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Washington Heights Legionella outbreak

nicholas bonham-carter
nicholas bonham-carter Member Posts: 8,578
in THE MAIN WALL
I see that the authorities have detected Legionella in a cooling tower of the A/C system.
My understanding of that type of system is that the cooling tower water is never in contact with the internal airstream, and so how can that be a problem?—NBC

Comments

  • SlamDunk
    SlamDunk Member Posts: 1,638
    edited October 2018
    The air pulled through the cooling tower to cool the water pulls vapor and disperses thru the air surrounding the cooling tower. Happened at Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx a few years ago.

    According to our water treatment people, the authorties can trace the Legionella to specific cooling tower via sampling condenser water and comparing DNA of bacteria.
    Canucker
  • KC_Jones
    KC_Jones Member Posts: 5,764
    That cooling tower could sit there for 100 years and never have Legionella, but the minute you put water into it things change. The cooling tower isn't the problem here, it's the water that contains the Legionella.
    2014 Weil Mclain EG-40
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  • nicholas bonham-carter
    nicholas bonham-carter Member Posts: 8,578
    So do you mean the exterior of the cooling tower, and building will be shrouded with a poisonous mist? maybe it would be more dangerous to be outside next to the building than inside.--NBC
  • SlamDunk
    SlamDunk Member Posts: 1,638
    edited October 2018
    you are supposed to clean cooling towers annually or so and add biocides to the water. I dont know how legionella gets introduced; There is usually an automatic blow down, constant evaporation and continuous fresh make up water.

    I have been told the water droplets (aerosole) can be spread for miles. If you have a compromised respiratory system, youd be susceptable .

    There were cases in England and they found problem towers thru dna.
  • KC_Jones
    KC_Jones Member Posts: 5,764
    > @SlamDunk said:
    > I dont know how legionella gets introduced

    The cooling tower doesn't come with it, nothing on it to support the bacteria.

    The only 2 things that are brought into the tower are air and water. If it's in the air people would be dropping like flies. That leaves the water.

    The more the powers that be continue to deflect from the real issue the longer it will take to solve the problem. It's about money and politics, which explains all the smoke and mirrors.
    2014 Weil Mclain EG-40
    EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Boiler Control
    Boiler pictures updated 2/21/15
  • SlamDunk
    SlamDunk Member Posts: 1,638
    Lack of care. the water is mid eighty degrees.
  • JUGHNE
    JUGHNE Member Posts: 11,200
    Nicholas, IIRC, that is what happen to a group of Legionnaires who were outside for a parade. A cooling tower fan kicked on and misted the crowd in the street.
    This was in Philadelphia in 1976, 34 deaths were reported.
    That is when it was first identified.
    One contracts it by inhaling water droplets, (1-5 microns in diameter).

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