Seventy-one percent of the earth surfaces is covered by oceans. Water therefore is an important habitat for microorganisms and the other living beings. A consistent microbial biodiversity is present in water from phototrophs to chemioorganotrophs. The complex relationships between different microorganisms and the environment are often modified by organic, chemical and physic contaminations. The input of organic material can determine pathogenic pollution. The presence of pathogens has to be monitored to eliminate serious problems for animal and human health. Water, in fact, can be a vehicle direct (drinking water) or indirect (irrigation water) for microbial pathogens | Il 71% della superficie terrestre è costituito dagli oceani. L'acqua pertanto è un importante ambiente per i microrganismi, oltre che per tutti gli altri esseri viventi. Una grande varietà di tipi microbici colonizzano l'habitat acquatico, dai fototrofi ai chemiorganotrofi. Le dinamiche che si creano fra i diversi componenti microbici e l'ambiente sono spesso alterate da contaminazioni organiche, chimiche e fisiche. L'immissione di materiale organico può anche essere fonte di inquinamento di microrganismi patogeni la cui presenza va monitorata al fine di evitare seri problemi alla salute umana e animale. L'acqua, infatti, può rappresentare un veicolo di trasferimento, sia diretto (acqua potabile), sia indiretto (acque di irrigazione), di microrganismi patogeni

Papers on mycobacteria in food, feed and water, published between 1945 and 2010 and indexed in the database Web of Science (Thomson Reuters), were ranked according to authors, institutions, countries and source titles. The total number of papers on mycobacteria and food, and mycobacteria and water were 1,486 and 1,419, respectively. More than 40% of papers have been published in the last five years. In addition to publications in peer reviewed journals the archives of ProMED-mail and the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed of the European Union were also searched. It is evident that much attention is being paid to mycobacteria in food, feed and water as they likely pose a public health risk.

The efficacy of the ozonated water (0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, and 1.0 ppm) in reducing the risk of food-borne disease was investigated in this study. After inoculation of Listeria monocytogenes (ATCC 19112), Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica biovar Typhimurium (ATCC 12598), Escherichia coli O157:H7 (ATCC 43890) to lettuce, spinach, and beef, inhibition effect with different washing concentrations, time, and methods with ozonated and tap water were evaluated. As a result, there were 2.16 to 3.85 log CFU/mL reduction in different foods and 7 log CFU/mL reduction on cutting boards after watering with ozonated water. Higher than 0.2 ppm of ozonated water treatment reduced the growth of food-borne disease bacteria with increasing washing time and ozone concentration. These results suggested that the ozonated water treatment effectively improved the microbiological quality and food safety.

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