Microbiome characterization of alpine water springs for human consumption reveals site- and usage-specific microbial signatures.

ABSTRACT: The microbiome of water springs is gaining increasing interest, especially in water intended for human consumption. However, the knowledge about large-scale patterns in water springs microbiome is still incomplete. The presence of bacteria in water sources used for human consumption is a major concern for health authorities; nonetheless, the standard microbiological quality checks are focused only on pathogenic species and total microbial load. Using 16S rRNA high throughput sequencing, we characterized the microbiome from 38 water springs in Trentino (Northern Italy) for 2 consecutive years in order to gain precious insights on the microbiome composition of these unexplored yet hardly exploited environments. The microbiological studies were integrated with standard measurements of physico

SUBMITTER: Pedron R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9581249 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature