NUMERICAL DATA
POWER PLANTS
RODENTS
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
VERTEBRATES