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Chen T, Zhang S, Yang J, Li Y, Kogure E, Zhu Y, Xiong W, Chen E, Shi G. Metabarcoding Analysis of Microorganisms Inside Household Washing Machines in Shanghai, China. Microorganisms 2024; 12:160. [PMID: 38257987 PMCID: PMC10819172 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12010160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Washing machines are one of the tools that bring great convenience to people's daily lives. However, washing machines that have been used for a long time often develop issues such as odor and mold, which can pose health hazards to consumers. There exists a conspicuous gap in our understanding of the microorganisms that inhabit the inner workings of washing machines. In this study, samples were collected from 22 washing machines in Shanghai, China, including both water eluted from different parts of washing machines and biofilms. Quantitative qualitative analysis was performed using fluorescence PCR quantification, and microbial communities were characterized by high-throughput sequencing (HTS). This showed that the microbial communities in all samples were predominantly composed of bacteria. HTS results showed that in the eluted water samples, the bacteria mainly included Pseudomonas, Enhydrobacter, Brevibacterium, and Acinetobacter. Conversely, in the biofilm samples, Enhydrobacter and Brevibacterium were the predominant bacterial microorganisms. Correlation analysis results revealed that microbial colonies in washing machines were significantly correlated with years of use and the type of detergent used to clean the washing machine. As numerous pathogenic microorganisms can be observed in the results, effective preventive measures and future research are essential to mitigate these health problems and ensure the continued safe use of these household appliances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Chen
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
- KAO (China) Research and Development Center, No. 623, Ziri Road, Minhang District, Shanghai 100098, China (Y.Z.); (W.X.); (E.C.)
- National Engineering Research Center for Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214000, China
- Jiangsu Provincial Research Center for Bioactive Product Processing Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Shu Zhang
- KAO (China) Research and Development Center, No. 623, Ziri Road, Minhang District, Shanghai 100098, China (Y.Z.); (W.X.); (E.C.)
| | - Juan Yang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
- National Engineering Research Center for Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214000, China
- Jiangsu Provincial Research Center for Bioactive Product Processing Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Youran Li
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
- National Engineering Research Center for Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214000, China
- Jiangsu Provincial Research Center for Bioactive Product Processing Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Eiichi Kogure
- Kao Corporation, 1334, Minato, Wakayama 640-8580, Japan
| | - Ye Zhu
- KAO (China) Research and Development Center, No. 623, Ziri Road, Minhang District, Shanghai 100098, China (Y.Z.); (W.X.); (E.C.)
| | - Weiqi Xiong
- KAO (China) Research and Development Center, No. 623, Ziri Road, Minhang District, Shanghai 100098, China (Y.Z.); (W.X.); (E.C.)
| | - Enhui Chen
- KAO (China) Research and Development Center, No. 623, Ziri Road, Minhang District, Shanghai 100098, China (Y.Z.); (W.X.); (E.C.)
| | - Guiyang Shi
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
- National Engineering Research Center for Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214000, China
- Jiangsu Provincial Research Center for Bioactive Product Processing Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
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