Biofilm Community Structures and Opportunistic Pathogen Gene Markers in Drinking Water Mains and the Role of Pipe Materials
Wei Tang, Qiuyan Li, Ling Chen, Wei‐xian Zhang, Hong Wang
Abstract
Due to the difficulty of sampling, the characteristics of biofilm communities in drinking water mains are still poorly understood. In this study, 13 water mains were collected to investigate the occurrence of opportunistic pathogens, to explore the biofilm community structures, and to decipher the mechanisms of biofilm community assembly. The results showed high frequencies of detection of Legionella pneumophila, Acanthamoeba, and Vermamoeba vermiformis. The number of mycobacterial gene copies in ductile iron pipes (DIPs) was significantly higher than that in cast iron pipes (CIPs), indicating that pipe materials affected colonization by opportunistic pathogens. The biofilm samples were clearly clustered into two groups by pipe materials, highlighting the critical role of the pipe material in shaping biofilm communities. Furthermore, nitrifying bacteria were dominant in DIPs, while denitrifying bacteria were more abundant in CIPs than in DIPs. Overall, this work provides ecological insights into a poorly understood ecosystem.