Predictive factors of Legionella pneumophila contamination in cooling tower water

• Published in: Air, soil and water research soil and water research, 2014-01, Vol.7, p.11-17
• Main Authors: Luksamijarulkul, Pipat, Kornkrerkkiat, Sumawadee, Saranpuetti, Chayaporn, Sujirarat, Dusit
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adjustment; Contamination; Cooling towers; Legionella pneumophila; Logistics; Mathematical models; Regression analysis; Water; Water temperature
• ISSN: 1178-6221; 1178-6221
• DOI: 10.4137/ASWR.S12972.

A cross-sectional study of 160 water samples collected from 72 cooling towers in 4 hospitals, 7 department stores, and 3 hotels in Bangkok was carried out to investigate Legionella pneumophila contamination and its predictive factors. All water samples were cultured for Legionella spp. and tested for L. pneumophila by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Some cooling tower parameters were measured and recorded. Data were analyzed using chi 2-test, odds ratio and stepwise logistic regression analysis at the significant level of a = 0.05. Results revealed that the Legionella spp. contamination was 20.0% (32/160) and for L. pneumophila was 61.3% (98/160). The sensitivity of real-time PCR was higher than that of the culture. Factors significantly associated with L. pneumophila contamination by chi 2-test were: the cooling tower model, size, use duration, pH, water temperature, use of ozone, and residual free chlorine (95% CI of OR > 1.0, P < 0.05). After stepwise logistic regression analysis, four predictive factors remained. These included the cooling tower model being a cross-flow type (adjusted OR = 3.1, 95% CI = 1.2-7.8, P = 0.017), use duration >5 years (adjusted OR = 3.6, 95% CI = 1.3-10.1, P = 0.016), water temperature