Water Fogging and Misting Systems

Water fogging and misting systems
– are they a risk to human health?

Thousands of nursery workers have been, and continue to be, exposed to the fine
aerosols of water from both fogging and misting systems. Does this exposure put these
ISSUE
workers at risk of contracting Legionnaire’s disease or other water-borne human
NUMBER: diseases? Dr David Douglas, a consultant in occupational and environmental health,
2001/5 reports that good quality water (that is treated town water, clean rain water or water
that has been disinfected properly) will not contain bacteria, fungi or viruses that are
harmful to either plants or humans.
The Australian horticultural

industry has, for several decades,
been using water-fogging systems to
assist in temperature control, and
water-misting systems for watering
seedlings.
Both systems produce fine aerosols

of water, with droplet sizes usually
less than 60 microns. Such droplets
are too large to be inhaled into the
deep lungs of humans, but can
readily reach the upper airways and
bronchial passages.
To date, there have been no written

or anecdotal reports of adverse
human health effects attributed to
such exposure. Nevertheless, the
Nursery & Garden Industry
Fogging and misting systems will not cause human health problems
Australia (NGIA) has received as long as the water being used does not contain bacteria, fungi or
inquiries about the potential for viruses and/or is disinfected properly.
fogging and misting systems to
cause Legionnaire’s disease or other water-borne illness, was first recognised when a serious
human diseases. outbreak occurred at an American Legionnaires’
Convention in Philadelphia in 1978, but it was
Legionnaire’s disease, which is a pneumonia-like not a new disease at that time.
© NGIA – The Nursery Papers – Issue no 2001/5 – Page 1

The causative organism (Legionella pneumophila) is Periodic testing of water being used in fogging and
widespread in the environment as a common misting systems for plant and human pathogens can
contaminant of water sources. Outbreaks of Legionella also help determine the water quality and/or the
pneumonia in Australia have mostly been associated effectiveness of the water treatment.
with contaminated water in cooling towers and spa
baths, with case reports also implicating exposure to Further reading
potting mixes. Rolfe, Chris, et al. (2000), Managing water in plant
nurseries, second edition. NSW Agriculture.
It is possible that the water used in fogging and
misting systems could contain Legionella bacteria, Bodman K. (1997), ‘Improving water quality’.
especially if: (i) drawn from surface supplies such as Ornamental Update (Volume 12 number 3),
dams, creeks and rivers; (ii) drawn from recycled Queensland Department of Primary Industries.
water sources, or (iii) drawn from water stored at
20-45˚C. ‘Using ultra violet radiation and chlorine dioxide to
control fungal plant pathogens in water’, The Nursery
Similarly, it is possible that the fogging and misting Papers, 1996 #05.
systems could contain other bacteria harmful to
humans, such as E. coli, that may result in ‘Water disinfestation – chloro-bromination and ozone
gastrointestinal diseases. systems get the thumbs up!’ The Nursery Papers, 1997
#08.
However, the probability of bacteria contaminating
fogging and misting systems can be eliminated if the ‘Slow Sand Filtration (SSF) for water treatment in
quality of the water delivered by the fogging and nurseries and greenhouses’, The Nursery Papers, 1999
misting systems is maintained so as to provide optimal, #03.
disease-free, growing conditions for plants. The best
water for plants, that is, water that is free of plant The bottom line
pathogens (bacteria, fungi and viruses), will also be Town water that has been treated and used for
free of human pathogens. domestic household purposes (not ‘Grey Water’) is not
likely to cause any plant or human health problems.
The need for good quality water, and detailed Surface water (dam, river, creek or recycled water)
information on the many different ways of achieving should be treated for plant pathogens to ensure
it, has been well documented. Keith Bodman, director optimum plant growth. This treatment, assuming it is
of horticulture, environmental sciences and rural regularly monitored and effective, will also prevent
studies, Challenger TAFE, WA, claims: “The quality of possible human diseases.
your water will determine what crops can be
successfully grown, the methods of cropping; and the Acknowledgements
types of treatment needed to make it suitable for use, The author, Dr David Douglas, Douglas Consulting
re-use, or discharge from the site.” Australia, is grateful for the assistance provided by Mr
D. Randall of Floranda Flowers, Cabariah,
The provision of good quality water is a fundamental Queensland; and by Ms C. Lane of GrowSearch,
but potentially complex issue. The reader is advised to Department of Primary Industries, Queensland.
refer to the publications listed below and consult with
the relevant Nursery and Garden Industry associations
and/or state authorities.
If there remain any doubts about the quality of the

water being delivered by fogging or misting systems,
then the water should be tested for Legionella bacteria
and other human water-borne pathogens by the
relevant state public health laboratories.
Page 2 – © NGIA – The Nursery Papers – Issue no 2001/5

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– are they a risk to human health?

The Australian horticultural

Both systems produce fine aerosols

To date, there have been no written

© NGIA – The Nursery Papers – Issue no 2001/5 – Page 1

If there remain any doubts about the quality of the

Page 2 – © NGIA – The Nursery Papers – Issue no 2001/5

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