Evaluation of Drinking Water Quality in Rural Area of Amhara Region, Ethiopia: The Case of Mecha District

This study was conducted to assess the drinking water quality of north Mecha district, Amhara Region, Ethiopia. 26 drinking water samples were collected from the water points of the dweller community in the dry seasons of 2020 and subjected to the analysis of physicochemical parameters, bacteriological parameters, and the level of trace metals. The analysis of physicochemical parameters and the trace metals was carried out following the standard procedures of the laboratory, and the bacteriological water qualities were measured using the membrane filtration method. The F−, NO3−, SO42−, and Cu levels of the water samples were within the permissible limits of the WHO and compulsory Ethiopian standard (CES). Depending on turbidity, 61.54% of the tested water samples crossed the WHO limit of drinking water quality, and 100% of the samples surpassed the limits of EPA. Based on iron and ammonia levels, 38.46%, and 100% of the studied water samples violated the environmental protection agency (EPA) guidelines; 23.07%, and 3.84%, of the samples surpassed the WHO and CES drinking water quality standards. In view of pH, 23.07% of the tested water samples were not within the safe limit of the WHO and CES. 92.31% of the studied water samples were not potable as coliform bacterium (thermo tolerant indicator bacterium) growth was detected. The study revealed that the water sources of the study area are not safe for drinking unless appropriate treatment measurements are taken. Higher values of water quality parameters for the water samples from Koga irrigation site than the values for the water samples from the study sites found out of the irrigation site indicated the pollution load of Koga irrigation on the water quality of the area.

Bacterial Analysis of Roof-harvested Rainwater and their Implications to Public Health in the Caribbean Island of Anguilla

Anguilla is a dry to semi-arid island in the Caribbean where the majority of residents rely on roof-harvested rainwater. The objective of this study was to assess the presence of indicator coliform bacteria and associated health risk to the consumer in Anguilla. Rooftop rain water harvested samples were collected from 86 homes. Bacterial count was done by membrane filtration and culture on Difco Modified mTEC Agar and Hach m-ColiBlue24 agar. Bacteria grown on agar plates were counted by using darkfield colony counter. All owners or residents were interviewed for water use related gastroenteritis. Coliform bacteria were grown in 88.4% (76/86) samples with very few colonies to confluent growth of fecal E. coli, non-fecal E. coli and coliform other than E. coli. Results indicated that the majority of the samples contain the mixture of different coliform bacteria. Household survey revealed the majority of the households drink unpotable roof harvested rain water without any treatments and have the history of at least one episode of gastroenteritis-like illness during the past year. Our result is suggestive of that coliform bacterium detected in roof-harvested rainwater throughout Anguilla poses a potential health risk to the consumers and requires proper treatment for consumption.

Purification and optimization of pink pigment produced by newly isolated bacterial strain Enterobacter sp. PWN1

Pigment-producing bacteria were isolated from kitchen wastewaters of the National Institute of Technology, Rourkela. A pink non-virulent bacterial strain PWN1 was selected based on the India Ink Broth and Coomassie Brilliant Blue (R-250) dye assay. According to morphological and biochemical characterization, the strain PWN1was a Gram-negative, rod-shaped, motile, non-coliform bacterium and could utilize only glucose and adonitol as sole carbon source. The pigment was found to be a growth-associated product, and the pigment production was accelerated after 40 h of bacterial culture. Further, 16S rRNA gene-based molecular identification showed its similarity with Enterobacter sp. The pigments were extracted by the solvent extraction method using chloroform and ethanol (3:1). The extracted pigments were then purified through thin-layer chromatography and column chromatography. To maximize pigment production, the culture condition was optimized for maximum biomass production using statistical software Design Expert v13. A quadratic model was structured describing the process efficiently and it suggested a moderate temperature, pH, and a high inoculum concentration which generated biomass of 3.81 ± 0.02 g/L. At optimized condition, 1 L of cell culture produced 3.77 g of biomass which produced a crude pigment of 0.234 g after solvent extraction and 0.131 g after column chromatography, implying a yield of 6.2% for crude pigment and 3.47% for purified pigment from biomass. The yield of the obtained pigment was high enough to draw interest for industrial production, although the application of the pigment is considerable for further study.

Evaluation of the Production Processes of Different Brands of Sachet Water Sold in the Open Market in Ado-Ekiti, Southwest, Nigeria

Life on earth is practically impossible without water, in fact, the presence of water on our planet is one of the critical factors that make life possible on earth. Apart from commercial, agricultural, industrial, domestic and sundry uses of water, humans, like other living organisms, require water for their physiological needs. However, as vital as water is to humans, if the water consumed by them is not potable or is unwholesome, it can lead to serious and sometimes life-threatening illnesses. This thus makes it important to periodically assess and monitor the potability and wholesomeness of any form of drinking water, particularly the ones presented to the public. In this study, twenty-two different brands of commercial sachet-water sold in the open market in Ado-Ekiti, southwest, Nigeria were consecutively sampled and analysed. The factories where the brands were manufactured were also visited and served structured self-administered questionnaires that were filled by their respective production managers. Data from the questionnaires were analysed and juxtaposed with the outcome of laboratory investigations with a view to identifying the factors responsible for the un wholesomeness of any of the brands. Out of the twenty-two sachet-water brands sampled, none (0%) had physically visible colour; none (0%) had physically perceivable odour; none (0%) had detectable taste. All (100%) were physically clear; 1 (5%) was bagged in a 60-cl cellophane sachet, while 21 (95%) were bagged in 50-cl cellophane sachets; all (100%) claimed to have NAFDAC (the regulatory agency responsible for the control and regulation of food, drugs and allied products in Nigeria) registration number- going by what was written on their finished products. Nearly all- 21 (95%)- all the sampled brands had a pH value of 5, while 1 (5%) had pH value of 6, resulting in a mean pH of 5. More than half of the brands sampled from the open market- 11 (50%)- yielded a positive culture result, 3 (14%) of which were coliforms. According to WHO standards there shouldn’t be a single coliform bacterium in drinking water, which makes it quite unsettling that three of the brands contained coliforms which of course could be enteric coliform- an indication of the fact that these brands had come in contact with human faeces. The public heath implication of this is discussed and appropriate recommendations made.

VERIFIKASI PENENTUAN ANGKA BAKTERI Escherichia coli PADA SAMPEL YANG DI-SPIKE MENGGUNAKAN METODE COLONY FORMING UNIT

The water that must be drunk is healthy water that meets the requirements of Bacteriology, Chemistry, Radioactivity and Physicality based on Republic of Indonesia Minister of Health Regulation No: 492 / MENKES / PER / IV / 2010 concerning the requirements and supervision of clean water quality which includes physical requirements which are odorless, not colored and tasteless, where for the Coliform value is 0/100 mL. Escherichia coli is a fecal coliform bacterium and an indicator of the quality of drinking water because its presence in water indicates that the water is contaminated by feces. The aim of this study was to determine the value of accuracy, precision, detection limit, sensitivity and specificity of the calculated numbers of Escherichia coli bacteria from spike samples using the CFU method with agar chromocult media. The results of the bacterial results obtained on accuracy parameters were 229.33%, precision ie 26.35%, LOD which was 13.85 CFU / ml, LOQ ie 138.54 CFU / ml, and Specificity of 0%. Based on the results of verification of bacterial numbers obtained from the results of the accuracy test, precision that is not within the range of general requirements indicates that the method cannot be valid to use factors that affect high dilution, rapid bacterial growth rate, adequate nutrition and observer vision, whereas specificity indicate that chromocult coliform is very specific to Escherichia coli.

COLIFORM MOST PROBABLE NUMBER (MPN) WITH VARIETIES OF MEDIA VOLUME LACTOSE BROTH SINGLE STRENGTH (LBSS) AND LACTOSE BROTH DOUBLE STRENGTH (LBDS)

Most Probable Number (MPN) is a test that detects the fermentative nature of Coliform in the sample. The MPN test consists of three stages: presumptive test, confirm test, and completeness test. Each of these tests used LBSS, LBDS and BGLB media with volume between 5 ml - 10 ml. There is the variation of this media volume, whether it will affect the positivity value and MPN value of Coliform, it is a problem that will be answered in this study. The research objective was to find out the influence of media volume variation to the result of Coliform bacterium counting test method of MPN variety 5 1 1. The media volume which was varied namely LBSS and LBDS with volume variation 4 m, 6 ml, 8 ml, 10 ml, 12 Ml. The research was an experimental in laboratory. The sample was the suspense of Escherichia coli bacteria which are equivalent to standard 0.5 Mc. Farland and diluted 1000 ml sterile aquadest, the result data indicated MPN value was obtained, then it is analyzed by descriptive analysis. The findings indicated that the volume of LBDS and LBSS media were 4ml, 6ml, 8ml, 10ml, 12ml, replicated 5 times obtained positive result on all tubes 5 1 1 with MPN value> 265/100 ml. The conclusion of the research is media volume of LBSS and LBDS does not affect the positive and MPN Coliform values.

DETEKSI BAKTERI Escherichia coli DALAM AIR MINUM ISI ULANG YANG DISTERILISASI ULTRAVIOLET DI WILAYAH KECAMATAN JAGAKARSA

Refill Water Depot is currently more widely circulated and used as an alternative drinking water supply by the public. However the still unclear about the quality of the drinking water refill generated primarily of biological content. Parameters of biological contamination in drinking water caused by the Escherichia coli and coliform bacterium. This study aims to identify E. coli and coliforms in drinking water refill. Refill drinking water samples obtained from 16 drinking water refill from Jagakarsa subdsitrict. The method used is descriptive. Refill drinking water samples was taken and tested in the MPN (Most Probable Number) method and then to be tested in identification of E. coli. The results of testing the drinking water refill obtained 15 samples positive for coliform bacteria. Samples were positive for E. coli bacteria that sample B.1 and F.2.

DETEKSI BAKTERI Escherichia coli DALAM AIR MINUM ISI ULANG YANG DISTERILISASI ULTRAVIOLET DI WILAYAH KECAMATAN JAGAKARSA

Refill Water Depot is currently more widely circulated and used as an alternative drinking water supply by the public. However the still unclear about the quality of the drinking water refill generated primarily of biological content. Parameters of biological contamination in drinking water caused by the Escherichia coli and coliform bacterium. This study aims to identify E. coli and coliforms in drinking water refill. Refill drinking water samples obtained from 16 drinking water refill from Jagakarsa subdsitrict. The method used is descriptive. Refill drinking water samples was taken and tested in the MPN (Most Probable Number) method and then to be tested in identification of E. coli. The results of testing the drinking water refill obtained 15 samples positive for coliform bacteria. Samples were positive for E. coli bacteria that sample B.1 and F.2.