Visiting a saline grotto

Question

Hello,

Are there any experiences with germ loads at saline grottos? There is one around here and I think it sounds quite interesting. Unfortunately, I cannot evaluate the germ situation at all. The manager, whom I had the chance to talk to during a trade show, has never heard of Pseudomonas and could not provide any information.

Enclosed is a description taken from the local newspaper: “Unobtrusively, relaxing music is coming from the speakers. It mingles with the gurgling of the saline water that is bubbling through the artificially arranged brook or rippling from the ceiling over brushwood into a pool. As Host explains, temperature, air circulation, and humidity are adjusted in such a way that the natural components of the sea salt create a unique oceanic microclimate. This would help against iodine deficiency and respiratory diseases, allergies, asthma, headache and moreover against disorders of the nervous system.”

Do you think a visit bears any potential risks?

Many thanks in advance.

Answer

Dear questioner,

A visit to a saline grotto the way it is described in your local newspaper does indeed sound interesting. Also, I am not aware of any specific risks of germ loads in such a facility. However, since the grotto has a so-called “marine climate” with high saline concentrations, a problem with Pseudomonas is not to be expected, since Pseudomonas cannot grow in high-salt conditions. You should therefore simply try whether the climate there does you good and make a further visit dependent on how you feel about it personally.

Kind regards
Barbara Kahl.

23.11.2009