IJERPH, Vol. 21, Pages 335: Microbial Composition Dynamics in Peloids Used for Spa Procedures in Lithuania: Pilot Study

IJERPH, Vol. 21, Pages 335: Microbial Composition Dynamics in Peloids Used for Spa Procedures in Lithuania: Pilot Study International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph21030335 Authors: Marija Kataržytė Lolita Rapolienė Greta Kalvaitienė Rafael Picazo-Espinosa Despite peloids’ acknowledged therapeutic and cosmetic potential, there remains a limited understanding of their microbial diversity and dynamics, especially concerning beneficial and non-beneficial microorganisms under different heating conditions. Our study employs both cultivation and metagenomic methods to assess the microbiota of peloids, focusing on lake sapropel and peat under heating conditions recommended for external application and safety assurance. By applying microbial indicators specified in national regulatory documents, we found that all peloids reached thresholds for sulphite-reducing clostridia and colony-forming units. Each peloid exhibited a distinctive bacterial composition based on metagenomic analysis, and temperature-induced changes were observed in microbial diversity. We identified beneficial bacteria potentially contributing to the therapeutic properties of peloids. However, the same peloids indicated the presence of bacteria of human faecal origin, with a notably higher abundance of Escherichia coli, pointing to a potential source of contamination. Unfortunately, it remains unclear at which stage this contamination entered t...
Source: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: Article Source Type: research