Objectives: The United Nations sustainable development goal #3, aims to “By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination” (New York, September 2015). This study’s objective is to assess the European drinking and bathing water regulations and detect missing fungal parameters that may affect human health.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Brandão, J. C.

Gunde-Cimerman, N.

Meyer, W.

Novak-Babic, M.

Sabino, Raquel

Vargha, M.

Veríssimo, Carla

Viegas, Carla

Repositório Científico do Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa

Fungal contaminants - a paradoxal void in safety regulation of drinking water and recreational areas. Sabino R1, Novak Babič M2; Gunde-Cimerman N2; Veríssimo C1; Viegas C3; Várgha M4; Meyer W5; Brandão J*6 1Department of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge, Av. Padre Cruz 1649-016 Lisboa, Portugal 2Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Jamnikarjeva 101, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia 3GIAS, ESTeSL - Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde de Lisboa, Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal 4Department of Water Hygiene, National Public Health Center, Albert Flórián út 2-6 Budapest, H-1097 Hungary 5Molecular Mycology Research Laboratory, Centre for Infectious Disease and Microbiology, Sydney Medical School, Westmead Hospital, Marie Bashir Institute for Emerging Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, The University of Sydney, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Level 4, Room 0.4.04, 176 Hawkesbury Road, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia 6Department of Environmental Health, National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge, Av. Padre Cruz 1649-016 Lisboa, Portugal *Corresponding/presenting author Objectives The United Nations sustainable development goal #3, aims to “By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination” (New York, September 2015). This study’s objective is to assess the European drinking and bathing water regulations and detect missing fungal parameters that may affect human health. Methods Analytical review of European regulatory documents (Directives and member-states’ legislation), scientific reports (DOI: 10.1128/JCM.41.9.4101-4106.2003; DOI:  10.1097/EDE.0b013e31823b504c). Results and discussion Exposure to fungi and their metabolites by inhalation, contact and ingestion has often been addressed, but rarely made way into safety regulation. Air quality in Portugal is an exception, with fungi added to the national legislation upon transposing the European directive 2008/50/CE. The EU drinking water directive 98/83/EC and the national legislation in the European countries - with very few exceptions - fails to address fungi explicitly.  Microbiological safety of drinking and recreational waters is monitored by bacterial parameters indicating faecal contamination. These parameters correlate with gastro-intestinal illness but leave behind microbes that cause illness other than gastro-intestinal, and also several emerging pathogens (Novak-Babič et al., submitted). Bathing/recreational waters also use faecal indicator bacteria as parameters to regulate their safe use, but also leave behind fungi, both for coastal and inland/fresh waters. In Europe, the regulatory Directive 2006/7/EC is currently undergoing its second revision, since it was first created in 1976. There is no plan to introduce fungi during the ongoing revision. Yet, fungi in water often originate in sand and are washed-in by tidal retraction and rain (DOI: 10.1017/S0025315415000843). Should the regulation on fungal exposure via drinking water not take place in times of emerging agents and resistance to anti-microbials? Of new composite materials for building and wearing? When saving energy and water on home and industrial appliances is the rule, reducing the water flow rate of distribution and temperatures of operating cycles?  When we go to the beach where do we spend most of the time? Is it in the water or on sand? Rodents roam freely at night, along with other kinds of wild and semi-domestic life, interacting with the sand that we possibly lie on and play with during the day. The abrasive nature of sand increases shedding into sand; so why is the regulation addressing only the water and not the sand itself? The World Health Organization recommended sand monitoring already in 2003 (Guidelines for safe recreational water environments - Volume 1: Coastal and fresh waters).  Sandboxes fall in this same category - not regulated for any microbial contaminants. The lack of salt from nearing seawater and of extreme sun exposure, allow fungal proliferation and resilience where children are intended to play. One quarter of the human population worldwide, and up to 50% of the elderly, is estimated to suffer from superficial fungal infections (DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2710.2009.01107.x). Conclusion  There is clear evidence that beach sand matters and that fungal contaminants in drinking water distribution systems cause direct harm to human health. Regulation needs updating to include fungal parameters. 

Fungal contaminants: a paradoxal void in safety regulation of drinking water and recreational areas

Poster abstract publicado em: Mycoses. 2017;60(Suppl. S2):130-1. Disponível em:http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/myc.12674/epdfAlthough exposure to fungi and their metabolites, by inhalation, contact and ingestion has often been addressed, it rarely made way into safety regulation. The EU drinking water directive 98/83/EC and the national legislation in the European countries - with very few exceptions - fails to address fungi explicitly. The same is valid also for European regulatory Directive 2006/7/EC, currently undergoing its second revision with no plan to introduce fungi, yet again. Both Directives address microbiological safety of drinking and bathing / recreational waters by monitoring of bacterial parameters indicating faecal contamination, and correlating with gastro-intestinal illness but leaving behind other microbes and several emerging pathogens and other pathologies.
This study assesses the European drinking and bathing water regulations and sand; it evaluates background information, and underpinning missing fungal parameters that (may) affect human health.The work of Wieland Meyer was supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NH&MRC) grants APP1031952 and APP1121936.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Sabino, R.

Novak Babič, M.

Veríssimo, C.

Viegas, C.

Várgha, M.

Brandão, J.

Scientific Repository of the National Health Institute Doutor Ricardo Jorge

Fungal contaminants – a paradoxal void in safety regulation of drinking water and recreational areas

Repositório Científico do Instituto Nacional de Saúde

Sabino R.1, Novak Babič M.2, Gunde-Cimerman N.2, Veríssimo C.1,Viegas C.3, Várgha M.4, Meyer W.5, Brandão J.*6 Fungal contaminants – a paradoxal void in safety regulation of drinking water and recreational areas Ecological and anthropogenic factors influencing presence of fungi in waters and sand, and their medical relevance During the last 30 years European reports revealed fungal presence in fresh water used for human consumption, hygiene and leisure activities. In the same period also medical reports disclosed that approximately one quarter of the human population worldwide, and up to 50% of the elderly, are estimated to suffer from superficial fungal infections.  Although exposure to fungi and their metabolites, by inhalation, contact and ingestion has often been addressed, it rarely made way into safety regulation. The EU drinking water directive 98/83/EC and the national legislation in the European countries - with very few exceptions - fails to address fungi explicitly. The same is valid also for European regulatory Directive 2006/7/EC, currently undergoing its second revision with no plan to introduce fungi, yet again. Both Directives address microbiological safety of drinking and bathing / recreational waters by monitoring of bacterial parameters indicating faecal contamination, and correlating with gastro-intestinal illness but leaving behind other microbes and several emerging pathogens and other pathologies.  This study assesses the European drinking and bathing water regulations and sand; it evaluates background information, and underpinning missing fungal parameters that (may) affect human health.  Acknowledgements:  The authors thank to the European Microbiology Expert Group, the expert subgroup of the Commission Expert Group on the Implementation of the Drinking Water Directive (98/83/CE) for the discussion and comments.   The work of Wieland Meyer was supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NH&MRC) grants APP1031952 and APP1121936. References:  EU drinking water directive 98/83/EC & European regulatory Directive 2006/7/EC, Novak Babič et al., 2017. Fungal Contaminants in Drinking Water Regulation? A Tale of Ecology, Exposure, Purification and Clinical Relevance. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 14(6): 636. Solo-Gabriele HM et al., 2015. Beach sand and the potential for infectious disease transmission: observations and recommendations. Oceans and Human Health, 96(1): 101-120. Author affiliations:  1Department of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge, Av. Padre Cruz 1649-016 Lisboa, Portugal 2Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Jamnikarjeva 101, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia 3GIAS, ESTeSL - Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde de Lisboa, Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal 4Department of Water Hygiene, National Public Health Center, Albert Flórián út 2-6 Budapest, H-1097 Hungary 5Molecular Mycology Research Laboratory, Centre for Infectious Disease and Microbiology, Sydney Medical School, Westmead Hospital, Marie Bashir Institute for Emerging Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, The University of Sydney, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Level 4, Room 0.4.04, 176 Hawkesbury Road, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia 6Department of Environmental Health, National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge, Av. Padre Cruz 1649-016 Lisboa, Portugal *Corresponding author Bathing water & sand Drinking water 

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Fungal contaminants: a paradoxal void in safety regulation of drinking water and recreational areas

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