A recent study revealed that microwave ovens host unique communities of highly specialized microbes. The finding may have implications for hygiene practices and possible biotechnological improvements in that resilient bacteria found within microwaves could be used for industrial purposes.
According to Daniel Torrent, Darwin Bioprospecting Excellence SL, Paterna, Spain, "Our results show that the domestic microwaves have a microbiome proximal to the surfaces of the kitchen, whereas the lab microwaves were colonized by bacteria with higher resistance to radiation.".
Torrent and his colleagues sampled microbes from 30 microwave ovens: 10 private home kitchens, 10 shared spaces including corporate environments and cafeterias, and 10 molecular biology and microbiology labs.
The authors were interested in how microbial populations may be influenced by food interactions and user practices.
Using next-generation sequencing, and culturing 101 strains in various media, the researchers found 747 different genera representing 25 bacterial phyla; Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Proteobacteria accounted for the majority.
Single-household microwaves had the lowest diversity of microbes; laboratory models had the highest.
Some bacteria were unique to domestic, and others to shared, domestic microwaves. Those unique to the former included Acinetobacter, Bhargavaea, Brevibacterium, and Rhizobium, while those isolated from the latter were Arthrobacter, Enterobacter, Janibacter, and Planococcus.
Herein, Nonomuraea bacteria were isolated only from laboratory microwaves, together with Delftia, Micrococcus, Deinococcus, and a genus of Cyanobacteria.
The microbial diversity occupied the range expected for common kitchen surfaces or solar panels, thus supporting the view that thermal shock, electromagnetic radiation, and desiccation act in combination to favor the survival of extremely resistant microbes in such environments.
"Some of the species identified in domestic microwaves, for example Klebsiella, Enterococcus and Aeromonas may have health implications but there were no unique or increased risks for the overall microwave microbial community compared to other common kitchen surfaces", explained Torrent.
"We would advise members of the general public and laboratory staff to disinfect microwaves regularly with a diluted bleach solution or commercial disinfectant spray. Also critical is wiping down the interior with a dampened cloth after every use and cleaning up spills right away to avoid the growth of bacteria," he added.
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