Work

Case report: contamination of a drinking water distribution system by Exophiala-dominated biofilm in the Midwestern United States

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT Fungal contamination of drinking water distribution systems can impact water quality with implications for public health. We document an instance of Exophiala spp. biofilm contamination of customer taps in the Midwest United States following consumer complaints. Three samples of black biofilm were collected from customer taps in Ohio and then processed using next-generation DNA sequencing of the bacterial 16S and fungal ITS regions. Two samples with successful ITS sequencing were dominated by Exophiala spp., putatively identified as E. cancerae and E. lecanii-corni. Dominant bacterial phyla in samples included Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, and Acidobacteria. Bacterial composition varied substantially at the family and genus levels, and potentially pathogenic bacteria (i.e., Acinetobacter spp., Legionella spp., Mycobacterium spp., and Pseudomonas spp.) were detected. The potential for fungal contamination of drinking water distribution systems should be evaluated when biofilms are observed.

Source: Journal of Water and Health

DOI: 10.2166/wh.2025.173

Authors: Jon C. King, Emma Lancaster, Alicia Myers, Jiyoung Lee, Karen C. Dannemiller

Institutions: The Ohio State University, ICF International (United States)

Language: English

Topic: Water Systems and Optimization

Subfield: Civil and Structural Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Clean water and sanitation, Good health and well-being

Open Access status: diamond

Funder: National Science Foundation