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Abstract
As the most important resource for life, water has been a central issue on the international agenda for several decades. Yet, the world’s supply of clean freshwater is steadily decreasing due to extensive agricultural demand for irrigated lands. Therefore, water resources should be used with greater efficiency, and the use of non-traditional water resources, such as Treated Wastewater (TW), should be increased. Reusing TW could be an alternative option to increase water resources. Thus, many countries have decided to turn wastewater into an irrigation resource to help meet urban demand and address water shortages. However, because of the nature of that water, there are potential problems associated with its use in irrigation. Some of the major concerns are health hazards, salinity build-up, and toxicity hazards. The objectives of this comprehensive literature review are to illuminate the importance of using TW in irrigation as an alternative freshwater source and to assess the effects of its use on soil fertility and other soil properties, plants, and public health. The literature review reveals that TW reuse has become part of the extension program for boosting water resource utilization. However, the uncontrolled application of such waters has many unfavorable effects on both soils and plants, especially in the long-term. To reduce these unfavorable effects when using TW in irrigation, proper guidelines for wastewater reuse and management should be followed to limit negative effects significantly.
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Krishnan A, Kogan C, Peters RT, Thomas EL, Critzer F. Microbial and physicochemical assessment of irrigation water treatment methods. J Appl Microbiol 2021; 131:1555-1562. [PMID: 33594789 DOI: 10.1111/jam.15043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
AIMS The presence of foodborne pathogens in preharvest agricultural water has been identified as a potential contamination source in outbreak investigations, driving markets and auditing bodies to begin requiring water treatment for high-risk produce. Therefore, it is essential that we identify water treatment methods which are effective as well as practical in their application on farm. METHODS AND RESULTS In this work, we evaluated two sanitizers which are most prominent in preharvest agricultural water treatment (calcium hypochlorite (free chlorine: 3-5 ppm) and peracetic acid (PAA: 5 ppm)), an EPA registered antimicrobial device (ultraviolet light (UV)), in addition to a combination approach (chlorine + UV, PAA + UV). Treatments were evaluated for their ability to inactivate total coliforms and generic Escherichia coli and consistency in treatment efficacy over 1 h of operation. Physicochemical variables were measured along with microbial populations at 0, 5, 15, 30, 45 and 60 min of operation. Escherichia coli and coliform counts showed a significant (P < 0·05) reduction after treatment, with combination and singular treatments equally effective at inactivating E. coli and coliforms. A significant increase (P < 0·05) in oxidation-reduction potential was seen during water treatment (Chlorine; UV + Chlorine), and a significant reduction (P < 0·05) in pH was seen after PAA and PAA + UV treatments (60 min). CONCLUSION Overall, the results indicate that all treatments evaluated are equally efficacious for inactivating E. coli and coliforms present in surface agricultural water. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY This information when paired with challenge studies targeting foodborne pathogens of interest can be used to support grower decisions when selecting and validating a preharvest agricultural water treatment programme.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Krishnan
- School of Food Science and Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center, Washington State University, Prosser, WA, USA
| | - C Kogan
- Department of Mathematics, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - R T Peters
- Department of Biosystems Engineering and Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center, Washington State University, Prosser, WA, USA
| | - E L Thomas
- Department of Biosystems Engineering and Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center, Washington State University, Prosser, WA, USA
| | - F Critzer
- School of Food Science and Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center, Washington State University, Prosser, WA, USA
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Pin L, Eiler A, Fazi S, Friberg N. Two different approaches of microbial community structure characterization in riverine epilithic biofilms under multiple stressors conditions: Developing molecular indicators. Mol Ecol Resour 2021; 21:1200-1215. [PMID: 33529477 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Microbial communities are major players in the biogeochemical processes and ecosystem functioning of river networks. Despite their importance in the ecosystem, biomonitoring tools relying on prokaryotes are still lacking. Only a few studies have employed both metabarcoding and quantitative techniques such as catalysed reported deposition fluorescence in situ hybridization (CARD-FISH) to analyse prokaryotic communities of epilithic biofilms in river ecosystems. We intended to investigate the efficacy of both techniques in detecting changes in microbial community structure associated with environmental drivers. We report a significant correlation between the prokaryotic community composition and pH in rivers from two different geographical areas in Norway. Both CARD-FISH and metabarcoding data were following the pattern of the environmental variables, but the main feature distinguishing the community composition was the regional difference itself. Beta-dispersion analyses on both CARD-FISH abundance and metabarcoding data revealed higher accuracy of metabarcoding to differentiate regions and river systems. The CARD-FISH results showed high variability, even for samples within the same river, probably due to some unmeasured microscale ecological variability which we could not resolve. We also present a statistical method, which uses variation coefficient and overall prevalence of taxonomic groups, to detect possible biological indicators among prokaryotes using metabarcoding data. The development of new prokaryotic bioindicators would benefit from both techniques used in this study, but metabarcoding seems to be faster and more reliable than CARD-FISH for large scale bio-assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Pin
- Norsk Institutt for Vannforskning (NIVA), Oslo, Norway.,Section for Aquatic Biology and Toxicology, Department of Biosciences, Centre for Biogeochemistry in the Anthropocene, University of Oslo, Norway
| | - Alexander Eiler
- Section for Aquatic Biology and Toxicology, Department of Biosciences, Centre for Biogeochemistry in the Anthropocene, University of Oslo, Norway.,eDNA solutions AB, Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Stefano Fazi
- Water Research Institute, IRSA-CNR, Monterotondo, Roma, Italy
| | - Nikolai Friberg
- Norsk Institutt for Vannforskning (NIVA), Oslo, Norway.,Freshwater Biological Section, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,School of Geography, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
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Nzima B, Adegoke AA, Ofon UA, Al-Dahmoshi HOM, Saki M, Ndubuisi-Nnaji UU, Inyang CU. Resistotyping and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase genes among Escherichia coli from wastewater treatment plants and recipient surface water for reuse in South Africa. New Microbes New Infect 2020; 38:100803. [PMID: 33294195 PMCID: PMC7691180 DOI: 10.1016/j.nmni.2020.100803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The spread of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli has increased in different environments. This study aimed to evaluate the patterns of antibiotic resistance and ESBL genes among E. coli isolates collected from wastewater and recipient surface water in South Africa. Fifteen samples containing nine wastewater and six river water samples were collected from a local wastewater treatment plant. The E. coli isolates were detected using standard microbiology methods. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed using disc diffusion agar. The occurrence of blaCTX-M, blaSHV and blaTEM ESBL genes was investigated by PCR. Exactly 140 isolates were selected from the primary enumeration plates with a log10 CFU/mL count that ranged from 4.1 to 4.2 (influent), 4.2 to 4.5 (biofilter) and 2.5 to 3.3 (effluent). The wastewater effluent showed an impact on the receiving water environment, as the treatment efficiency was 92% and the downstream log10 CFU/mL count (range, 3.6–3.8 log10 CFU/mL) was higher than the upstream count (range, 3.3–3.6 log10 CFU/mL). Antibiotic testing results showed that 40% to 100% of E. coli isolates were resistant to ampicillin, penicillin, tetracycline and cefotaxime but susceptible to imipenem, meropenem and ciprofloxacin. A total of 40 studied isolates (28.6%) had both the blaTEM and blaCTX-M genes, while no blaSHV was detected. The wastewater treatment plants contributed multidrug-resistant ESBL-producing E. coli isolates that can be potential environmental health risks. Regular monitoring policies are recommended to prevent the spread of antibiotic resistance in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Nzima
- Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa
| | - A A Adegoke
- Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa.,Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, University of Uyo, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria
| | - U A Ofon
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, University of Uyo, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria
| | - H O M Al-Dahmoshi
- Biology Department, College of Science, University of Babylon, Babylon Province-Hilla City, Iraq
| | - M Saki
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.,Student Research Committee, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - U U Ndubuisi-Nnaji
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, University of Uyo, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria
| | - C U Inyang
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, University of Uyo, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria
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Factors Impacting the Prevalence of Foodborne Pathogens in Agricultural Water Sources in the Southeastern United States. WATER 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/w12010051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Surface water poses a great risk to fruit and vegetable crops when contaminated by foodborne pathogens. Several factors impact the microbial quality of surface waters and increase the risk of produce contamination. Therefore, evaluating the factors associated with the prevalence of pathogenic microorganisms in agricultural water sources is critical to determine and establish preventive actions that may minimize the incidence of foodborne outbreaks associated with contaminated production water. In the Southeastern U.S. environmental factors such as rainfall, temperature, and seasonal variations have been associated with the prevalence of pathogens or microbial indicators of fecal contamination in water. Also, the geographical location of the irrigation sources as well as surrounding activities and land use play an important role on the survival and prevalence of pathogenic bacteria. Therefore, these factors may be determinants useful in the evaluation of production water quality and may help to preemptively identify scenarios or hazards associated with the incidence of foodborne pathogenic microorganisms.
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Impact of Climate Forecasts on the Microbial Quality of a Drinking Water Source in Norway Using Hydrodynamic Modeling. WATER 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/w11030527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This study applies hydrodynamic and water quality modeling to evaluate the potential effects of local climate projections on the mixing conditions in Lake Brusdalsvatnet in Norway and the implications on the occurrence of Escherichia coli (E. coli) at the raw water intake point of the Ålesund water treatment plant in the future. The study is mainly based on observed and projected temperature, the number of E. coli in the tributaries of the lake and projected flow. The results indicate a gradual rise in the temperature of water at the intake point from the base year 2017 to year 2075. In the future, vertical circulations in spring may occur earlier while autumn circulation may start later than currently observed in the lake. The number of E. coli at the intake point of the lake is expected to marginally increase in future. By the year 2075, the models predict an approximately three-fold increase in average E. coli numbers for the spring and autumn seasons compared to current levels. The results are expected to provide the water supply system managers of Ålesund with the information necessary for long-term planning and decisions in the protection of the drinking water source. The method used here can also be applied to similar drinking water sources in Norway for developing effective risk management strategies within their catchments.
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Ebomah KE, Adefisoye MA, Okoh AI. Pathogenic Escherichia coli Strains Recovered from Selected Aquatic Resources in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, and Its Significance to Public Health. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2018; 15:ijerph15071506. [PMID: 30018212 PMCID: PMC6069279 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph15071506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2018] [Accepted: 07/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The prevalence of pathogenic microorganisms, as well as the proliferation of antimicrobial resistance, pose a significant threat to public health. However, the magnitude of the impact of aquatic environs concerning the advent and propagation of resistance genes remains vague. Escherichia coli (E. coli) are widespread and encompass a variety of strains, ranging from non-pathogenic to highly pathogenic. This study reports on the incidence and antibiotic susceptibility profiles of E. coli isolates recovered from the Nahoon beach and its canal waters in South Africa. A total of 73 out of 107 (68.2%) Polymerase chain reaction confirmed E. coli isolates were found to be affirmative for at least one virulence factor. These comprised of enteropathogenic E. coli 11 (10.3%), enteroinvasive E. coli 14 (13.1%), and neonatal meningitis E. coli 48 (44.9%). The phenotypic antibiogram profiles of the confirmed isolates revealed that all 73 (100%) were resistant to ampicillin, whereas 67 (91.8%) of the pathotypes were resistant to amikacin, gentamicin, and ceftazidime. About 61 (83.6%) and 51 (69.9%) were resistant to tetracycline and ciprofloxacin, respectively, and about 21.9% (16) demonstrated multiple instances of antibiotic resistance, with 100% exhibiting resistance to eight antibiotics. The conclusion from our findings is that the Nahoon beach and its canal waters are reservoirs of potentially virulent and antibiotic-resistant E. coli strains, which thus constitute a potent public health risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kingsley Ehi Ebomah
- SAMRC Microbial Water Quality Monitoring Centre, University of Fort Hare, Alice 5700, South Africa.
- Applied and Environmental Microbiology Research Group (AEMREG), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Fort Hare, Alice 5700, South Africa.
| | - Martins Ajibade Adefisoye
- SAMRC Microbial Water Quality Monitoring Centre, University of Fort Hare, Alice 5700, South Africa.
- Applied and Environmental Microbiology Research Group (AEMREG), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Fort Hare, Alice 5700, South Africa.
| | - Anthony Ifeanyi Okoh
- SAMRC Microbial Water Quality Monitoring Centre, University of Fort Hare, Alice 5700, South Africa.
- Applied and Environmental Microbiology Research Group (AEMREG), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Fort Hare, Alice 5700, South Africa.
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Study on the Effects of Irrigation with Reclaimed Water on the Content and Distribution of Heavy Metals in Soil. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2016; 13:ijerph13030298. [PMID: 27005639 PMCID: PMC4808961 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph13030298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2015] [Revised: 02/20/2016] [Accepted: 02/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Reclaimed water is an important resource for irrigation, and exploration in making full use of it is an important way to alleviate water shortage. This paper analyzes the effects of irrigation with reclaimed water through field trials on the content and distribution of heavy metals in both tomatoes and the soil. By exploring the effects of reclaimed water after secondary treatment on the content and distribution characteristics of heavy metals in tomatoes and the heavy metal balance in the soil-crop system under different conditions, the study shows that there are no significant differences in the heavy metal content when the quantity of reclaimed water for irrigation varies. Reclaimed water for short-term irrigation does not cause pollution to either the soil environment or the crops. Nor will it cause the accumulation of heavy metals, and the index for the heavy metal content is far below the critical value of the national standard, which indicates that the vegetables irrigated with reclaimed water during their growth turn out to be free of pollutants. The heavy metals brought into the soil by reclaimed water are less than that taken away by the crops. The input and output quantities have only small effects on the heavy metal balance in the soil. This paper provides a reference for the evaluation and safety control of irrigation with reclaimed water.
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Johannessen GS, Eckner KF, Heiberg N, Monshaugen M, Begum M, Økland M, Høgåsen HR. Occurrence of Escherichia coli, Campylobcter, Salmonella and Shiga-Toxin Producing E. coli in Norwegian Primary Strawberry Production. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2015; 12:6919-32. [PMID: 26090606 PMCID: PMC4483739 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph120606919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2015] [Revised: 06/05/2015] [Accepted: 06/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the bacteriological quality of strawberries at harvest and to study risk factors such as irrigation water, soil and picker's hand cleanliness. Four farms were visited during the harvest season in 2012. Samples of strawberries, irrigation water, soil and hand swabs were collected and analyzed for E. coli, Campylobacter, Salmonella and STEC Although fecal indicators and pathogens were found in environmental samples, only one of 80 samples of strawberries was positive for E. coli (1.0 log10 cfu/g) and pathogens were not detected in any of the strawberry samples. The water samples from all irrigation sources were contaminated with E. coli in numbers ranging from 0 to 3.3 log10 cfu/g. Campylobacter (8/16 samples) and Salmonella (1/16 samples) were isolated from samples with high numbers of E. coli. The water samples collected from a lake had lower numbers of E. coli than the samples from rivers and a stream. The present study indicated continuous background contamination in the primary production environment. Although the background contamination was not reflected on the strawberries tested here, the results must be interpreted with caution due to the limited number of samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gro S Johannessen
- Norwegian Veterinary Institute, P.O. Box 750 Sentrum, Oslo N-0106, Norway.
| | - Karl F Eckner
- Vann-og Avløpsetaten, P.O. Box 4704 Sofienberg, 0506 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Nina Heiberg
- Gartnerhallen SA, P.O. Box 111 Alnabru, Oslo N-0614, Norway.
| | - Marte Monshaugen
- School of Veterinary Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 8146 Dep., Oslo N-0033, Norway.
| | - Mumtaz Begum
- Norwegian Veterinary Institute, P.O. Box 750 Sentrum, Oslo N-0106, Norway.
| | - Marianne Økland
- Norwegian Veterinary Institute, P.O. Box 750 Sentrum, Oslo N-0106, Norway.
| | - Helga R Høgåsen
- Norwegian Veterinary Institute, P.O. Box 750 Sentrum, Oslo N-0106, Norway.
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