Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38647288›Full record

ArticleApplied and environmental microbiology2024

Impact of operational conditions on drinking water biofilm dynamics and coliform invasion potential.

Fien Waegenaar, Cristina García-Timermans, Josefien Van Landuyt, Bart De Gusseme, Nico Boon

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Applied and environmental microbiology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
4.7field-weighted citation impact, top 5% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 15 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Mesolens imaging in microbiology.Essays in biochemistry · 2026
    Review
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Fien WaegenaarDepartment of Biotechnology, Center for Microbial Ecology and Technology (CMET), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0002-8699-0599
Cristina García-TimermansDepartment of Biotechnology, Center for Microbial Ecology and Technology (CMET), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0002-7052-1616
Josefien Van LanduytDepartment of Biotechnology, Center for Microbial Ecology and Technology (CMET), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
Bart De GussemeDepartment of Biotechnology, Center for Microbial Ecology and Technology (CMET), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
Nico BoonDepartment of Biotechnology, Center for Microbial Ecology and Technology (CMET), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0002-7734-3103
Ghent University · BE

Funding

Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (FWO) 1S02022NFonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (FWO) S006221N
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Biofilms within drinking water distribution systems serve as a habitat for drinking water microorganisms. However, biofilms can negatively impact drinking water quality by causing water discoloration and deterioration and can be a reservoir for unwanted microorganisms. In this study, we investigated whether indicator organisms for drinking water quality, such as coliforms, can settle in mature drinking water biofilms. Therefore, a biofilm monitor consisting of glass rings was used to grow and sample drinking water biofilms. Two mature drinking water biofilms were characterized by flow cytometry, ATP measurements, confocal laser scanning microscopy, and 16S rRNA sequencing. Biofilms developed under treated chlorinated surface water supply exhibited lower cell densities in comparison with biofilms resulting from treated groundwater. Overall, the phenotypic as well as the genotypic characteristics were significantly different between both biofilms. In addition, the response of the biofilm microbiome and possible biofilm detachment after minor water quality changes were investigated. Limited changes in pH and free chlorine addition, to simulate operational changes that are relevant for practice, were evaluated. It was shown that both biofilms remained resilient. Finally, mature biofilms were prone to invasion of the coliform, IMPORTANCE: The revelation that even low concentrations of coliforms can infiltrate into mature drinking water biofilms highlights a potential public health concern. Nowadays, the measurement of coliform bacteria is used as an indicator for fecal contamination and to control the effectiveness of disinfection processes and the cleanliness and integrity of distribution systems. In Flanders (Belgium), 533 out of 18,840 measurements exceeded the established norm for the coliform indicator parameter in 2021; however, the source of microbial contamination is mostly unknown. Here, we showed that mature biofilms, are susceptible to invasion of

Indexed as

BiofilmsDrinking WaterEnterobacteriaceaeRNA, Ribosomal, 16SWater MicrobiologyWater PurificationWater QualityWater SupplyDrinking WaterRNA, Ribosomal, 16Sbiofilmscoliformsdistribution systemsdrinking waterinvasionoperational changes

Identifiers

PMID38647288
PMCPMC11107155
OpenAlexW4395011583

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.