Legionnaires' disease bacteria in power plant cooling systems: downtime report. Final report

Technical Report · Fri Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:6431726

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 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 127 air samples collected. These were predominantly L. pneumophila, serogroups 1-6. In contrast to the air samples, most of the water and sludge samples were positive for Legionella, again predominantly L. pneumophila, serogroups 1-6. The highest Legionella concentrations were found in sludge samples associated with condenser tube cleaning. Among the water samples, the highest Legionella concentrations were found in cooling towers, immediately after the tower basins were cleaned and refilled, and in condenser tubes. Two of the three cooling tower water samples collected prior to downtime operations were infectious for guinea pigs. 16 refs., 4 figs., 11 tabs.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 6431726
• Report Number(s): EPRI-EA-4300; ON: DE86003562
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS
200200 -- Fossil-Fueled Power Plants-- Waste Management
550700* -- Microbiology
570000 -- Health & Safety
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
AIR SAMPLERS
ANIMALS
BACTERIA
CONDENSERS
COOLING TOWERS
DATA
EQUIPMENT
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
GUINEA PIGS
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
INFORMATION
LEGIONELLA PNEUMOPHILA
MAMMALS
MECHANICAL STRUCTURES
MICROORGANISMS
NUMERICAL DATA
POWER PLANTS
RODENTS
SAMPLERS
SCREENING
STEAM CONDENSERS
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
TOWERS
VAPOR CONDENSERS
VERTEBRATES