Dirty Hose

Dirty Hose

BY: Sandra Martinez

24 September 2014 

Source: http://www.rodalenews.com/drinking-water-garden-hose

We’ve all done it when we were younger on hot summer days after running around and needing to quench our thirst quick. Drinking water out of a garden hose. As it turns out, common garden hoses are perfect breeding grounds for bacteria and amoebas.  Not only does drinking out of a garden hose put us at risk of contracting a dangerous microbe, but also even inhaling water droplets, in the form of aerosols, can cause respiratory problems induced by these types of organisms. The pathogens found in water hoses include bacterial pathogens Legionella, Mycobacterium, and other amoeba-resisting bacteria. These organisms are able to proliferate due to the ideal environment that water hoses produce, such as stagnant water, elevated temperatures, and the ease of biofilm formation. The pathogen Legionella causes an infection called Legionellosis, or Pontiac fever, which can cause pneumonia and other respiratory tract infections. Among individuals most at risk of infection are the elderly and immunocompromised. The disease caused by this bacteria accounts for the majority of hospitalizations associated with most drinking water diseases. Although the microbial amounts and hose conditions necessary to put humans at risk for disease is undetermined, it is safe to conclude that there IS a health risk associated with the inhalation and exposure of garden hose aerosols. 

Source: www.memecrunch.com

References:

Thomas, J., Thomas, T., Stuetz, R., & Ashbolt, N. 2014. Your Garden Hose: A Potential Health Risk Due to Legionella spp. Growth Facilitated by Free-Living Amoebae. Environmental Science & Technology, 48(17), 10456-64. doi: 10.1021/es502652n