Beachgoers' responses to beach health advisories
J Water Health. 2024 Mar;22(3):565-571. doi: 10.2166/wh.2024.306. Epub 2024 Feb 14.ABSTRACTDrawing on responses from 238 beachgoers who have visited a Georgia (U.S. state) beach in the past three years, this study asks respondents about their knowledge of beach water quality monitoring, awareness of beach health advisories, perception of water quality, and expected responses upon learning of a beach's water pollution advisory. Binomial logistic regression finds that the only demographic predictor of respondents who would completely stop visiting a beach with an advisory is whether the respondent is a visitor or resident (y...
Source: Journal of Water and Health - April 1, 2024 Category: Environmental Health Authors: Jeffery Jones Asli Aslan Dziyana Nazaruk Sibel Zeki Source Type: research
Molecular characterization and prevalence of β-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales in livestock and poultry slaughterhouses wastewater in Iran
This study investigated the prevalence and molecular characterization of extended-spectrum β-lactamase and AmpC-type β-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales (ESBL-PE, AmpC-PE) in wastewater from livestock and poultry slaughterhouses in Ardabil, Iran. A total of 80 Enterobacterales bacteria belonging to 9 species were identified. Among the isolates, Escherichia coli (n = 21/80; 26.2%) and Citrobacter spp. (n = 18/80; 22.5%) exhibited the highest frequency. Overall, 18.7% (n = 15/80) and 2.5% (n = 2/80) of Enterobacterales were found to be ESBL and AmpC producers, respectively. The most common ESBL producer isolates were E....
Source: Journal of Water and Health - April 1, 2024 Category: Environmental Health Authors: Mehran Sardari Meysam Manouchehrifar Kamal Hasani Nasrin Habibzadeh Hadi Peeri Doghaheh Taher Azimi Mohsen Arzanlou Source Type: research
Applying a Digital Twin and wastewater analysis for robust validation of COVID-19 pandemic forecasts: insights from Catalonia
J Water Health. 2024 Mar;22(3):584-600. doi: 10.2166/wh.2024.345. Epub 2024 Feb 9.ABSTRACTMonitoring SARS-CoV-2 spread is challenging due to asymptomatic infections, numerous variants, and population behavior changes from non-pharmaceutical interventions. We developed a Digital Twin model to simulate SARS-CoV-2 evolution in Catalonia. Continuous validation ensures our model's accuracy. Our system uses Catalonia Health Service data to quantify cases, hospitalizations, and healthcare impact. These data may be under-reported due to screening policy changes. To improve our model's reliability, we incorporate data from the Cata...
Source: Journal of Water and Health - April 1, 2024 Category: Environmental Health Authors: Pau Fonseca I Casas Joan Garcia I Subirana Llu ís Corominas Llu ís Maria Bosch Source Type: research
Virucidal efficacy of hypochlorous acid water for aqueous phase and atomization against SARS-CoV-2
This study provides important information about the virucidal efficacy and use of HOCl solution.PMID:38557574 | DOI:10.2166/wh.2024.348 (Source: Journal of Water and Health)
Source: Journal of Water and Health - April 1, 2024 Category: Environmental Health Authors: Makoto Kubo Ryotaro Eda Shotaro Maehana Hiroshi Fuketa Norihiro Shinkai Naohisa Kawamura Hidero Kitasato Hideaki Hanaki Source Type: research
Risk factors for Cryptosporidium contamination in Minnesota public supply wells
J Water Health. 2024 Mar;22(3):612-626. doi: 10.2166/wh.2024.361. Epub 2024 Feb 5.ABSTRACTIn a recent monitoring study of Minnesota's public supply wells, Cryptosporidium was commonly detected with 40% of the wells having at least one detection. Risk factors for Cryptosporidium occurrence in drinking water supply wells, beyond surface water influence, remain poorly understood. To address this gap, physical and chemical factors were assessed as potential predictors of Cryptosporidium occurrence in 135 public supply wells in Minnesota. Univariable analysis, regression techniques, and classification trees were used to analyze...
Source: Journal of Water and Health - April 1, 2024 Category: Environmental Health Authors: James F Walsh Deanna P Scher Jane R de Lambert Anita C Anderson Source Type: research
Women, water and access: inscribing gender power in and through a place
J Water Health. 2024 Mar;22(3):627-638. doi: 10.2166/wh.2024.362. Epub 2024 Feb 15.ABSTRACTThis paper explores the socio-cultural and gender-based dynamics associated with place values, and their implications for women's access to water through case studies of upland and riverine communities in southern Nigeria. We used a range of fieldwork methods including public meetings, focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, keen observations, key informants and other secondary sources. Our findings show that drinking water sources are a part of the many forms of visible material structures that embody and generate automatic re...
Source: Journal of Water and Health - April 1, 2024 Category: Environmental Health Authors: Emmanuel M Akpabio Nsikan-Abasi Udofia Wilson Enobong C Umoh Eti-Ido S Udofia Ifiok I Udo Edidiong Elijah Ubong E Essien Itoro David Akpan Ini-Mfon B Umo Itoro B Umoren Sunday Afiko Eti-Obong Ema Source Type: research
A comprehensive review of human health risks of arsenic and fluoride contamination of groundwater in the South Asia region
J Water Health. 2024 Feb;22(2):235-267. doi: 10.2166/wh.2023.082.ABSTRACTThe present study found that ∼80 million people in India, ∼60 million people in Pakistan, ∼70 million people in Bangladesh, and ∼3 million people in Nepal are exposed to arsenic groundwater contamination above 10 μg/L, while Sri Lanka remains moderately affected. In the case of fluoride contamination, ∼120 million in India, >2 million in Pakistan, and ∼0.5 million in Sri Lanka are exposed to the risk of fluoride above 1.5 mg/L, while Bangladesh and Nepal are mildly affected. The hazard quotient (HQ) for arsenic varied from 0 to 822 in ...
Source: Journal of Water and Health - February 29, 2024 Category: Environmental Health Authors: Yash Aryan Thambidurai Pon Balamurugan Panneerselvam Anil Kumar Dikshit Source Type: research
COVID-19 cases, vaccination, and SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater: insights from a Brazilian municipality
J Water Health. 2024 Feb;22(2):268-277. doi: 10.2166/wh.2024.159.ABSTRACTVaccines combatting COVID-19 demonstrate the ability to protect against disease and hospitalization, and reduce the likelihood of death caused by SARS-CoV-2. In addition, monitoring viral loads in sewage emerges as another crucial strategy in the epidemiological context, enabling early and collective detection of outbreaks. The study aimed to monitor the viral concentration of SARS-CoV-2 in untreated sewage in a Brazilian municipality. Also, it attempted to correlate these measurements with the number of clinical cases and deaths resulting from COVID-...
Source: Journal of Water and Health - February 29, 2024 Category: Environmental Health Authors: Mariana Aparecida de Freitas Abreu Bruna Coelho Lopes Paula Peixoto Assemany Aline Dos Reis Souza Luciene Alves Batista Siniscalchi Source Type: research
Assessing the genotoxic potential of wastewater effluents from three wastewater treatment plants in South Africa
J Water Health. 2024 Feb;22(2):278-289. doi: 10.2166/wh.2023.183.ABSTRACTWastewater treatment plants are mainly monitored for quality in terms of their biological oxygen demand and microbiological constituents as stipulated in the specific discharge permit. Wastewater influents and effluents were taken from three WWTPs in South Africa over the summer and winter seasons. Previous toxicity tests such as the Vibrio fischeri bioluminescence assay and the Selenastrum capricornutum algal growth inhibition test have shown that the effluents displayed acute toxicity. To further investigate the quality of the effluent, the genotoxi...
Source: Journal of Water and Health - February 29, 2024 Category: Environmental Health Authors: Rahzia Hendricks Hein H Du Preez Source Type: research
Detection of endotoxins from selected drinking water microbiota using an LAL-based assay and its implications for human health
J Water Health. 2024 Feb;22(2):290-295. doi: 10.2166/wh.2024.207.ABSTRACTEndotoxins are pyrogenic lipopolysaccharides from Gram-negative bacteria that are known to induce fever, septic shock, and multiple organ failure, posing a substantial risk to human health. Drinking water systems are especially prone to home microbiomes containing a large variety of Gram-negative bacteria. Consumption of water from these systems in developed countries is generally regarded as non-hazardous to humans due to the low number of non-pathogenic bacterial cells per milliliter and oral admission. To assess potential risks posed by endotoxins ...
Source: Journal of Water and Health - February 29, 2024 Category: Environmental Health Authors: Harmen Hawer Rebecca Burmester Nadine Sonnenberg Katja Wei ß Source Type: research
An evaluation of properly operated NSF/ANSI-53 Pb certified drinking water filters in Benton Harbor, MI
In this study, a total of 199 properly installed and operated drinking water filters (combination of faucet mounted and pitcher) were tested in their residential locations. One hundred percent of the water filters were found to perform to the standard to which they were certified, with filtered drinking water Pb concentrations below 5 ppb (maximum observed was 2.5 ppb). In addition, Pb particulate was identified; however, discrete Pb-containing nanoparticles were not widely found or identified.PMID:38421624 | DOI:10.2166/wh.2024.231 (Source: Journal of Water and Health)
Source: Journal of Water and Health - February 29, 2024 Category: Environmental Health Authors: Jennifer Tully Michael Schock Scott Shilling Valerie Bosscher Darren Lytle Stephen Harmon Christina Bennett-Stamper Source Type: research
Unveiling the viral escape: Quantification of microfloc-bound viruses in precoagulation and membrane filtration
This study evaluated how viruses in the microflocs could be quantified using conventional virus quantification methods (plaque assay and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR)) to reveal the risk of underestimating virus concentration. In this study, the microfloc dissolution phenomenon in phosphate buffer solution was employed as a floc dissolution test. Viruses in microflocs formed under the experimental conditions. assuming water treatments, were quantified before and after floc dissolution. The findings revealed that virus concentrations increased by 1.0-3.9 log plaque-forming units/mL according to the plaque as...
Source: Journal of Water and Health - February 29, 2024 Category: Environmental Health Authors: Midori Yasui Hiroyuki Katayama Source Type: research
Risk factors for dental caries: A case study in peatlands and non-peatlands of West Kalimantan, Indonesia
The objective was to analyse risk factors for dental caries in communities living in peatlands and non-peatlands in West Kalimantan. The research is a causal comparative study with cross-sectional approach. The samples were chosen by purposive sampling technique among adolescents aged 17-27 years, who were domiciled in Pontianak City (peatland) and Bengkayang (non-peatland) all their lives. The results showed that dental caries is significantly correlated with debris in peatlands (rs = 0.289). On non-peatlands, dental caries is correlated with drinking water phosphate (rs = 0.313) and calculus (rs = 0.034). In West Kaliman...
Source: Journal of Water and Health - February 29, 2024 Category: Environmental Health Authors: Sri Rezki Sunardi Sunardi Dudi Aripin Khayan Khayan Pawarti Pawarti Aisya Rezki Noeriman Source Type: research
Field study of an arsenic removal plant for drinking water using activated carbon and iron in a rural community in the province of Pisco, Peru
J Water Health. 2024 Feb;22(2):329-336. doi: 10.2166/wh.2024.273.ABSTRACTThe presence of arsenic in Peru is a serious public health problem due to the geographical extension of populations that consume water with arsenic concentrations above the value recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). An arsenic removal plant has been studied in a community of 50 families located in the province of Pisco, Peru, a filter media of activated carbon impregnated with iron (AC-Fe) was applied, the adsorption capacity of the material was studied against As(V) and As(III) species, also, a possible decrease in the adsorption capac...
Source: Journal of Water and Health - February 29, 2024 Category: Environmental Health Authors: Manuel Chavez Betsab é Ana Ruffner Source Type: research
Impact of source water quality on total organic carbon and trihalomethane removal efficiency in a water treatment plant: A case study of Upper Awash, Ethiopia
This study addresses the limited understanding of factors affecting the efficiency of water treatment plants in reducing trihalomethane (THM) formation through total organic carbon (TOC) removal, highlighting significant challenges in improving treatment effectiveness. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of water quality on the efficiency of water treatment plants to remove TOC and reduce THM formation. Linear regression and correlation analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between water quality parameters and THM concentrations. The results showed that there was a negative relationship between...
Source: Journal of Water and Health - February 29, 2024 Category: Environmental Health Authors: Emeru Assefa Anuradha Jabasingh Eyobel Mulugeta Meseret Dessalegne Endale Teju Source Type: research
