BACKGROUND Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are a significant cause of increased medical costs, morbidity, mortality, and have been partly associated with sinks, their waste water outlets and associated pipework. AIM To determine whether an engineered sink could limit microbial aerosol contaminants in the air and sink basin. METHODS Multiple comparisons were undertaken between an experimental sink, designed to limit aerosolization and p-trap contamination to a control hospital sink, both connected to a common drain system. The experimental sink was equipped with ultraviolet light (UV), an aerosol containment hood, ozonated water generator and a flush system to limit bacterial growth/aerosolization and limit microbial growth in the p-trap. Nutrient material was added daily to simulate typical material discarded into a hospital sink. Surface collection swabs, settle plates and p-trap contamination levels were assessed for bacteria and fungi. FINDINGS The experimental sink had significantly decreased levels of bacterial and fungal p-trap contamination (99.9% for Tryptic Soy (TSA) and Sabouraud agar (SAB) plates) relative to the initial levels. Aerosol-induced contaminant from the p-traps was significantly lower for the experimental vs the control sink for TSA (76%) and SAB (86%) agar settle plates. CONCLUSIONS Limiting microbial contamination is critical for the control of nosocomial infections of in-room sinks, which provide a major source of contamination. Our experimental sink studies document that regular ozonated water rinsing of the sink surface, decontamination of p-trap water, and UV decontamination of surfaces limits microbial aerosolization and surface contamination, with potential to decrease patient exposure and reduce hospital acquired infections.

中文翻译：

---

通过水槽设计减轻废水中的微生物污染和雾化。

背景技术与医疗保健有关的感染（HAIs）是医疗费用，发病率，死亡率增加的重要原因，并且与水槽，其废水出口和相关的管道系统部分相关。目的确定工程化的水槽是否可以限制空气和水槽水池中的微生物气溶胶污染物。方法在实验水槽之间进行了多次比较，这些水槽旨在将雾化和p-trap污染限制在控制医院的水槽中，这两个水槽均连接到公共排水系统。实验水槽配备了紫外线（UV），气溶胶防护罩，臭氧水发生器和冲洗系统，以限制细菌的生长/雾化并限制p型捕集阱中的微生物生长。每天添加营养物质，以模拟丢弃到医院水槽中的典型物质。对细菌和真菌的表面收集拭子，沉降板和p-trap污染水平进行了评估。结果与初始水平相比，实验水槽的细菌和真菌p-trap污染水平显着降低（胰蛋白酶大豆（TSA）和Sabouraud琼脂（SAB）平板的污染率为99.9％）。对于TSA（76％）和SAB（86％）琼脂沉降平板，实验的p阱气溶胶诱导的污染物相对于对照水槽要低得多。结论限制微生物污染对于控制室内水槽的医院感染至关重要，室内水槽提供了主要的污染源。我们的水槽实验研究表明，定期用臭氧水冲洗水槽表面，对p-trap水进行净化处理，