Comparison of Four Carbapenemase Detection Methods for blaKPC-2 Variants

Rural communities often rely on groundwater for potable water supply. In this study, untreated groundwater samples from 28 shallow groundwater wells in Finland (&#x003C;10 m deep and mostly supplying untreated groundwater to &#x003C;200 users in rural areas) were assessed for physicochemical water quality, stable water isotopes, microbial water quality indicators, host-specific microbial source tracking (MST) markers, and bacterial community composition, activity, and diversity (using amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene and 16S rRNA). Indications of surface water intrusion were identified in five wells, and these indications were found to be negatively correlated, overall, with bacterial alpha diversity (based on amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene). High levels of turbidity, heterotrophs, and iron compromised water quality in two wells, with values up to 2.98 nephelometric turbidity units (NTU), 16,000 CFU/ml, and 2,300&#x2009;&#x03BC;g/liter, respectively. Coliform bacteria and general fecal indicator <italic>Bacteroidales</italic> bacteria (GenBac3) were detected in 14 and 10 wells, respectively (albeit mostly at low levels), and correlations were identified between microbial, physicochemical, and environmental parameters, which may indicate impacts from nearby land use (e.g., agriculture, surface water, road salt used for deicing). Our results show that although water quality was generally adequate in most of the studied wells, the continued safe use of these wells should not be taken for granted.</p> <p><bold>IMPORTANCE</bold> Standard physicochemical water quality analyses and microbial indicator analyses leave much of the (largely uncultured) complexity of groundwater microbial communities unexplored. This study combined these standard methods with additional analyses of stable water isotopes, bacterial community data, and environmental data about the surrounding areas to investigate the associations between physicochemical and microbial properties of 28 shallow groundwater wells in Finland. We detected impaired groundwater quality in some wells, identified potential land use impacts, and revealed indications of surface water intrusion which were negatively correlated with bacterial alpha diversity. The potential influence of surface water intrusion on groundwater wells and their bacterial communities is of particular interest and warrants further investigation because surface water intrusion has previously been linked to groundwater contamination, which is the primary cause of waterborne outbreaks in the Nordic region and one of the major causes in the United States and Canada. IMPORTANCE Standard physicochemical water quality analyses and microbial indicator analyses leave much of the (largely uncultured) complexity of groundwater microbial communities unexplored. This study combined these standard methods with additional analyses of stable water isotopes, bacterial community data, and environmental data about the surrounding areas to investigate the associations between physicochemical and microbial properties of 28 shallow groundwater wells in Finland. We detected impaired groundwater quality in some wells, identified potential land use impacts, and revealed indications of surface water intrusion which were negatively correlated with bacterial alpha diversity. The potential influence of surface water intrusion on groundwater wells and their bacterial communities is of particular interest and warrants further investigation because surface water intrusion has previously been linked to groundwater contamination, which is the primary cause of waterborne outbreaks in the Nordic region and one of the major causes in the United States and Canada.

Evaluation of Groundwater Suitability for Irrigation and Drinking Purposes in an Agricultural Region of the North China Plain

Groundwater is an irreplaceable resource for irrigation and drinking in the North China Plain, and the quality of groundwater is of great importance to human health and social development. In this study, using the information from 59 groups of groundwater samples, groundwater quality conditions for irrigation and drinking purposes in an agricultural region of the North China Plain were analyzed. The groundwater belongs to a Quaternary loose rock pore water aquifer. The depths of shallow groundwater wells are 20–150 m below the surface, while the depths of deep groundwater wells are 150–650 m. The sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), sodium percentage (%Na), residual sodium carbonate (RSC), magnesium hazard (MH), permotic index (PI) and electrical conductivity (EC) were selected as indexes to evaluate the shallow groundwater suitability for irrigation. What’s more, the deep groundwater suitability for drinking was assessed and the human health risk of excessive chemicals in groundwater was studied. Results revealed that SAR, Na% and RSC indexes indicated the applicability of shallow groundwater for agricultural irrigation in the study area. We found 57.1% of the shallow groundwater samples were located in high salinity with a low sodium hazard zone. The concentrations of fluorine (F−) in 79.0% of the deep groundwater samples and iodine (I−) in 21.1% of the deep groundwater samples exceeded the permissible limits, respectively. The total hazard quotient (HQ) values of fluorine in over half of the deep groundwater samples exceeded the safety limits, and the health risk degree was ranked from high to low as children, adult females and adult males. In addition to natural factors, the soil layer compression caused by groundwater over-exploitation increased the fluorine concentration in groundwater. Effective measures are needed to reduce the fluorine content of the groundwater of the study area.

Water Quality of the Seyfe Lake Basin, Turkey

Seyfe Lake is an important part of the natural ecosystem of Central Anatolia and lies within a 1487 km2 closed basin. Groundwater withdrawal for irrigation and recent climatic change have caused lake area to decrease for decades and to completely disappear briefly in August 2008. Groundwater quality is crucial for sustainable irrigation in the Seyfe Basin. A key finding of this study is the difference in the Hardie-Eugster alkalinity-to-calcium ratio of the lake water and that of most groundwater wells in the basin. This difference in the chemical signature of Seyfe Lake and basin groundwater means the evaporative salinization pathway of most groundwater discharged into the lake cannot account for the composition of Seyfe Lake. The ratio of actual evapotranspiration to precipitation will increase under current climate change projections. A second finding, with implications for soil salinization, is that most groundwater in Seyfe Basin has a Hardie-Eugster alkalinity-tocalcium ratio greater than unity, meaning soil alkalization will accompany soil salinization.

Surface Water Intrusion, Land Use Impacts, and Bacterial Community Composition in Shallow Groundwater Wells Supplying Potable Water in Sparsely Populated Areas of a Boreal Region

Standard physicochemical water quality analyses and microbial indicator analyses leave much of the (largely uncultured) complexity of groundwater microbial communities unexplored. This study combined these standard methods with additional analyses of stable water isotopes, bacterial community data, and environmental data about the surrounding areas to investigate the associations between physicochemical and microbial properties of 28 shallow groundwater wells in Finland.

The Secret of the Main Campus Water-Wells, Arba Minch University, Ethiopia

Groundwater is one of the precious water sources for domestic, irrigation, and industrial demands in arid and semiarid regions of the world. The same is true in Ethiopia context. In this study, seven groundwater samples were collected and analyzed for various chemical constituents (pH, TDS, Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, SO42−, Cl−, HCO3−, and NO3−) to assess the hydrogeochemical characteristics and water types of the groundwater wells. Among the seven sampled groundwater wells, five wells are found and used for domestic water supply in Arba Minch University (AMU) main campus. The remaining two are used for industrial and irrigation demands located at the compound of Textile Factory and Haile Resort, respectively. Results showed that the main campus groundwater wells are saline and harder than the two wells from Textile Factory and Haile Resort. Moreover, elevated concentration of nitrate and potassium (greater than the maximum permissible level allowed in Ethiopia) were obtained in the groundwater sources used mainly in the AMU main campus wells. These elevated concentrations of potassium and nitrate beyond the enriched salt contents in the AMU main campus wells could pose kidney, cardiovascular, and other related health problems. This study, therefore, recommends the AMU to find other groundwater sources for drinking purpose other than the studied water-well field.

A Survey of Household Water Use and Groundwater Quality Index Assessment in a Rural Community of Cambodia

To propose an efficient system for addressing water scarcity in a rural area through groundwater use, the information on water consumption and interpretation of groundwater quality are essential for estimating the optimal preparation of the comprehensive water system. Hence, this study aimed to estimate the current household domestic water consumption and groundwater quality index of currently accessed wells in a small rural community of Preyveng province, Cambodia as a practical and beneficial as well as a model for the water resource sector in rural areas. The questionnaire survey was designed as the main instrument for collecting the household water use as face-to-face interviews. The result showed that the average daily water consumption in the Preal commune is about 71 L per capita, which is almost two times lower than the minimum water quantity recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), 150 L/day per capita. Moreover, 100% of the households in this commune heavily rely on groundwater wells for domestic water use and more than 50% confirmed that they used raw groundwater as drinking water without a proposer treatment system. Approximately 70% of the people in Preal wishes to have a clean water supply and more than 80% of the household had a positive willingness to pay for clean water supply. In terms of groundwater quality in the Preal commune, it is mainly contaminated by iron, arsenic, fluoride, and manganese, which are mainly associated with human health effects from daily consumption. About 75% of groundwater wells are presented in poor conditions and were unsuitable for drinking purposes. Lastly, the suitable water treatment and supply should be considered in order to reduce the effects on people’s health as well as to improve living conditions.

An Approach to Drought Vulnerability Assessment Focused on Groundwater Wells in Upland Cultivation Areas of South Korea

This study aimed to present an approach that identifies priority management areas to drought focused on field crops and groundwater wells using the MCDM method. Groundwater wells are the primary source of water during drought for field crops. Nevertheless, the systematic management of groundwater wells has not been achieved. Thus, this paper intends to establish a plan that can manage groundwater wells through a vulnerability assessment. This study used TOPSIS, a widely applied multi-criterion decision-making algorithm, to evaluate 158 cities and counties in Korea. This study chose the assessment factors by focusing on drought and classifying the positive and negative elements of the wells. Precipitation, groundwater level, and pumping capacity were considered to have positive effects, while cultivated area, the number of consecutive days without rain, and the proportion of private groundwater wells were considered as negative factors. As a result, the pumping capacity per cultivation area is the major factor affecting management priorities and groundwater well vulnerability. This study presents an approach to assess the drought vulnerability of field crops focused on groundwater wells and select a priority management area, which facilitates efficient well management and reduces damage to crops caused by local droughts.

An Integrated Hydrogeological and Remote Sensing Modeling Approach to Evaluate the Climate Change and Over-Irrigation Impact on Groundwater Depletion in North Jordan

Groundwater is an essential source of freshwater for the severely water-deprived country of Jordan. Thus, understanding abstracted amounts of the ground water is essential for sustaining this resource. More than 50% of the annual abstracted groundwater is used for irrigation, indicating the need to correctly estimate this usage and minimize the uncertainties. Thus, this study aims to assess actual groundwater abstraction in North Jordan by implementing a new geographic information system–remote sensing multi-method approach. The results are promising and show that the announced GW abstraction volumes provided by the Water Authority of Jordan and the Ministry of Water and Irrigation are not particularly accurate, especially for areas where extensive agricultural practices are present. This fact may explain the discrepancies between official reports on declining groundwater levels and the results of several studies that assessed North Jordan groundwater abstraction. This study showed that irrigation is a crucial factor that affects this discrepancy and that the crop water requirements are generally higher than what is reported by the governmental sector. The results showed a 31 MCM discrepancy between the official recorded groundwater abstraction volumes and the actual (crop-based) water consumption. Increasing the irrigation efficiency by 20% will aid in sustaining the groundwater in the study area, maintaining the current groundwater wells and save the farmers money.