Boil-water Orders: Beneficial or Hazardous?

This article reports on a study done at the University of Michigan on how boil water advisories may provide little if any protection against thermally resistant bacterial spores (e.g., Bacillus anthracis), and may actually result in much greater inhalation health hazards. The article discusses three...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal - American Water Works Association 2003-10, Vol.95 (10), p.40-45
Main Author: Weber, Walter J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aerosols
Anthrax
Bacillus
Bacillus anthracis
Bacteria
Bacterial spores
Biological & chemical terrorism
Bioterrorism
Condensation
Drinking water
Experiments
Flasks
Health hazards
Heat inactivation
Heat resistance
Inactivation
Michigan
Potable water
Protozoa
Public health
Reactors
Security
special section: security
Spores
Sterilization
Viability
Water pollution
Water supply
Water treatment
Water utilities
Water vapor
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Summary:This article reports on a study done at the University of Michigan on how boil water advisories may provide little if any protection against thermally resistant bacterial spores (e.g., Bacillus anthracis), and may actually result in much greater inhalation health hazards. The article discusses three characteristics of Bacillus anthracis that make it one of the most likely choices for a bioterrorism attack. Specifically, the objectives of the study were to determine whether the spores of Bacillus subtilis (selected as a nonlethal surrogate for the highly lethal Bacillus anthracis) are inactivated in boiling water and to assess whether aerosols formed in boiling processes create potential routes for dispersal of viable airborne spores. The article discusses materials and methods used in the study, including preparation of spore suspensions, general experimental protocol, thermal inactivation experiments, aerosolation experiments, and viability assessment.
ISSN:0003-150X
1551-8833
DOI:10.1002/j.1551-8833.2003.tb10470.x