A novel approach for monitoring reprocessing of colonoscopy devices was developed and successfully applied in a multicenter survey. The general principle of tracing biological fluids through microflora DNA amplification was successfully applied and may represent a promising approach for hospital hygiene.

Thermal springs are natural environments present all over the world and their use represents a social-economical resource with an impact on sanus per aquam (SPA) medical and wellness applications. Physical-chemical and microbiological balances characterize these ecological niches and their knowledge is essential to define water properties and support appropriate management. This study is a pilot application of a larger research project, involving metagenomics and aimed to fingerprint springs and map SPA biodiversity. Waters and their deposits were collected in six thermal springs from the Lazio region in Italy. The phylogenic microbial profiles performed by Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) analysis showed a clear separation between different springs. Statistical analyses revealed correlations between the abundance of specific bacteria and environmental variables. Temperature, Sodium and H2S levels appear to play a key role in influencing the microbiota. The extension of this model to other springs will contribute to characterize and map the microbial community in thermal springs, allowing associations with chemical-physical factors. Biodiversity is a still underestimated property of thermal springs and a key element in several SPA applications. The Atlas progress is shedding light on biotic and abiotic components in these ecological niches, opening further perspectives for supporting appropriate use and management of thermal waters.

Safety and quality in sport environments are ruled by regulations and supported by monitoring tools. An integrated approach to assess environmental air quality in sport facilities can impact on wellness and promote physical activity and healthy life styles in different recreational settings. We review the national and international regulations of indoor air quality in gyms and pools. A field survey was performed in sport facilities using standardized monitoring techniques. Data on air microbiology and thermal comfort were compared with individual perception by a questionnaire. The results obtained are in accordance with other studies and did not reveal major health hazards. However, it is desirable to implement air exchange and monitor microclimate parameters in these facilities. The indoor air quality complies with the national standards for non-industrial premises. The questionnaires showed a general satisfaction for safety and hygiene levels. In conclusion, we provide a state of the art on regulations and environmental markers in sport plants, suggesting an integrated approach for surveillance based on laboratory test and questionnaires data. The whole of the results provides strategies and guidelines for improving environmental quality in sport and recreational settings.

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Synthetic fibres are used in place of the natural grass worldwide, for realizing playgrounds, soccer fields and even domestic gardens or recreational structures. An intensive use of artificial turf is currently observed in sports facilities, due to lower costs, higher sustainability in recycling of materials, and advantages related to athletic practice and performance. However, even if chemical and physical risks were studied, the microbiological component was not fully addressed, especially considering a comprehensive evaluation of the microbiota in synthetic vs natural playground surfaces. Here, we investigated the microbial community present on soccer fields, using Next Generation Sequencing and a 16S amplicon sequencing approach. Artificial and natural turfs show own ecosystems with different microbial profiles and a mean Shannon's diversity value of 2.176 and 2.475, respectively. The bacterial community is significantly different between facilities (ANOSIM: R ¼ 0.179; p < 0.001) and surface materials (ANOSIM: R ¼ 0.172; p < 0.005). The relative abundance of potentially pathogenic bacterial OTUs was higher in synthetic than in natural samples (ANOVA, F ¼ 2.2). Soccer fields are characterized by their own microbiota, showing a different 16S amplicon sequencing signature between natural and artificial turfs.