Microbiological Quality of Drinking Water and Prevalence of Waterborne Diseases in the Gaza Strip, Palestine: A Narrative Review

Background. The traditional approach in the management of the quality drinking water, and relying on end-product testing, has proven ineffective in protecting public health. Therefore, the transition to a systematic approach in drinking water supply systems management from the source to the consumer tap was taken as a water safety plan (WSP). Objective. The study aims to investigate the health-related hazardous events in order to decide on the best risk-reduction strategies in the supply of drinking water in the Gaza strip. Methods. A semiquantitative matrix method for risk assessment was applied. Also, chlorine residual, electrical conductivity, and nitrate concentration further tested in 109 water wells, 109 small-scale water desalination plants, 197 tanker trucks, and 384 households distributed over five governorates of the Gaza strip. Results. The mean of the measured chlorine residual values was less than the recommended national and international limits (0.2–1 mg/liter). The mean of electrical conductivity at catchment points and household municipal water taps was 2165.1 μS·cm−1 and 2000 μS·cm−1, respectively. Furthermore, zero percent of water samples met the recommended criteria, indicating that the groundwater in the Gaza strip is nonpotable. Only 12.8% and 8.8% of water samples met the permissible levels at catchment areas and municipal water at household, respectively, indicating sever health impacts on the public. Moreover, the most hazardous events were related to high levels of groundwater salinity, the low level of disinfection, the effect of electricity outages on the efficiency of the desalination process, and leakage of water from the tanker truck tank reservoirs. Therefore, urgent interventions are required to improve the quality of water and to mitigate the possible health effects. Conclusion. The prioritization of hazardous events that are proportional to the degree of their attributed risk could help guide in making the right risk-reduction decisions. Urgent interventions are required to improve the quality of water and to mitigate the possible health effects.

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Bacteriological and physicochemical quality of drinking water in Kobo town, Northern Ethiopia

Journal of Water Sanitation and Hygiene for Development ◽

10.2166/washdev.2021.218 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Baye Sitotaw ◽

Molla Nigus

Keyword(s):

Drinking Water ◽

Water Samples ◽

Physicochemical Parameters ◽

Membrane Filtration ◽

Microbiological Quality ◽

National Standards ◽

Fecal Coliforms ◽

Northern Ethiopia ◽

Waterborne Diseases

Abstract Despite drinking water supply in Kobo town is from a borehole through pipes, a high incidence of waterborne diseases are frequently reported. Hence, this study aimed to assess the bacteriological and physicochemical drinking water quality in Kobo town. One hundred and twenty water samples were collected from four sampling sites (the source, reservoir, taps, and households' containers) from February to April 2020. Total and fecal coliforms were counted from the water samples using membrane filtration while selected physicochemical parameters were determined using standard methods. The mean counts of total and fecal coliforms ranged from 3.9 to 22.9 and 1 to 13.6 CFU/100 mL, respectively. Hence, all water samples did not satisfy the WHO guidelines and national standards. There were statistically significant differences in the coliform counts between the different sampling sites, and the counts were significantly higher in the taps and households' containers compared to the counts in the source and reservoir (p < 0.05). All physicochemical parameters, except for temperature, were within the recommended acceptable limits. High coliform count in the water system demands proper maintenance of the distribution line and good hygiene practices at household level to improve the microbiological quality of drinking water in Kobo town.

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Appraisal of Microbiological Quality of Food with Respect to Drinking Water in Punjab

Indian Journal Of Applied Research ◽

10.15373/2249555x/june2014/199 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 4 (6) ◽

pp. 1-3

Author(s):

Pandove G Pandove G ◽

◽

Sahota S Sahota S

Keyword(s):

Drinking Water ◽

Microbiological Quality ◽

Quality Of Food

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Microbiological quality of residues from drinking water preparation

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.1995.0565 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 31 (5-6) ◽

pp. 75-79 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

M. Würzer ◽

A. Wiedenmann ◽

K. Botzenhart

Keyword(s):

Waste Water ◽

Escherichia Coli ◽

Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽

Drinking Water ◽

Water Treatment ◽

Pathogenic Bacteria ◽

Waste Water Treatment ◽

Microbiological Quality ◽

Detection Limits

In Germany the application of procedures such as flocculation and filtration in the preparation of drinking water results in the annual production of an estimated 500,000 t of sediments and sludges. Some of these residues have a potential for being reused, for example in agriculture, forestry, brickworks or waste water treatment. To assess the microbiological quality of residues from waterworks methods for the detection of enterobacteria, Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Legionella, poliovirus, Ascaris suis eggs and Cryptosporidium have been evaluated regarding their detection limits and were applied to various residues from German waterworks. Results show that sediments and sludges may contain pathogenic bacteria, viruses and protista. When residues from waterworks are intended to be reused in agriculture or forestry the microbiological quality should therefore be considered.

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Microbiological Quality of Drinking Water in Sachets Sold in the City of Yaoundé in Cameroon: Tests of Sensitivity to the Antibiotics of Bacteria Isolated

Journal of Applied Biotechnology ◽

10.5296/jab.v8i1.16684 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 27

Author(s):

Nguepidjo Gilbert ◽

Kapso Tchouankep Mireille ◽

Ngong Ankiambom Innocent ◽

Tonmeu Douyong Chimène Sandrine ◽

Enoka Patrice ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Drinking Water ◽

Low Cost ◽

Bacterial Species ◽

Microbiological Quality ◽

Positive Culture ◽

Human Beings ◽

Salmonella Spp ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The City

Water is the basic drink for human beings and drinking water in sachets is very popular because of its relatively low cost and availability. The aim of this study is to determine the bacteriological profile of sachet drinking water sold in the city of Yaounde. It was a descriptive cross-sectional study covering the period from March to June 2019, carried out in the application laboratory of ETMS-Yaounde. A total of 230 samples of drinking water in sachets purchased in different markets in the city of Yaounde were analyzed using Mac Conkey's flooding method. The identification was done on the API 20 E Gallery and the susceptibility test on Mueller Hinton media. The size of the sample was 230 packaged sachet drinking water and 213 of the 230 revealed 92% of positive culture of germs, and only 17 samples gave a negative culture, at a percentage of 8% of isolated germs. The isolated bacterial species and their respective abundances in samples were Enterobacter gergoviae (3%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (5%), Proteus mirabilis (5%), Serratia fonticola (5%), Salmonella choler arizonae cloacae (8%), Salmonella spp. (8%), Enterobacter cloacae (10%), Staphylococcus aureus (10%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (18%) and Staphylococcus epidermidis (28%). All these tested germs were resistant to Amoxicillin and Erythromycin and 70% of tested germs were sensitive to Gentamycin. Overall, the results revealed poor microbiological quality of these waters. This exposes consumers to health risks, and it is important to inform and sensitize consumers about the risks involved, to educate producers and to control their activities by the health services.

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Photocatalytic Enhancement for Solar Disinfection of Water: A Review

International Journal of Photoenergy ◽

10.1155/2011/798051 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 2011 ◽

pp. 1-12 ◽

Cited By ~ 136

Author(s):

J. Anthony Byrne ◽

Pilar A. Fernandez-Ibañez ◽

Patrick S. M. Dunlop ◽

Dheaya M. A. Alrousan ◽

Jeremy W. J. Hamilton

Keyword(s):

Drinking Water ◽

Low Cost ◽

Waterborne Diseases ◽

Safe Drinking Water ◽

Developing Regions ◽

Water Supplies ◽

Semiconductor Photocatalysis ◽

Solar Disinfection ◽

Clean Drinking Water

It is estimated that 884 million people lack access to improved water supplies. Many more are forced to rely on supplies that are microbiologically unsafe, resulting in a higher risk of waterborne diseases, including typhoid, hepatitis, polio, and cholera. Due to poor sanitation and lack of clean drinking water, there are around 4 billion cases of diarrhea each year resulting in 2.2 million deaths, most of these are children under five. While conventional interventions to improve water supplies are effective, there is increasing interest in household-based interventions to produce safe drinking water at an affordable cost for developing regions. Solar disinfection (SODIS) is a simple and low cost technique used to disinfect drinking water, where water is placed in transparent containers and exposed to sunlight for 6 hours. There are a number of parameters which affect the efficacy of SODIS, including the solar irradiance, the quality of the water, and the nature of the contamination. One approach to SODIS enhancement is the use of semiconductor photocatalysis to produce highly reactive species that can destroy organic pollutants and inactivate water pathogens. This paper presents a critical review concerning semiconductor photocatalysis as a potential enhancement technology for solar disinfection of water.

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دور اتخاذ القرارات الإدارية في جودة الأداء الإداري : دراسة ميدانية على المستشفيات غير الحكومية - قطاع غزة = The Role of Decision-Making on the Quality of Performance in the Non-Governmental Hospitals in the Gaza Strip : A Field Study

مجلة جامعة فلسطين للأبحاث و الدراسات ◽

10.12816/0023206 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 39-76

Author(s):

إبراهيم عابدين

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Field Study ◽

Gaza Strip ◽

The Gaza Strip

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Large-scale brackish water desalination plants in Gaza Strip: assessments and improvements

Journal of Water Reuse and Desalination ◽

10.2166/wrd.2013.089 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 3 (3) ◽

pp. 315-324 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Yunes Mogheir ◽

Ahmad A. Foul ◽

A. A. Abuhabib ◽

A. W. Mohammad

Keyword(s):

Brackish Water ◽

Large Scale ◽

Potable Water ◽

Gaza Strip ◽

Water Desalination ◽

Saline Groundwater ◽

Operational Conditions ◽

The Gaza Strip ◽

Desalination Plants

Water scarcity is a serious challenge in the Gaza Strip, a region that is mostly considered to be semi-arid. In this region, the population's options for provision of potable water are limited to desalination of saline groundwater. Six large brackish water desalination plants (BWDPs) and one seawater desalination plant are operating and providing drinking water along with small private plants. The BWDPs were assessed in terms of operational conditions and quality of their feed and permeate with the aim of estimating essential improvements required as well as performance significance. All these plants are reverse osmosis plants and their operational conditions are similar in terms of production, recovery rate, and energy consumption. The quality of the plants’ feed was found not to comply with WHO and Palestinian Standards in most cases, unlike the permeate from all plants. The assessment made through this study assists in better understanding of the current situation of the large-scale desalination plants in Gaza and recommending essential improvements needed to increase water production of these plants without increasing abstraction and feed quantities. In addition, multi-criteria analysis used to evaluate BWDPs performance may assist in prioritizing improvements application.

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