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Mentor

'PINK SLIME' Data Base

Posted by Terri Martin, Volunteer Mentor @windwalker, Jul 26, 2017

Dear Connect Members,

Remember the poll I started about who has the ‘pink slime’ AKA Methylobacterium in their bathrooms? I have been in contact with Joseph Falkinham, a NTM reseacher and professor at Virginia Tech. He is very interested in starting a data base for where this particular bacterium is located throughout the U.S. and Canada. I have noted the locales from those of you who have already responded. Am encouraging any others with the pinkish/orange bacteria to report it back here to me. I don’t know about you, but I am excited to be a part of important research.
Please include your state and county name when submitting. Thank you in advance for helping with this poll. See e-mail below from Dr. Falkinham – Terri M.

“Dear Terri:

The source of mycobacteria in homes and buildings is the municipal water from a utility. It enters the treatment plant from the source water, usually adhering to soil particulates. The mycobacteria are disinfectant-resistant and are the few survivors of disinfection (e.g., chlorine) and have no competitors that have been killed off.

When that water reaches our homes, the mycobacteria grow in the water heaters and then are circulated throughout the house. We are currently finishing up work showing the impact of the water heater on mycobacterial numbers. Thus, the critical control point for mycobacteria might be the water heater.

I would certainly appreaciate knowing where the “Connect” group has found pink slime. You have given me an idea….I can use the NTM Foundation data base to get an idea of pink slime across the US and Canada.

Best,
Joe”

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the MAC & Bronchiectasis Support Group.

Mentor
Terri Martin, Volunteer Mentor | @windwalker | May 22, 2019
In reply to @danielad "Thanks @windwalker and @adair. Yes, I have seen it in every house I have ever lived..." + (show)
@danielad

Thanks @windwalker and @adair. Yes, I have seen it in every house I have ever lived in, including my current house (shower door seal). What I also see are dark rings in the toilet of the guest bathroom. That happens if I forget to flush it every other week. Is that "black stuff" equally bad?
–Dee

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@danielad I used to live in Richmond, Va. and Tappahannock area. I always had pink slime that would grow on the shower curtain liners. Just sayin'.

REPLY
1 reply
Dee | @danielad | May 22, 2019
In reply to @windwalker "@danielad I used to live in Richmond, Va. and Tappahannock area. I always had pink slime..." + (show)
@windwalker

@danielad I used to live in Richmond, Va. and Tappahannock area. I always had pink slime that would grow on the shower curtain liners. Just sayin'.

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@colleenyoung @adair @sounder27 @windwalker —

Hi all, I have lived in various US states and in Europe (military). I don't remember if I saw this pinkish stuff in Europe (too long ago!! But I can testify to the fact that I have encountered it everywhere else I have ever lived. This includes different parts of Texas, Maryland, Nebraska, Iowa, Virginia, South Carolina, and Florida.

Guess now we need to know how to get rid of the problem "at the source"! But how do we do that, if, as Dr. Falkinham mentions, the bacteria enters via the municipal/county water? It seems his study, aside from "mapping" where the problems are located in the US and Canada, may also help in providing support to his working theory. If so, I presume we need to wait until "someone" in Federal, State, or County government accepts the study, and decides to do something about it. But what can we do in the mean time?

I would say that if we could place some sort of equipment at the water's point of entry into our houses, it would be a GREAT option! Also, it doesn't have to be a house. The equipment could be placed in an apartment or other dwelling — They all have a "main" point of entry for the water. Let's all do a little research on the topic! What do you say?
–Dee

REPLY
2 replies
Dee | @danielad | May 22, 2019
In reply to @danielad "@colleenyoung @adair @sounder27 @windwalker -- Hi all, I have lived in various US states and in..." + (show)
@danielad

@colleenyoung @adair @sounder27 @windwalker —

Hi all, I have lived in various US states and in Europe (military). I don't remember if I saw this pinkish stuff in Europe (too long ago!! But I can testify to the fact that I have encountered it everywhere else I have ever lived. This includes different parts of Texas, Maryland, Nebraska, Iowa, Virginia, South Carolina, and Florida.

Guess now we need to know how to get rid of the problem "at the source"! But how do we do that, if, as Dr. Falkinham mentions, the bacteria enters via the municipal/county water? It seems his study, aside from "mapping" where the problems are located in the US and Canada, may also help in providing support to his working theory. If so, I presume we need to wait until "someone" in Federal, State, or County government accepts the study, and decides to do something about it. But what can we do in the mean time?

I would say that if we could place some sort of equipment at the water's point of entry into our houses, it would be a GREAT option! Also, it doesn't have to be a house. The equipment could be placed in an apartment or other dwelling — They all have a "main" point of entry for the water. Let's all do a little research on the topic! What do you say?
–Dee

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@colleenyoung @adair @sounder27 @windwalker —

Interesting article (2006): https://www.gulfshoresutilities.com/pdf/pink_stain.pdf — According to this article — "Although pink staining is often caused by the bacterium Serratia marcescens, other bacteria may be to blame. …". Makes for an interesting read …

REPLY
migizii | @migizii | May 22, 2019
In reply to @danielad "@colleenyoung @adair @sounder27 @windwalker -- Hi all, I have lived in various US states and in..." + (show)
@danielad

@colleenyoung @adair @sounder27 @windwalker —

Hi all, I have lived in various US states and in Europe (military). I don't remember if I saw this pinkish stuff in Europe (too long ago!! But I can testify to the fact that I have encountered it everywhere else I have ever lived. This includes different parts of Texas, Maryland, Nebraska, Iowa, Virginia, South Carolina, and Florida.

Guess now we need to know how to get rid of the problem "at the source"! But how do we do that, if, as Dr. Falkinham mentions, the bacteria enters via the municipal/county water? It seems his study, aside from "mapping" where the problems are located in the US and Canada, may also help in providing support to his working theory. If so, I presume we need to wait until "someone" in Federal, State, or County government accepts the study, and decides to do something about it. But what can we do in the mean time?

I would say that if we could place some sort of equipment at the water's point of entry into our houses, it would be a GREAT option! Also, it doesn't have to be a house. The equipment could be placed in an apartment or other dwelling — They all have a "main" point of entry for the water. Let's all do a little research on the topic! What do you say?
–Dee

Jump to this post

@migizii I can say that I live in Northern Minnesota and drink well water at my home and have never seen this “pink slime” many of you describe on your shower curtains. I shave seen dark yellowish colors on the bottom of our shower curtains, but my husband attributes that to the iron content in the well water (he’s a soil scientist). So, as far as the research, this perhaps can be one place in the USA that does not generally have this pink slime.

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Brenda R. | @brigby | May 23, 2019

@windwalker Hi Teri, We live in Fresno, CA, and we have an orange residue in our sinks, our refrigerator ice dispenser tray (outside the fridge).

REPLY
1 reply
Mentor
Terri Martin, Volunteer Mentor | @windwalker | May 23, 2019
In reply to @brigby "@windwalker Hi Teri, We live in Fresno, CA, and we have an orange residue in our..." + (show)
@brigby

@windwalker Hi Teri, We live in Fresno, CA, and we have an orange residue in our sinks, our refrigerator ice dispenser tray (outside the fridge).

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@brigby Hi Brenda. Supposedly, if you have the pink bacteria in your bathroom at home, then you do not have avium mycobacterium lurking in your pipes. The pink bacteria outranks the mac variety. This is according to Dr. Joseph Faulkinham who is a microbiologist at Virginia Tech University. I have been collecting statistics on mac patient's occupations too, so I am glad that you mentioned that you are a teacher. I have found that the majority of mac patients have worked as nurses or in the medical field (I would say about 80%). Second to them is teachers. The correlation that I see between the two is that both occupations expose you to many people and their germs year after year. The other correlation I see is that hospitals and schools use commercial cleaning products. It is possible they are creating super bugs.. These are just my observations from reading so many posts here over the years.

REPLY
3 replies
pfists | @pfists | May 23, 2019
In reply to @windwalker "@brigby Hi Brenda. Supposedly, if you have the pink bacteria in your bathroom at home, then..." + (show)
@windwalker

@brigby Hi Brenda. Supposedly, if you have the pink bacteria in your bathroom at home, then you do not have avium mycobacterium lurking in your pipes. The pink bacteria outranks the mac variety. This is according to Dr. Joseph Faulkinham who is a microbiologist at Virginia Tech University. I have been collecting statistics on mac patient's occupations too, so I am glad that you mentioned that you are a teacher. I have found that the majority of mac patients have worked as nurses or in the medical field (I would say about 80%). Second to them is teachers. The correlation that I see between the two is that both occupations expose you to many people and their germs year after year. The other correlation I see is that hospitals and schools use commercial cleaning products. It is possible they are creating super bugs.. These are just my observations from reading so many posts here over the years.

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@windwalker
Terri
That's very interesting about NTM patients working in nursing and teacheing field.
I was working in a medical clinic in Urgent Care when I got so sick I finally had to retire. I just kept getting sickier and sicker. It was probably the worst place to be because just about everyone that came in had a virus, cold or some kind of bacteria. Yuck
Dont know how I lasted as long as I did.
Shari

REPLY
1 reply
Brenda R. | @brigby | May 24, 2019
In reply to @windwalker "@brigby Hi Brenda. Supposedly, if you have the pink bacteria in your bathroom at home, then..." + (show)
@windwalker

@brigby Hi Brenda. Supposedly, if you have the pink bacteria in your bathroom at home, then you do not have avium mycobacterium lurking in your pipes. The pink bacteria outranks the mac variety. This is according to Dr. Joseph Faulkinham who is a microbiologist at Virginia Tech University. I have been collecting statistics on mac patient's occupations too, so I am glad that you mentioned that you are a teacher. I have found that the majority of mac patients have worked as nurses or in the medical field (I would say about 80%). Second to them is teachers. The correlation that I see between the two is that both occupations expose you to many people and their germs year after year. The other correlation I see is that hospitals and schools use commercial cleaning products. It is possible they are creating super bugs.. These are just my observations from reading so many posts here over the years.

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@windwalker Hi Teri, well bummer, then, I guess, that our water residue is orange instead of pink! LOL

I regularly culture m. Abscessus in both my sinuses and lungs, along with MAC, MAI, HIBB, and now this last sputum sample shows AFB positive, that’s new, along with some fungi: Penicillium series, aspergillosis, and MUCOR.

But I am blessed and lucky to be functioning really well & able to work right now. Have not had to start Big 3. Like you, I take a prophylactic (inhalant) antibiotic daily.

Stay well!

REPLY
1 reply
Jo Ann K | @jkiemen | May 24, 2019
In reply to @pfists "@windwalker Terri That's very interesting about NTM patients working in nursing and teacheing field. I was..." + (show)
@pfists

@windwalker
Terri
That's very interesting about NTM patients working in nursing and teacheing field.
I was working in a medical clinic in Urgent Care when I got so sick I finally had to retire. I just kept getting sickier and sicker. It was probably the worst place to be because just about everyone that came in had a virus, cold or some kind of bacteria. Yuck
Dont know how I lasted as long as I did.
Shari

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@pfists @windwalker Count me in. I have worked in Hospitals and Clinics since 1974.

REPLY
pfists | @pfists | May 24, 2019
In reply to @brigby "@windwalker Hi Teri, well bummer, then, I guess, that our water residue is orange instead of..." + (show)
@brigby

@windwalker Hi Teri, well bummer, then, I guess, that our water residue is orange instead of pink! LOL

I regularly culture m. Abscessus in both my sinuses and lungs, along with MAC, MAI, HIBB, and now this last sputum sample shows AFB positive, that’s new, along with some fungi: Penicillium series, aspergillosis, and MUCOR.

But I am blessed and lucky to be functioning really well & able to work right now. Have not had to start Big 3. Like you, I take a prophylactic (inhalant) antibiotic daily.

Stay well!

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@brigby
Its great that your still able to work with what your dealing with!
I understand the time it takes to get ready in the morning, I can barely get out of the house by noon.
There's the duo nib salt nib and now Tobi nib plus 1/2 hour on the Vest.
I was just curious though what (prophlactic antibiotic inhalant) you are using daily.
Seems we have a lot in common. I had abcessus along with a lot of different asperigillus.

Shari

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