More Power
06-23-2015, 14:04
We've posted this here before, but with the warmth of summer a renewed caution might be in order.
NEW YORK (Bloomberg) -- Windshield washer fluid may be a breeding ground for bacteria that causes the deadly pneumonia known as Legionnaires’ disease.
Previous studies have tied riding in automobiles to the illness, though researchers didn’t know how or why it happened. An investigation into fluid dispersed by school buses in Arizona seems to have provided the answer, according to research released Sunday by the American Society for Microbiology at its meeting in Boston.
http://www.autonews.com/article/20140519/OEM10/140519878/windshield-washer-fluid-linked-to-deadly-legionnaires-disease
In 1976, a previously unknown strain of bacteria killed 34 people and sickened more than 200 after an American Legion convention in Philadelphia. The bacteria was traced to the cooling towers in the hotel’s air conditioning system and named Legionella for the bicentennial convention at which the deadly outbreak occurred.
Since then, regular outbreaks of Legionnaires’ disease have occurred around the world, and researchers have learned that the bacteria lives in water, soil and elsewhere. The greatest danger is when water containing the bacteria becomes an inhalable aerosol that can work its way deep into the lungs, causing a pneumonia that is sometimes fatal. More often, it causes Pontiac fever, a milder, flu-like illness that runs its course.
A research team tested five different brands of washer fluids. Especially disturbing: all were taken from school buses. In Arizona there is typically no need to add methanol, an alcohol used as a de-icer, to the washing fluid. The bacteria, which flourish in warm water, grew well in washer varieties without methanol, which would inhibit their growth.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2014/05/19/guess-where-researchers-found-the-bacteria-that-causes-legionnaires-disease/
Windshield washer fluid is sold in many formulations, and some may require dilution before being applied, although most solutions available in North America come premixed with no diluting required. The most common washer fluid solutions are given labels such as "All-Season", "Bug Remover", or "De-icer", and usually are a combination of solvents with a detergent. Dilution factors will vary depending on season, for example in winter the dilution factor may be 1:1, whereas during summer the dilution factor may be 1:10. It is sometimes sold as sachet of crystals, which is also diluted with water. Distilled water is the preferred diluent, since it will not leave trace mineral deposits on the glass.
Anti-freeze, or methylated spirits, may be added to a mixture to give the product a lower freezing temperature. But methanol vapor is harmful when breathed in, so more popular now is an ethanol winter mix, e.g. PAV[clarification needed], water, ethanol (or isopropanol), and ethylene glycol.
On 14 June 2010, the UK's Health Protection Agency announced the results of a preliminary study of 75 patients, which found an association between the use of plain water as wiper fluid and Legionnaires' disease, which is spread by breathing in aerosolized bacteria from infected water. It had been noticed that prevalence of the disease was five times higher among professional drivers.
NEW YORK (Bloomberg) -- Windshield washer fluid may be a breeding ground for bacteria that causes the deadly pneumonia known as Legionnaires’ disease.
Previous studies have tied riding in automobiles to the illness, though researchers didn’t know how or why it happened. An investigation into fluid dispersed by school buses in Arizona seems to have provided the answer, according to research released Sunday by the American Society for Microbiology at its meeting in Boston.
http://www.autonews.com/article/20140519/OEM10/140519878/windshield-washer-fluid-linked-to-deadly-legionnaires-disease
In 1976, a previously unknown strain of bacteria killed 34 people and sickened more than 200 after an American Legion convention in Philadelphia. The bacteria was traced to the cooling towers in the hotel’s air conditioning system and named Legionella for the bicentennial convention at which the deadly outbreak occurred.
Since then, regular outbreaks of Legionnaires’ disease have occurred around the world, and researchers have learned that the bacteria lives in water, soil and elsewhere. The greatest danger is when water containing the bacteria becomes an inhalable aerosol that can work its way deep into the lungs, causing a pneumonia that is sometimes fatal. More often, it causes Pontiac fever, a milder, flu-like illness that runs its course.
A research team tested five different brands of washer fluids. Especially disturbing: all were taken from school buses. In Arizona there is typically no need to add methanol, an alcohol used as a de-icer, to the washing fluid. The bacteria, which flourish in warm water, grew well in washer varieties without methanol, which would inhibit their growth.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2014/05/19/guess-where-researchers-found-the-bacteria-that-causes-legionnaires-disease/
Windshield washer fluid is sold in many formulations, and some may require dilution before being applied, although most solutions available in North America come premixed with no diluting required. The most common washer fluid solutions are given labels such as "All-Season", "Bug Remover", or "De-icer", and usually are a combination of solvents with a detergent. Dilution factors will vary depending on season, for example in winter the dilution factor may be 1:1, whereas during summer the dilution factor may be 1:10. It is sometimes sold as sachet of crystals, which is also diluted with water. Distilled water is the preferred diluent, since it will not leave trace mineral deposits on the glass.
Anti-freeze, or methylated spirits, may be added to a mixture to give the product a lower freezing temperature. But methanol vapor is harmful when breathed in, so more popular now is an ethanol winter mix, e.g. PAV[clarification needed], water, ethanol (or isopropanol), and ethylene glycol.
On 14 June 2010, the UK's Health Protection Agency announced the results of a preliminary study of 75 patients, which found an association between the use of plain water as wiper fluid and Legionnaires' disease, which is spread by breathing in aerosolized bacteria from infected water. It had been noticed that prevalence of the disease was five times higher among professional drivers.