Microbiological quality of water sources in the West region of Cameroon: quantitative detection of total coliforms using Micro Biological Survey method

Assessment of water quality in wells and springs across various districts of Taza City, Morocco

The aim of this study is to assess groundwater pollution in the city of Taza, Morocco. This was accomplished through hydrochemical and biological investigations, focusing on analyzing the physicochemical and bacteriological parameters of groundwater. Water samples were collected from wells and sources within Taza City on a monthly basis during the spring and summer of 2023. These samples were subjected to analysis to identify physicochemical and bacteriological characteristics. The findings revealed multiple contaminations, primarily stemming from two sources: significant microbial pollution observed in 100% of samples due to runoff percolation and discharge of domestic and industrial wastewater, and varying degrees of chemical pollution observed across all samples. The results underscored deviations from national standards, notably in parameters such as dissolved oxygen, nitrate, and nitrite concentrations. These parameters exhibited values either lower or higher than the established norm.

Suboptimal Bacteriological Quality of Household Water in Municipal Ibadan, Nigeria

Access to potable water is difficult for many African residents. This study evaluated the bacteriological quality of household water collected in the dry and wet seasons across five municipal local government areas (LGAs) in Ibadan, a large city in southwest Nigeria. A total of 447 water samples (dry season, n = 250; wet season, n = 197) were aseptically collected from a random sample of mapped households within Ibadan's five municipal LGAs. The pH values and total aerobic and coliform bacterial counts were measured, and samples were screened for Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Shigella, and Yersinia by standard phenotypic techniques and multiplex polymerase chain reaction. The most common source of water was well (53.2%), followed by borehole (34%). None of the households used municipal tap water. Cumulatively, aerobic (P = 0.0002) and coliform (P = 0.0001) counts as well as pH values (P = 0.0002) changed significantly between seasons, with increasing and decreasing counts depending on the LGA. Nonpotable water samples were found to be very common during the dry (86.8%) and wet (74.1%) seasons. Escherichia coli spp., as indicators of recent fecal contamination, were isolated from 115 (25.7%) of the household water sources. Thirty three Salmonella, four enteroaggregative E. coli, and four enterotoxigenic E. coli isolates but no Shigella or Yersinia isolates were identified. This study revealed the absence of treated tap water and the poor quality of alternative sources with detectable pathogens in municipal Ibadan. Addressing the city-wide lack of access to potable water is an essential priority for preventing a high prevalence of feco-orally transmitted infections.