Risk Exposure to Legionella pneumophila during Showering: The Difference between a Classical and a Water Saving Shower System

The increase in legionellosis incidence in the general population in recent years calls for a better characterization of the sources of infection, such as showering. Water-efficient shower systems that use water-atomizing technology have been shown to emit slightly more inhalable particles in the range of bacterial sizes than the traditional systems; however, the actual rate of bacterial emission remains poorly documented. The aim of this study was to assess the aerosolisation rate of the opportunistic water pathogen Legionella pneumophila during showering with one shower system representative of each technology. To achieve this objective, we performed controlled experiments inside a glove box and determined the emitted dose and viability of airborne Legionella. The bioaerosols were sampled with a Coriolis(R) Delta air sampler and the total number of viable (cultivable and noncultivable) Legionella was determined by flow cytometry and culture. We found that the rate of viable and cultivable Legionella aerosolized from the water jet was similar between the two showerheads: the viable fraction represents 0.02% of the overall bacteria present in water, while the cultivable fraction corresponds to only 0.0005%. The two showerhead models emitted a similar ratio of airborne Legionella viable and cultivable per volume of water used. Therefore, the risk of exposure to Legionella is not expected to increase significantly with the new generation of water-efficient showerheads.

Automated summary

The increase in legionellosis incidence in the general population has raised concerns about the sources of infection, including showering. This study assessed the rate of aerosolization of Legionella pneumophila, a water pathogen, during showering with different shower systems. The results showed that the risk of exposure to viable Legionella is not expected to significantly increase with the use of water-efficient showerheads.