The data from these tests will help to determine whether the faucet valve plays a significant role in bacterial
loading.
The American Society of Plumbing
Engineers Research Foundation is studying the growth, accumulation and
detachment of biofilm and planktonic bacteria in both electronic and automatic
faucets. The American Society of Sanitary Engineering recently made a donation
to help fund the research.
The question, “Are
electronic faucets more or less sanitary than manual faucets when all other
variable are controlled?” has arisen from a field study conducted by John
Hopkins Hospital. The ASPE RF, in conjunction with Montana State University
Center for Biofilm Engineering, will assess biofilm and opportunistic pathogen
growth in both manual and automatic faucets under identical flow conditions,
based on realistic use patterns, in a controlled laboratory environment over a
four-month period.
The data from
these tests will help to develop a timeline of bacterial growth within these
faucets and provide empirical data relative to whether the faucet valve plays a
significant role in bacterial loading.
Data generated
from these tests will be essential for the future research of system variables
that play a role in biofilm growth and could ultimately lead to empirical-based
recommendations for improvements in faucet design and maintenance.
Source: ASSE
