Jacuzzi Health Hazards

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    • #3206 Score: 0
      Harrison
      Keymaster
        2 pts

        Oh Yuk! Did you Know your Jetted Bathtub’s Plumbing Harbors Dangerous Bacteria and Biofilm?


        Jetted bathtubs, often called a Jacuzzi or Whirlpool bath, have 15 to 30 feet of plumbing lines that are full of stagnant water. This warm stagnant water is full of harmful bacteria and biofilm. Jetted tubs must be cleaned with a specialty biofilm removing cleaner like Oh Yuk Jetted Tub Cleaner to prevent illness.

        (PRWEB) August 15, 2012

        Jetted bathtubs, often called a Jacuzzi or Whirlpool bath, have 15 to 30 feet of plumbing lines that are full of stagnant water. This warm stagnant water is full of harmful bacteria. Jetted tubs must be cleaned to prevent illness. With proper maintenance jetted tubs can be a safe, wonderful way to relax. Residential tubs should be cleaned on a regular basis, and commercial facilities’ tubs (hotels, bed and breakfasts, etc.) should be cleaned after each use.

        University of Texas A & M study

        Microbiologist, Dr. Rita B. Moyes, tested 43 water samples from whirlpool bathtubs — both private and public ones — and found that all 43 had bacterial growth ranging from mild to red-level dangerous. A whopping 95 percent showed the presence of fecal derived bacteria, while 81 percent had fungi and 34 percent contained staphylococcus, which can cause deadly staph infections.

        Tests

        Scientific Biofilm Solutions is an innovative leader in biofilm removal. In testing their jetted tub cleaner, they tested a 25-year-old name brand hotel that had never treated the jetted tub for biofilm or bacteria. They cut out sections of the jetted tubs plumbing line prior to, and after treating the jetted tub with Oh Yuk. The test results are quite staggering.

        Test results: The bacteria content in the plumbing lines before treatment contained over 1,400,000 particles of bacteria and also containing high levels of mold. After the first treatment the bacteria levels dropped to only 95,000 particles of bacteria plus removing the mold in the lines. This is a 93% removal of bacteria after the initial treatment, in a heavily used 25 year old jetted tub from a busy hotel.

        Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of biofilm in a jetted bathtub pipe before (Figure 1 Left) and after (Figure 1 Right) being treated with Oh Yuk Jetted Bathtub Cleaner. The images show a clear reduction in biofilm!

        What to look for in a jetted tub cleaner:

        -The cleaner must actually remove biofilm. Many jetted tub cleaners do not remove biofilm. They claim to remove scale and soap scum, but not biofilm. Scale and soap scum aren’t the problem, mold and bacteria in the biofilm are the problem. Check the manufacturer’s web site for proof that the cleaner removes biofilm.
        -It must be easy to use such as a liquid, not a paste that needs dissolving; this will slow down the entire process, often ending with undesirable results.

        Jetted tub cleaning myths

        Many people think that you can clean a jetted tub by using powdered dish washing detergent and bleach, however this will not penetrate the biofilm that harbors the dangerous bacteria. This will only add to the protective barrier making it harder for an actual jetted tub cleaner to do its job. There have been multiple studies on chlorine for treating biofilm, all coming to the same conclusion: chlorine cannot penetrate and remove the biofilm. You need a cleaner specifically designed to remove the biofilm.

        Center For Biofilm Engineering

        University of Bozeman’s Center For Biofilm Engineering has stated perhaps the most intuitive explanation for why biocides and antibiotics fail to kill microbes in a biofilm is that the antimicrobial agent simply fails to penetrate past the surface layers of the biofilm.
        Treating biofilm in jetted bathtubs must be done with a chemical specifically designed to remove biofilm. Just like with a swimming pool or hot tub, jetted bathtubs can be a safe and enjoyable way to relax, but require proper maintenance. Jetted tubs have plumbing lines containing stagnant water that is filled with harmful bacteria and thrives in the biofilm. By removing the biofilm in the plumbing system, you are also removing the bacteria in the system, making the tub much cleaner and safer to use.

        Source: Oh Yuk! Did you Know your Jetted Bathtub's Plumbing Harbors Dangerous Bacteria and Biofilm?

      • #3207 Score: 0
        Harrison
        Keymaster
          2 pts

          The best the CDC can do is issue obvious PSAs like this:

          Health Tip: Using a Hot Tub – MedicineNet

          Don’t eat jacuzzi water? Seriously? How about educating the public about the rest of the story? Even the press release I posted last year above is more educational.

          There are many smart professionals at the CDC and NIH who can actually help the public better understand health risks in the public environment. And they are not given a voice.

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