#857: Dr Nicholas Ashbolt 2017: Copper vs Plastic Plumbing

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Just like the human gastro-intestinal system, our household plumbing can be pushed out of balance by the wrong slime or microbiome that inhabits the pipes.

That’s why Dr. Nicholas Ashbolt  is looking at probiotics to improve that situation. 

Dr. Ashbolt holds the Alberta Innovates Translational Health Chair in Water at the University of Alberta.

DR NICHOLAS ASHBOLT:  We’re finding that plastic pipe like PVC or PEX pipe, creates a different microbiome than what we see on traditional pipe surfaces like copper pipe.  And whilst there’s less growth on copper pipe, less biofilm, we actually see that the organisms that grow there support legionella much more so than on plastic pipe.  So we’re looking at can we have an upstream plastic pipe – we call it a selector, that selects for the right probiotic organisms – to see whether we can actually deliberately colonize the downstream copper pipe with preferential organisms that will suppress the growth of these opportunistic pathogens.  

Dr Ashbolt’s  research indicates, however, one of the complicating factors is the use of chlorine as a disinfectant

Thanks today to ALBERTA INNOVATES

Learn more at INNOVATION ANTHOLOGY.com

I’M CHERYL CROUCHER

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Alberta Innovates

Alberta Innovates is a provincially funded Corporation with a mandate to deliver 21st century solutions for the most compelling challenges facing Albertans. We do this by building on our province’s research and technology development strengths in the core sectors of health, environment, energy, food and fibre and platforms such as artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, and omics. We are working with our partners to diversify Alberta’s economy, improve our environmental performance and enhance our well-being through research and innovation. 

The Alberta Innovates system has roots stretching back almost 90 years

In March, 2016 the consolidation of Alberta Innovates was announced and on November 1, a single, integrated innovation powerhouse, Alberta Innovates, was formed. Two applied research subsidiaries – Innotech Alberta and C-Fer Technologies –  serve public and private sector interests.

The Alberta Innovates system was first created in January 2010, as part of an overall innovation framework developed within the Alberta Research and Innovation Act. At that time, four corporations were established:

  • Bio Solutions
  • Energy and Environment Solutions
  • Health Solutions
  • Technology Futures.

The Alberta Innovates system has a 90-year legacy. Our expertise is built on the successes of:

  • Alberta Institute for Agriculture
  • Forestry and the Environment
  • Alberta Agricultural Research Institute
  • Alberta Forestry Research Institute
  • Alberta Life Sciences Institute
  • Alberta Ingenuity
  • Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research
  • Alberta Research Council
  • iCORE
  • nanoAlberta
  • Alberta Water Research Institute (AWRI)
  • Alberta Energy Research Institute (AERI)
  • Alberta Oil Sands Technology and Research Authority (AOSTRA).

 

Program Date: 2017-03-30