Table 3.
Effect of flow regime (flushing duration one-month prior to sampling) and heterotrophic plate counts of hand basin and shower water microbes.
| Microbes in hand basin and shower water | Flow regime (one-month prior sampling) * | Heterotrophic plate count ** | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low (0 to < 2 hours/month) |
High (≥ 2 to 40 hours/month) |
Low (10 to < 5 × 103 CFU/L) |
High (≥ 5 × 103 to 1.5 × 105 CFU/L) |
|
| Total Legionella (GU/L) | 1.783 ± 2.043 | 0.637 ± 1.559 | 0.532 ± 1.443 | 1.604 ± 2.015 |
| VBNC Legionella (GU/L) | 1.560 ± 1.771 | 0.551 ± 1.366 | 0.413 ± 1.100 | 1.455 ± 1.839 |
| Total L. pneumophila (GU/L) | 1.472 ± 1.671 | 0.495 ± 1.284 | 0.429 ± 1.148 | 1.326 ± 1.698 |
| VBNC L. pneumophila (GU/L) | 1.206 ± 1.372 | 0.416 ± 1.107 | 0.344 ± 0.921 | 1.106 ± 1.442 |
| Vermamoeba vermiformis (GU/L) | 3.578 ± 2.835 | 1.755 ± 2.508 | 1.983 ± 2.763 | 2.952 ± 2.755 |
| Heterotrophic plate count (CFU/L) | 3.742 ± 1.010 | 3.656 ± 0.855 | – | – |
Data is log transformed and shown as mean ± standard deviation.
*Microbial loads (except heterotrophic plate count) in the low flow regime are significantly higher than in the high flow regimes (Kruskal-Wallis analysis, p < 0.05).
**Microbial loads in high heterotrophic plate counts are significantly higher than low heterotrophic plate counts (Kruskal-Wallis analysis, p < 0.05).