Krakow municipal salt inhalation towers found contaminated with E. coli

Tests of the brine in three municipal salt‑inhalation towers in Krakow revealed concentrations of Escherichia coli higher than those in the nearby Dłubnia River and Nowohucki Reservoir. Aerosol samples taken around the installations contained even more fecal bacteria than samples from livestock barns.

Professor Katarzyna Wolny‑Koładka of the University of Life Sciences in Krakow explained that routine cleaning and replacement of the brine did not improve the microbiological parameters. The open design of the towers permits bird droppings to enter the closed‑loop system, and the facilities are not subject to the same health‑safety oversight as spa or mineral‑water installations. She warned that new towers should not be built and existing ones should be phased out unless effective decontamination can be assured, noting that seniors, children and people with respiratory conditions are especially vulnerable. The Bochnia tower, one of the largest in the region, is scheduled for testing in August.