Investigating alternative materials to EPDM for automatic taps in the context of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and biofilm control

Hutchins, Chloe; Moore, Ginny; Webb, Jeremy S.; Walker, James T.

doi:10.1016/j.jhin.2020.09.013

Cited by 5 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…Microbes adhere to the surface, replicate, and produce extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) such as proteins, polysaccharides, extracellular DNA, etc., to form a microbial biofilm. There are reports that confirm the biofilm formation on the EPDM surface by several opportunistic pathogens, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa and K. pneumoniae 11–13 . When EPDM is used within the solenoid valves of automatic tap sensors, pathogens adhered to it slowly release into clean drinking water if any external forces or stress are applied.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…There are reports that confirm the biofilm formation on the EPDM surface by several opportunistic pathogens, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa and K. pneumoniae. [11][12][13] When EPDM is used within the solenoid valves of automatic tap sensors, pathogens adhered to it slowly release into clean drinking water if any external forces or stress are applied. It is reported as a potential source of waterborne infections.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is reported as a potential source of waterborne infections. [13][14][15] EPDM is also used as ship fenders that work as elastic buffer devices or shock absorbers. 16 The attachment of unwanted organisms roughens the surface and increases frictional resistance.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…When EPDM is used within the solenoid valves of automatic tap sensors, pathogens adhered to it slowly release into clean drinking water if any external forces or stress are applied. It is reported as a potential source of waterborne infections 13–15 . EPDM is also used as ship fenders that work as elastic buffer devices or shock absorbers 16 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Biofouling reduction of EPDM by radiation‐assisted modification for water environment applications

Agarwal,

Kalambe,

Chakraborty

et al. 2023

J of Applied Polymer Sci

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Ethylene propylene diene elastomer (EPDM) harbors diverse microbiota that form biofilms. Such biofilms may contaminate water and can increase drag force impacting the hydrodynamic performance of a ship, once it is used as fenders. Here, the EPDM surface is modified by radiation‐assisted grafting to prevent biofilm formation. Three different monomers, namely, methacrylic acid (MAA), isodecyl methacrylate (IDM), and lauryl methacrylate (LMA), are grafted on EPDM. The modified surfaces are characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, surface wettability, mechanical and dynamic mechanical properties (DMA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The modified surfaces are subjected to biofouling by prominent biofilm adherents, that is, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae. The standard plate count and resazurin fluorescence assays are performed to observe the microbial load on these surfaces. The MAA‐grafted EPDM, which is hydrophilic in nature, shows a considerable decrease in bacterial adhesion compared to pure EPDM, but for IDM and LMA‐grafted EPDM, it is the opposite. The deterioration of the surface with bacteria by environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) supports the findings. The tensile property of the modified EPDM is observed to be within satisfactory limits. After such modification, the EPDM is expected to expand its application.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Biofouling reduction of EPDM by radiation‐assisted modification for water environment applications

Agarwal,

Kalambe,

Chakraborty

et al. 2023

J of Applied Polymer Sci

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“…Control of P. aeruginosa colonization of hospital water systems is dependent upon the infrastructure of the setting and achieved through a holistic approach: this can include (i) treatment -chemical or thermal disinfection of the water system, (ii) physical barriers, i.e. point-of-use (POU) filtration devices, (iii) cleaning/education -training of cleaners and provision of appropriate disinfection product, (iv) material selection -use of easy-to-clean/antimicrobial surfaces and avoidance of materials, such as ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM), although alternatives are not necessarily superior [11,12]. Showers are essential for patient care but provide a large surface area for the formation of biofilm.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enhanced monitoring of healthcare shower water in augmented and non-augmented care wards showing persistence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa despite remediation work

Yetiş

Ali

Karia

et al. 2023

Journal of Medical Microbiology

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Introduction. Pseudomonas aeruginosa in healthcare shower waters presents a high risk of infection to immune-suppressed patients; identifying the colonization-status of water outlets is essential in preventing acquisition. Hypothesis/Gap Statement. Testing frequencies may be insufficient to capture presence/absence of contamination in healthcare waters between sampling and remediation activities. Standardization of outlets may facilitate the management and control of P. aeruginosa . Aim. This study aims to monitor shower waters and drains for P. aeruginosa in augmented and non-augmented healthcare settings every 2 weeks for a period of 7 months during remedial actions. Methodology. All shower facilities were standardized to include antimicrobial silver-impregnated showerhead/hose units, hose-length fixed to 0.8 m and replaced every 3 months. Standard hospital manual decontamination/disinfection occurred daily. Thermostatic-mixer-valves (TMVs) were replaced and disinfected if standard remediation unsuccessful. Results. Of 560 shower and drain samples collected over 14 time-points covering 7 months, P. aeruginosa colonized 40 %(4/10; non-augmented) and 80 %(8/10; augmented-care) showers in the first week. For each week elapsed, new outlets became contaminated with P. aeruginosa by 18–19 % (P<0.001) in shower waters (OR=1.19; CI=1.09–1.31) and drains (OR=1.18; CI=1.09–1.30). P. aeruginosa occurrence in shower water was associated with subsequent colonization of the corresponding drain and vice versa (chi-square; P<0.001) with simultaneous contamination present in 31 %(87/280) of areas. TMV replacement was ineffective in eradicating colonisation in ~83 % of a subset (6/20; three per ward) of contaminated showers. Conclusions. We demonstrate the difficulties in eradicating P. aeruginosa from hospital plumbing, particularly when contamination is no longer sporadic. Non-augmented care settings are reservoirs of P. aeruginosa and should not be overlooked in outbreak investigations. Antimicrobial-impregnated materials may be ineffective once colonization with P. aeruginosa is established beyond the hose and head. Reducing hose-length insufficient to prevent cross-contamination from shower drains. P. aeruginosa colonization can be transient in both drain and shower hose/head. Frequent microbiological monitoring suggests testing frequencies following HTM04-01 guidelines are insufficient to capture the colonization-status of healthcare waters between samples. Disinfection/decontamination is recommended to minimize bioburden and the effect of remediation should be verified with microbiological monitoring. Where standard remediation did not remove P. aeruginosa contamination, intensive monitoring supported justifying replacement of showers and contiguous plumbing.

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Walker¹,

Surman-Lee²,

McDermott³

et al. 2023

Safe Water in Healthcare

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Investigating alternative materials to EPDM for automatic taps in the context of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and biofilm control

Cited by 5 publications

References 15 publications

Biofouling reduction of EPDM by radiation‐assisted modification for water environment applications

Biofouling reduction of EPDM by radiation‐assisted modification for water environment applications

Enhanced monitoring of healthcare shower water in augmented and non-augmented care wards showing persistence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa despite remediation work

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