Factors Affecting Shellfish Quality in Terms of Faecal Contamination at Blakeney Point, East Anglia, UK

Relatively high E. coli and Faecal Streptococci (FS) numbers have been reported in the waters surrounding Blakeney Point, East Anglia, UK, an area containing significant shellfishery industries including mussels and cockles, despite the implementation of development works aimed at reducing residual contamination problems. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of using bacterial analyses and sterol profiling to assess the current levels and source of faecal pollution at Blakeney Point. No evidence of significant human faecal contamination of water in and around Blakeney Point could be found using either traditional microbiological analyses or sterol profile analysis. The presence of significant quantities of sitosterol, however, suggests that faecal contamination of water from birds does occur but at the concentration detected would not affect water quality. Analysis of cockles and mussels taken from the area show that negligible levels of coprostanol were present, confirming that faecal pollution was not causing any contamination issues. Apart from cholesterol, brassicasterol, an algal biomarker, as expected was dominant in shellfish flesh. The results confirm that current water treatment processes are successful in ensuring water quality at Blakeney Point and that a combination of microbial testing with sterol profile analysis confirmed that low microbial concentrations of faecal contaminants present in and around Blakeney Point most probably originate from migratory and/or resident bird species.

Faecal contamination pathways of shallow groundwater in low-income urban areas: implications for water resource planning and management

Shallow groundwater is vulnerable to faecal contamination, especially in low-income urban areas where use of on-site sanitation facilities is high. This paper explores statistical relationships between potential factors influencing contaminant pathways (i.e., variables) and observed faecal contamination of shallow groundwater, represented by nitrate concentrations and counts of Escherichia coli (i.e., response function) in a small, growing town in Uganda over dry and wet seasons in 2018 and 2019. A statistically significant (p = 0.004) multiple linear regression model from dry-season E. coli counts in 2018 identifies medium sanitary risk levels and modes of construction as significant pathways (p = 0.01). Water source depth (<20 m) and proximity (>10 m) to a pit latrine were also significant (p<0.05) in both hydrogeological formations. No significant linear regression models were established for NO3 during both seasons due to low pH and rapid infiltration velocities; inconsistent sample timing during the wet season impaired the significance of the statistical models of E. coli counts. We show that modes of construction of water sources and pit latrines play key roles in determining the quality of the shallow groundwater in urban environments. Greater emphasis is therefore required to improve the functionality and sustainability of on-site water sources and pit latrines.

Bacteriological quality of household drinking water in North Gondar Zone, Ethiopia; a community-based cross-sectional study

Ethiopia is one of the developing countries where only 52% of its population have access to safe drinking water. To determine the level of faecal contamination in drinking water, the E. coli has been found to be the most specific indicator. The purpose of this study was to determine household bacteriological drinking water quality and its associated factors in rural North Gondar Zone Ethiopia. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in rural parts of North Gondar Zone from April to June, 2016. Water samples from water storage at household level were taken using standardized water sampling techniques to determine the level of faecal contamination. Face-to-face interview using structured questionnaires and checklist were used to identify the associated factors. A total of 736 households participated in this study. The prevalence of positive faecal coliform in the households is found to be 72.6% (95%C.I; 69.4–75.8). In multivariate analysis; occupational status [AOR; 0.35, 95%; CI (0.16,0.77)], income [(AOR);0.45, 95%; CI (0.3, 0.68)], type of solid waste disposal habit [AOR; 0.16, 95%; CI (0.36, 0.66)], source of water [AOR; 0.42, 95%; CI (0.28, 0.65)], shortage of water [AOR; 2.8, 95%; CI (1.88, 4)] were variables identified as predictors for faecal coliform contamination of water in the household. There is high level of faecal contamination of household drinking water in North Gondar Zone. Occupational status, income, solid waste disposal habit, sources of drinking water, and shortage of water were predictor for presence of faecal coliform contamination in household drinking water.

BACTERIOLOGICAL QUALITY OF DRILLING WATER INTENDED FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION IN FOUR PREFECTURES IN THE SAVANNAH REGION OF TOGO

According to the latest SDG recommendations, guidelines on access to safe drinking water have enabled the construction of boreholes in remote areas of developing countries. In Togo, particularly in the savannah region where access to drinking water remains a major problem for the population, many boreholes have been built for this purpose. The objective of this study is to evaluate the bacteriological quality of the waters of some boreholes built in four (04) prefectures of the savannah region in Togo. A total of 68 samples of drilling water intended for human consumption were collected between January and February 2019 for bacteriological analysis. These analyses were carried out according to the standardized routine methods of the French Association for Standardization (AFNOR). The parameters sought or counted in these samples are those retained by the 2007 European Union criteria for water intended for human consumption. The analysis reveal that the samples of borehole water are at 50% and 90% of unsatisfactory hygienic quality respectively compared to the Total Coliforms (CT) and the Total Aerobic Mesophilic Flora (FAMT) which are indicative germs of hygiene failure. The correlation of the germs sought made it possible to distinguish two groups of indicators of contamination: those responsible for hygiene failures and old fecal contamination (ASR) Conclusion: Since the majority of the borehole water analyzed is contaminated by germs indicating hygiene deficiencies, adequate treatment of these waters and monitoring of their quality are necessary in order to protect the population of the savannah region against probable diseases linked to faecal contamination germs.

The impact of anthropogenic and environmental factors on the variability of Escherichia coli in rivers in southwest Bangladesh

Faecal contamination of surface water sources is an important water quality issue worldwide. Although quite a few studies exist on surface water faecal contamination and variability of indicator bacteria, most of the studies have been based on larger river basins and in temperate region. The variability is relatively unknown in local scale and in tropical developing countries. In this study we assess how anthropogenic and environmental factors affect faecal contamination and physicochemical parameters in Rupsha and Bhairab rivers around Khulna city, Bangladesh. Water samples were collected from six locations of the rivers during a wet and dry period in 2018 to measure Escherichia coli (E. coli) concentrations. Water physicochemical parameters—temperature, turbidity, pH, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand and chemical oxygen demand were also measured. Higher concentrations of E. coli were found in the sampling sites located near the densely populated urban area compared to the downstream site, which receives fewer amounts of discharges from sewer drains. All the E. coli samples violated bathing water quality standards. E. coli concentrations were found to be correlated positively with precipitation and turbidity. A linear regression model was applied, that explains large part of the variation in E. coli concentration (R2 = 0.42). Water quality index assessment was also ranked the water quality as ‘poor’ category; indicate that the water is unsuitable for uses in domestic and recreational purposes and high health risks involved with the water use. The study findings highlight the problem of untreated sewage discharge into the rivers. Implementation of sewage treatment plant with adequate capacity is highly recommended.

Microbial Diversity Profiling of Gut Microbiota of Macropus giganteus Using Three Hypervariable Regions of the Bacterial 16S rRNA

Animal faecal contamination of surface waters poses a human health risk, as they may contain pathogenic bacteria or viruses. Of the numerous animal species residing along surface waterways in Australia, macropod species are a top contributor to wild animals’ faecal pollution load. We characterised the gut microbiota of 30 native Australian Eastern Grey Kangaroos from six geographical regions (five kangaroos from each region) within South East Queensland in order to establish their bacterial diversity and identify potential novel species-specific bacteria for the rapid detection of faecal contamination of surface waters by these animals. Using three hypervariable regions (HVRs) of the 16S rRNA gene (i.e., V1–V3, V3–V4, and V5–V6), for their effectiveness in delineating the gut microbial diversity, faecal samples from each region were pooled and microbial genomic DNA was extracted, sequenced, and analysed. Results indicated that V1-V3 yielded a higher taxa richness due to its larger target region (~480 bp); however, higher levels of unassigned taxa were observed using the V1-V3 region. In contrast, the V3–V4 HVR (~569 bp) attained a higher likelihood of a taxonomic hit identity to the bacterial species level, with a 5-fold decrease in unassigned taxa. There were distinct dissimilarities in beta diversity between the regions, with the V1-V3 region displaying the highest number of unique taxa (n = 42), followed by V3–V4 (n = 11) and V5–V6 (n = 8). Variations in the gut microbial diversity profiles of kangaroos from different regions were also observed, which indicates that environmental factors may impact the microbial development and, thus, the composition of the gut microbiome of these animals.