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Tritium and C concentration in hot spring water in Korea were determined. Tritium in the most hot spring samples could not detected and concentration range was <0.5-1.31 TU. And C contents were ranged 1.7-78.6 pMC. From the H and C analysis, we found some hot springs are mixed with recent groundwater and hot spring water ages were estimated from 1,940 to 32,800 years. And also, Ra and Ra were determined simultaneously in hot spring water, and some other radionuclides were also analyzed. Content distribution of Rn was 50-3,760 pCi/L, Ra was <0.003-0.15 Bq/L and Ra was below the detection limit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigated the distribution of Legionella in sources of spring water and wastewater throughout Taiwan. Legionella were detected with culture method and PCR method from water samples, combined with molecular methods that allow the taxonomic identification of Legionella species. Factors associated with the distribution of Legionella including the physical-chemical and microbiological water quality characteristics were also measured. Legionella were detected in 18 of the 68 samples. Additionally, 16 of the 68 samples analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and eight of the 68 samples evaluated using the culture method were found to be positive for Legionella. The Legionella species identified included Legionella pneumophila, unnamed Legionella genotypes, uncultured Legionella spp., and Legionella lytica. Legionella species were found in water with temperatures ranging from 10.0 to 50.6°C and with pH values ranging from 5.59 to 9.32. Significant differences (Mann-Whitney U test, P < 0.05) were observed in the presence/absence of Legionella in samples with different pH values when Legionella were detected by the culture method. The results of this survey confirmed that Legionella is ubiquitous in the water of spring recreational areas in Taiwan. Long-term investigations of the occurrence of Legionella in hot spring recreational areas throughout Taiwan are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

part of an epidemiological study on legionellosis, we attempted to isolate Legionella spp. from hot spring water and were able to isolate L. londiniensis HYKF-90505 (=JCM 16338), confirming that L. londiniensis inhabits hot spring water in Japan. To investigate the disease potential of L. londiniensis, we examined its ability to grow intracellularly within Acanthamoeba sp. JAC/E1 strain. The isolated HYKF-90505 was able to grow within Acanthamoeba sp. JAC/E1 strain, and we confirmed also that the HYKF-90505 strain showed cytotoxicity for cultured cells such as J774.1 (JCRB0018). However, in a culture of human U937 cells, the bacterial count was not increased by the intracellular growth of the HYKF-90505 strain. Cells infected for 24 h and stained using the Giménez method showed no intracellular growth of the HYKF-90505 strain. Thus, the isolate appears to be weakly pathogenic to humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]