Like other bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa attaches itself to the finest pores/irregularities of the piping system and forms a biofilm there. Biofilm growth is promoted by nutrients (e.g. in well water), rubber materials (e.g. pull-out kitchen taps), elastomers (e.g. plastic pipes) and silicones.
Where water is not strongly heated and stands for long periods of time, they can then multiply on a massive scale in biofilms and become a serious health problem. Sources of exposure include foreign body systems such as urinary catheters, venous catheters, ventilation tubes, and also acute injuries such as burns.
The entry of Pseudomonas aeruginosa into the drinking water system can occur due to contaminated materials during construction work on the pipe network or during work on existing or newly constructed drinking water installations. To be on the safe side, it is recommended to test the drinking water quality for Pseudomonas aeruginosa by means of an analysis, especially after new construction or after carrying out construction work on the domestic installation.
An infection can manifest itself in the form of wound infections, ear infections, conjunctivitis or hair follicle infections. The route of infection is contact of contaminated water with injured skin, or cleaning and storage of contact lenses in contaminated water.
If a contamination with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (> 1 CFU/100 ml) is detected, you must notify the responsible health department. Further investigations are then necessary, as well as chemical or thermal disinfection of the pipe network. The causes of the contamination, the source of contamination and the necessary remediation measures must be determined. This requires official, accredited sampling and analysis, which we cannot offer.