Challenge to life environmental metagenomics; a case study of children's paddling pool waters

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25560031
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Clothing life/Dwelling life
• Research Institution: Hakodate Junior College
• Principal Investigator: TOKO Sawabe 函館短期大学, その他部局等, 准教授 (10531121)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: メタゲノム解析 / 細菌叢 / 簡易プール

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Insufficient chloric sterilization of children's paddling pool waters increases the risk of diarrheal illness. Therefore, we investigated how the microbiota changes after pool use by children. Although indicator bacteria were evaluated in each sample, there was no correlation in the number of bacteria and the number of users observed. Next we applied 16S rRNA gene-based metagenome analysis to understand the dynamics of microbiota in the pool waters, especially regarding the bio-contamination by potential pathogens. The paddling pool water microbiota is likely to be a consortium of microbiota from human intestines and skin. Interestingly, the ratio of the microbiota was different depending on the age of the child, which means the pool water was also bio-contaminated by soil microbiota as a result of the children’s behavior. We suggest the importance of sanitary measures in paddling pool waters after bio-contamination from both humans and the environment.

Free Research Field

微生物学