Seham Alsurayhi
Mycology
M, 6:30 PM

Outline
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The history of fungal water studies.
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Sources and type of fungi found in water.
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Fungal Water Biofilms.
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How Filamentous Fungi Affect Water Quality.
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The impact on human health.
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Removal or controlling fungi in water.
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Summary.

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The issue of fungi in water was observed between 1960s-1970s, people starting noticing the bad taste and smell as well as health problems.
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Between 1980s-1990s more health problems reported in Finland,
Sweden and other countries worldwide.
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Researchers became curious to Know more about fungi occurrence in drinking water, result from different countries show the fungal occurrence to vary between 7.5-89%.
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Greatest concerns for the water consumers is not just fungal alone, but pathogenic microorganisms that may cause epidemiological and sanitary risks.

Fungi can enter drinking water distribution systems through several contamination pathways including:
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During water treatment.
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Deficiencies in stored water facilities cross-connections.

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Mains breaks and intrusions.
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During mains installation and maintenance.

* According to studies filamentous fungi are those that survive in water, and these fungi all belong to hyphomycetes and oomycetes classes of fungi. For example,
Alternaria alternate numerous members of Penicillium species, Aspergillus niger,
Aspergillus fumigatus, Epiccocum nigrum, and a variety of molds belonging to
Cladosporium species.
Aspergillus fumigatus Penicillium brevicompacum Penicillium Trichoderma

Country, Place, Year
United Kingdom, 1996
Surveys of fungi in drinking water
Period of time Type of water Main isolation method
Autumn and Spring Surface water and network Membrane filtration, Direct plating and Bating
Most frequent fungal isolates
Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Epicoccum,
Penicillium and Trichoderma
Greece, Thessaloniki, 1998
Greece, 85 haemodialysis units, 1998
One collection (126 samples)
One collection (255 samples)
Tap water (hospital and community)
Municipal water supplies of haemodialysis centres
Membrane filtration
Membrane filtration
Penicillium, Aspergillus and Acremonium
Penicillium and Aspergillus
Germany, North Rhine-Westphalia,
1998/9
Norway, 14 networks, 2002/3
12 months
Portugal, Braga, 2003/4
Pakistan, Karachi, 2007
Australia, Queensland, 2007/8
December, June and
September
12 months
One collection (30 samples)
18 months
Drinking water
Drinking water (surface and groundwater)
Tap water
Water (and fruit juice)
Municipal water
Pour-plating
Membrane filtration
Membrane filtration
Direct plating
Membrane filtration
Acremonium, Exophiala, Penicillium and
Phialophora
Penicillium, Trichoderma and Aspergillus
Penicillium and Acremonium
Aspergillus niger and A. clavatus
Cladosporium, Penicillium, Aspergillus and
Fusarium

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Biofilms are an important habitat for fungi in drinking water. Their development is influenced by many factors including temperature, nutrient concentration, pipe material and water flow rate.
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Biofilms are communities of microorganisms that are attached to a surface.
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Filamentous fungi find their way into water distribution systems through biofilms formed on a water distribution pipe.
A fungal biofilm living on a surface

Fungi, through their biofilms, negatively affect quality of products in water distribution systems:
1- they can feed on metallic pipes thereby creating pores on the pipes and causing water leakage and contamination.
2- fungi obviously contaminate water distribution systems when biofilms are formed internally, in situations where they are formed externally on a pipe, the microorganisms can penetrate the water system through the holes resulting in contaminated water.
3- Moreover, contamination may occur when other impurities enter a pipeline through the openings.
4- The presence of fungi in water can alter the taste and smell of water. Organic acids produced by fungal metabolic processes can increase the rate of corrosion of water pipes.

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Fungi present in drinking water may cause severe fungal infections in
Immunosuppressed patients.
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Many species of genus Aspergillus are found in water are causative agents of kidney, liver disorders, allergy, burns, Otitis media and increase risk of invasive infections.
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Also, that Penicillium spp. is frequently found in fresh water and its implication in allergy, asthma or other respiratory problems has been cited in many previous research studies.
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Filamentous fungi produce toxins and consumption of water infected by fungi may cause allergic reactions.

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Removal of fungi from drinkable water would entail application of appropriate physical, chemical, or biological technique that eliminates formation of biofilms.
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Biofilms can be removed using sanitizers; however, once they are formed, the biofilms are not easy to eliminate due to the fact that the EPSs are resistant to sanitizers and so shield the microorganisms from sanitizers. for example, Chlorine is known to be relatively ineffective at controlling biofilms.
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The most dependable approach, that may be employed to prevent establishment of biofilms, is by all the time observing hygiene. The initiative involves monitoring of pipelines in order to detect and remove, as early as possible.

• Studies of fungi in drinking water have demonstrated that fungi are relatively common in water distribution systems.
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Fungi can enter drinking water distribution systems through several contamination pathways.
• Studies of filamentous fungi that cause contamination of water distribution system and their relation to biofilm formation.
• The presence of fungi in water affect water quality through alters the taste and smell of water.
• Filamentous fungi produce toxins and cause allergic reactions also, cause severe fungal infections in
Immunosuppressed patients.
• Controlling fungi in water by using appropriate technique to eliminate formation of biofilms.

• Siqueira, V. M., Oliveira, H., Santos, C., Paterson, R. R. M., Gusmão, N. B., & Lima, N. (2011). Filamentous fungi in drinking water, particularly in relation to biofilm formation. International journal of environmental research and public health, 8(2),
456-469.
• Hageskal, G., Lima, N., & Skaar, I. (2009). The study of fungi in drinking water. Mycological research, 113(2), 165-172.
• Arvanitidou, M., Kanellou, K., Constantinides, T. C., & Katsouyannopoulos, V. (1999). The occurrence of fungi in hospital and community potable waters. Letters in applied microbiology, 29(2), 81-84.
• Hageskal, G., Gaustad, P., Heier, B. T., & Skaar, I. (2006). Occurrence of moulds in drinking water.
• De Toni, P. S. A., & Reilly, K. (2011). A REVIEW OF FUNGI IN DRINKING WATER AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR HUMAN
HEALTH.
• Warris, A., Voss, A., Abrahamsen, T. G., & Verweij, P. E. (2002). Contamination of hospital water with Aspergillus fumigatus and other molds. Clinical infectious diseases, 34(8), 1059-1060.