Journal of water and health最新文献

This study focuses on the area around Chaohu Lake region, utilizing data from the 2021 national surface water quality monitoring stations and land use data from territorial surveys. Employing GIS spatial analysis, non-parametric tests, Spearman correlation analysis, and redundancy analysis (RDA), the research examines how land use types within different buffer zone scales affect water quality. The findings indicate: (1) The dominant land use types in the study area are cultivated land, construction land, and water areas. (2) Overall, water quality is better in the dry season than in the rainy season, with higher concentrations of CODMn and TP occurring in the rainy season, and higher concentrations of DO, NH₃-N, and TN in the dry season. (3) Cultivated land and construction land are positively correlated with all water quality indices, whereas forest lands and water areas generally exhibit a negative correlation. The correlation between grasslands and water quality indices alternates with changes in spatial scale. (4) Within a buffer zone of 3,000 m, land use has the greatest impact on water quality, making it the optimal scale for assessing the influence of land use on water quality indices in the area around Chaohu Lake region (93.35%).

The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of facility-level wastewater surveillance in the detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in skilled nursing facility (SNF) wastewater using three concentration methods, as well as a proof-of-concept for antimicrobial resistance (AR) genes/organisms detection. Wastewater effluent samples were collected from an SNF over an 8-week period. Wastewater was concentrated using electronegative membrane filtration (enMF), polyethylene glycol precipitation, and Nanotrap^® magnetic virus particles (NP). Quantification of the genome copy concentration from SARS-CoV-2 and bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV), a SARS-CoV-2 surrogate spiked into all samples, was performed with droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR). Wastewater sample aliquots were also enriched in microbiological culture media and screened for organisms with AR phenotypes on selective and differential agars. Multiplex real-time PCR was used to detect a broad array of carbapenem resistance genes. SARS-CoV-2 was detected and quantified from a single enMF-concentrated wastewater sample. The highest concentration of BRSV came from enMF-concentrated samples. Klebsiella, Enterobacter, Citrobacter, and Escherichia coli exhibiting AR phenotypes were successfully detected using culture-dependent approaches. Culture-independent, multiplex PCR indicated that bla_KPC was the main carbapenemase gene detected in wastewater samples. Facility-level wastewater surveillance could be a useful strategy for SNFs.

This study aims to identify important well characteristics associated with increased odds of bacterial contamination in the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph public health unit of Southern Ontario. Identifying risk factors associated with bacterial contamination can aid in the mandate of public health units to promote the safety, and facilitate the testing, of drinking water systems to help minimize the risk of illness. Logistic regression models for adverse bacterial test results based on physical well characteristics were created. Models with the lowest Akaike Information Criterion values were examined for consistently identified characteristics. The odds of bacterial contamination in the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph region are most associated with the age of the well, the season of testing, having a treatment system on the well, and the presence of potential point contamination sources within 50 feet (15.24 m) of the well. While this information can support the design of targeted public health education campaigns, the current model leaves room for improvement, as the predictive abilities of the models based solely on well characteristic data are limited.

There is growing interest in the utility of wastewater and environmental surveillance (WES) in supporting disease outbreaks, including the monitoring of Vibrio cholerae. The objective of this scoping review was to describe the current evidence regarding the surveillance of V. cholerae in wastewater and wastewater-impacted environmental waters (including drinking water). We conducted a comprehensive electronic search, updated to January 2025. Following duplicate screening, we identified 114 eligible studies. The studies evaluated early WES warning systems, monitored trends in ongoing outbreaks, and described serogroups and virulent strains of toxigenic V. cholerae circulating in communities. Most studies were conducted in South-East Asia (44%), particularly India and Bangladesh, where cholera is endemic. A large proportion of studies detected V. cholerae subgroup O1 or O139, and numerous virulent strains such as ctxA/B. Studies were generally poorly reported, for example, inconsistent reporting on sample management, data reliability, and sampling frequency were common. WES has not been widely integrated into existing surveillance systems for real-time cholera monitoring. Our findings underscore the need for further clearly reported research to clarify the role of WES for early warning systems for cholera outbreaks, and to identify strategies that may optimise WES implementation for public health benefit.

It is important to efficiently recover (oo)cysts in water during the established detection process, as Cryptosporidium and Giardia are known to cause waterborne outbreaks. We investigated the recovery of these (oo)cysts based on the pH of HCl and NaOH used during the immunomagnetic separation (IMS) step. Additionally, we evaluated the efficiency of heat dissociation as a potential alternative to acid dissociation in IMS. The results showed that recovery rates decreased as the final pH deviated from neutral. The highest recovery rates, exceeding 60%, were observed when the pH of 0.1 N HCl and 1 N NaOH fell within the range of 0.9-1.0 and 13.0-13.1, respectively. The pH had a greater impact on cysts than on oocysts. Since the absolute zeta potential of cysts is lower than that of oocysts, cysts may be less stable in water and more sensitive to pH variations. The recovery rates of (oo)cysts were comparable when either acid and heat dissociation was applied. Therefore, to enhance the recovery of (oo)cysts in environmental water, it is essential to regularly monitor the pH of the reagent used in IMS step. Furthermore, the application of heat dissociation without HCl and NaOH may be considered as an alternative method.

This study analyzed a 22-year historical series of outbreaks of waterborne and foodborne diseases, aiming to provide a mapping of the main associated pathogens, regions with the highest incidence, foods involved, and places of infection. The results, in the scenario of Brazilian macro-regions, showed heterogeneity in the macro-regional microbiological profile, with the Southeast region being the one with the highest number of diseases caused by viruses, while in the others there was bacterial predominance. Of the 78 organisms reported, 10 caused more than 95% of illnesses. Among them, Escherichia coli was the bacteria that grew the most in the number of notifications from 2011 to 2021. Water was one of the main vehicles of transmission, in addition to foods that showed classic behavior in terms of microbiological transmission. Weaknesses were observed in the records that limit the carrying out of more specific analyses due to the large number of inconsistent, ignored, or inconclusive cases, which, in some parameters, exceeded 50% of notifications. This research highlights the need to strengthen the health system, so that there is a more specific and effective diagnosis of factors related to the spread of infectious diseases.

Disinfection is essential for protecting human health from microorganisms in drinking water. In addition to killing microorganisms, disinfection can introduce disinfection byproducts (DBPs), which impose detrimental effects on human health. In this study, a total of 15,280 water samples were monitored in 120 counties of Hunan Province, Central China, in periods ranging from 1 July 2023 to 31 December 2024. We evaluated the health risks of DBPs in drinking water through various exposure routes and conducted a comprehensive analysis of different factors that impact the health risks associated with these DBPs. The overall carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic risks resulting from exposure to DBPs through multiple pathways were 1.15 × 10^-5 and 2.59 × 10^-2, respectively. For different exposure routes, oral exposure to DBPs contributed the most to carcinogenic risk (1.13 × 10^-5) and noncarcinogenic risk (2.52 × 10^-2). The subgroup analysis revealed that the younger the child, the greater health risk they faced. The carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic risks for children aged 1-2 years were 2.56 × 10^-5 and 5.75 × 10^-2, respectively. Our study indicated that the potential carcinogenic risk of DBPs should be considered, and possible actions should be implemented to mitigate these health risks.

Access to safe drinking water, vital for public health, is critical in fragile Somalia, prone to water scarcity due to poor management. This study investigates spatial distribution and determinants of unimproved drinking water sources in Somali households. Using 2020 Somalia Health and Demographic Survey (SHDS) data, a mixed-methods approach included: descriptive statistics for prevalence; multilevel binary logistic regression identifying factors (individual, household, community) in unimproved water reliance; and spatial analysis (Moran's I, Gi*) for patterns, hotspots. Results reveal significant disparities: 54.7% of poorest households used unimproved sources versus 2.6% of wealthiest. Abandoned household headship showed 65% higher odds (AOR = 1.653) of using unimproved sources. Radio ownership reduced odds (AOR = 0.836). Banaadir region (AOR = 6.571 vs Awdal) and nomadic communities (AOR = 31.91) faced substantially higher odds. Higher community literacy surprisingly increased odds (AOR = 2.443). Significant spatial autocorrelation (Moran's I = 0.278, p<0.05) was identified, with northern hotspots and southwestern cold spots of unimproved water use. Individual, household, community, and spatial factors influence access to unimproved drinking water in Somalia, revealing profound socio-economic, geographic inequities. Targeted, context-specific interventions are crucial to address these disparities, improve safe water access, and help achieve SDG 6.

The occurrence of heavy metal contamination in groundwater poses significant health risks through ingestion and dermal exposure, with potential links to cancer and other diseases. This study evaluated groundwater samples for 10 heavy metals (Al, As, Cr, Cu, Cd, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) using ICP-OES. While cadmium and chromium levels were within acceptable limits prescribed by the Bureau of Indian Standards, aluminum and iron exceeded these limits in 56 and 58% of samples, respectively. Other metals surpassed limits in 2-20% of cases. Health risk analysis revealed non-carcinogenic risks for 28% of adults and 44% of children, alongside carcinogenic risks from arsenic (36% of samples) and nickel (46% of samples), especially affecting children. Sensitivity analysis highlighted heavy metal concentration as the key variable influencing risk, and principal component analysis suggested geogenic sources, like rock weathering, as major contributors to contamination. Despite these risks, the heavy metal pollution index remained within acceptable limits for all samples. The study emphasizes the necessity for continuous monitoring and targeted mitigation strategies to address heavy metal contamination and protect public health.

The majority of people with enterically transmitted viruses excrete significant amounts of the virus in their feces for several days or weeks. Therefore, viruses causing diarrhea could be detected in the feces of infected persons and wastewater. In this study, the presence of human astrovirus (AstV), norovirus (NoV), rotavirus (RV), and enterovirus (EntV) was analyzed by real-time RT-PCR in raw sewage (n = 96), treated sewage (n = 96) and diarrheal stool samples (n = 200). Overall, 92.7% (89/96) of raw sewage samples and 48% (46/96) of treated sewage tested positive for at least one virus. The highest detection rates of the four viruses in raw sewage were observed in the winter season. Overall, the mean concentration of the four viruses was 7.3 log₁₀ in raw and 4.8 log₁₀ in treated wastewater, for a total removal of 34% of viral loads. In clinical samples, the most commonly detected virus was EntV followed by RV, NoV, and AstV. The mean concentrations of the four viruses in clinical samples ranged between 2.5 × 10¹ and 9.86 × 10⁷ GC/g. The results presented here demonstrated that the environmental surveillance of entric viruses in sewage is a useful tool for the study of their transmission dynamics in humans and their molecular epidemiology.