Linkage of In-Refrigerator Water Dispensing Systems to Elevated Exposure to Microbial Contamination at the Microbiome Scale

In-refrigerator water dispensing systems are ubiquitous in residential homes with tap water as the inflow. Passage through these systems resulted in significant microbial growth in the water, with the abundance of potential opportunistic pathogens Mycobacterium and Pseudomonas increasing by 8,053- and 221-fold, respectively. Elevated exposure to microbial contaminants linked to in-refrigerator water dispensing systems may represent a significant public health concern.