ArticleNPJ biofilms and microbiomes2020
Unchartered waters: the unintended impacts of residual chlorine on water quality and biofilms.
Article in NPJ biofilms and microbiomes, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 11 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 54 citations in OpenAlex.
- Parabens at Environmental Levels Modulate Virulence and Antimicrobial Tolerance of Exposed Biofilm Cells.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Biofilm detachment significantly affects biological stability of drinking water during intermittent water supply in a pilot scale water distribution system.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Deep generative modeling of annotated bacterial biofilm images.NPJ biofilms and microbiomes · 2025Article
- Similarity of drinking water biofilm microbiome despite diverse planktonic water community and quality.Frontiers in microbiology · 2025Article
- Exploring the use of clay pots as sustainable storage containers to improve water quality.The Journal of the Egyptian Public Health Association · 2024Article
- The Role of Chlorine in the Formation and Development of Tap Water Biofilms under Different Flow Regimes.Microorganisms · 2023Article
- An investigation of the seasonal relationships between meteorological factors, water quality, and sporadic cases of Legionnaires' disease in Washington, DC.Epidemiology and infection · 2023Article
- Characterization of Scale Deposits in a Drinking Water Network in a Semi-Arid Region.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Hypochlorous Acid: From Innate Immune Factor and Environmental Toxicant to Chemopreventive Agent Targeting Solar UV-Induced Skin Cancer.Frontiers in oncology · 2022Review
- Biofilms in Water Hoses of a Meat Processing Environment Harbor Complex Microbial Communities.Frontiers in microbiology · 2022Article
- Non-invasive Biofouling Monitoring to Assess Drinking Water Distribution System Performance.Frontiers in microbiology · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Disinfection residuals in drinking water protect water quality and public heath by limiting planktonic microbial regrowth during distribution. However, we do not consider the consequences and selective pressures of such residuals on the ubiquitous biofilms that persist on the vast internal surface area of drinking water distribution systems. Using a full scale experimental facility, integrated analyses were applied to determine the physical, chemical and biological impacts of different free chlorine regimes on biofilm characteristics (composition, structure and microbiome) and water quality. Unexpectedly, higher free chlorine concentrations resulted in greater water quality degredation, observable as elevated inorganic loading and greater discolouration (a major cause of water quality complaints and a mask for other failures). High-chlorine concentrations also reduced biofilm cell concentrations but selected for a distinct biofilm bacterial community and inorganic composition, presenting unique risks. The results challenge the assumption that a measurable free chlorine residual necessarily assures drinking water safety.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.