Windscreen washers and Legionnaires' Disease

Gregor Samsa

Interesting article from the BBC on the risk of Legionnaires' Disease from windscreen washer water. Seemingly it was noticed that professional drivers had a higher instance of the disease than other sections of the population in the UK. Legionnaires' Disease is usually contracted when contaminated water is inhaled in aerosol form (often showers or air conditioning systems), so it makes sense that windscreen jets could be a source.

Washer fluid kills the bacteria, so the advice is to use it.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/10293519.stm

3DataModem

It's usually a problem for standing water... I use my washers regularly till empty then refill.

Matt Simis

Saw the report too, isnt this kinda obvious though?

Gregor Samsa

Matt Simis wrote: »

Saw the report too, isnt this kinda obvious though?

I assume you've already got your paper published in the European Journal of Epidemiology

If I has asked you last Friday to list the common sources of Legionnaires' Disease, would you have listed windscreen washers? Hindsight, and all that...

langdang

ok, that's the final straw - my washer fluid smells like something been fermenting in there no matter what I add to it - it's coming out for a proper clean soon!

Interesting, I worked in water treatment for a while and never before considered or heard mentioned wind screen washer water as a possible cause of Legionnaires disease, this bit is interesting.......

They found that those most at risk were those who drove or travelled in a van, those who drove through industrial areas, and those who spent a lot of time in the car or who often had the car window open.


Driving through ind estates with windows open would point to cause other than the windscreen washer tbh, cooling towers for example, but an infected cooling tower would lead to multiple cases generally.

Matt Simis

phutyle wrote: »

If I has asked you last Friday to list the common sources of Legionnaires' Disease, would you have listed windscreen washers? Hindsight, and all that...

Well actually yes, I even posted about this previously in relation to AC systems in cars (also a source of humidity):
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?p=17179213
That aside, I would have answered areas with warm humid, stagnant water, which covers many things.


I know all about Legionaires Disease from previous experiments, but everyone knows that water "goes bad" when left sitting, especially in warm conditions. Everyone has at some point smelt a bad smell after using their Windscreen washers or AC, Halfords sell Bacteria Killing AC Treatments, its advertised on TV etc. I would have considered this common knowledge, even without associating it with a Legionaries

So yeah, I think it is obvious that you cannot leave water sitting around and expect it to remain contaminant free. You arent even meant to leave diesel sitting for the same reason.

langdang wrote: »

ok, that's the final straw - my washer fluid smells like something been fermenting in there no matter what I add to it - it's coming out for a proper clean soon!

Try adding a tablespoon of bleach to it, cycle the washers to circulate and leave it for a day. Bleach breaks down after 24hrs and will kill bacteria and remove the smell in the process.

Redderneck

I was getting a car washed in a brush wash on the dock road in Limerick the other day - garage will remain namelez - and the mouldy reek that wafted into the cabin of my car during the wash was unreal. I half expected to have a gazillion mosquitos blown into the cabin when I restarted the engine and turned on the aircon after the wash.

Never smelled anything like it. Def not healthy. I was in a rush and didn't drop in to mention it - must do so tomorrow, when I'm back in the area.

Guy:Incognito

Dissappointed in this thread. I thought it was going to be about Romanians at traffic lights.

-Corkie-

Fairplay op I would never have guessed this.

Big Nasty

Stekelly wrote: »

Dissappointed in this thread. I thought it was going to be about Romas at traffic lights.

FYP

Guy:Incognito

MCMLXXV wrote: »

FYP

Wise chinese man once told me "man who travel on Romanian passport, is Romanian":)

He might have been Japanese though, but sure it's all the same.

Big Nasty

Stekelly wrote: »

Wise chinese man once told me "man who travel on Romanian passport, is Romanian":)

He might have been Japanese though, but sure it's all the same.

Tell that to the other 99% of the Romanian population, i.e. Romanians.

Your last sentence there reminds me of being mistaken for being English while working / holidaying in other countries. I've no problem with English people but when I corrected others assumptions the reaction was always 'yeah, yeah - same thing' - clearly it isn't!

(Sorry for the OT)

langdang

Matt Simis wrote: »

Try adding a tablespoon of bleach to it, cycle the washers to circulate and leave it for a day. Bleach breaks down after 24hrs and will kill bacteria and remove the smell in the process.

I'm lucky enough to have an engine bay where you access things without having long double-jointed mini-handed arms so I think I'll try and pull it out to clean it right - there's actually something in there - it's green and kinda hairy - bleach might only provoke it!