Prevalence and Characterisation of Non-Cholerae Vibrio spp. in Final Effluents of Wastewater Treatment Facilities in Two Districts of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa: Implications for Public Health

2015 ◽  
pp. 27-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony Okoh ◽  
Timothy Sibanda ◽  
Vuyokazi Nongogo ◽  
Martins Adefisoye ◽  
Osuolale Olayemi ◽  
...  
Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 2746 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mojeed A. Agoro ◽  
Abiodun O. Adeniji ◽  
Martins A. Adefisoye ◽  
Omobola O. Okoh

This study assessed the distribution of five heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn, and Fe) across the various stages of treatment in three selected sewage treatment facilities and their receiving waterbodies in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Aqueous and solid (sludge) samples were collected monthly from September 2015 to February 2016. Quantitation was achieved by atomic absorption spectrometry after necessary sample preparations. Concentrations of heavy metal cations in the sludge generally varied from <DL (below detection limit) to 1.17 mg kg−1, <DL to 0.14 mg kg−1, 27.588 to 69.789 mg kg−1, and <DL to 0.099 mg kg−1 for Cu, Cd, Fe and Pb; while Zn was below detection all through. Similarly, the levels of Cu, Cd, and Fe in the influents, effluents, upstream and downstream across the three plants ranged from <DL–6.588 mg L−1, <DL–0.636 mg L−1, <DL–0.878 mg L−1 and <DL–0.711 mg L−1, respectively; Zn and Pb were less than DL in all the matrices and study locations. All the contaminants were below hazardous levels in all the sludge and aqueous samples except Cd which was higher in effluents and surface waters across the board. Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP)-A exhibited better removal capacity for Fe (86.6%), compared to WWTP-B (34.7%) and WWTP-C (56.9%). However, the removal of Cu and Zn was very poor in all the treatment facilities studied. Carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks evaluated were sufficiently low. This suggests that the levels of contamination, even with respect to Cd, was minimal. Nevertheless, efforts should be made to keep the concentrations of these contaminants at levels safe for humans and aquatic organisms. Furthermore, the use of the effluents from these facilities for irrigation should be discouraged to prevent unnecessary build-up of metals in the soil and plants grown with such, as well as subsequent bioaccumulation and biomagnification in the food chain.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olayinka Osuolale ◽  
Anthony Okoh

ABSTRACTBackgroundPoorly or partially treated wastewater disposed of can contaminate water and even properly treated sewage can have its problems. The highlight of this danger is wastewater treatment plants serving as reservoir for proliferation of antibiotic resistant organisms. We have reported the state of two wastewater treatment in the Eastern Cape of South Africa which discharge poorly and partially treated effluents. Our aims to identify Vibrio spp. and their antibiotic profiles in treated final effluent discharge from wastewater treatment plant.MethodsCulture based approach using the TCBS agar for isolationVibriospp., presumptive isolates were purified and confirmed using PCR. The confirmed isolated were also genotyped to identify the species present. The antibiotic profiling of the confirmed isolates was using the CLSI recommended first line antibiotics for Vibrio.ResultsOut of the 786 presumptive isolates, 374 were confirmed asVibriospp. None of the Vibrio spp. pathotypes were present in the confirmed isolates. Randomized isolates of 100 Vibrio spp. were selected, > 90 % of the isolates were susceptible to Ciprofloxacin, and > 50 – 80 % for Ampicillin, Chloramphenicol, Tetracycline, Cefotaxime, and Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole respectively.ConclusionsWe are able to isolate Vibrio spp. from treated effluents but none of their pathotypes were present. The antibiotic agents considered for primary testing which are ciprofloxacin was the most effective of the antibiotic drugs, followed by cefotaxime, tetracycline with less susceptibility. Contamination from discharged effluents from wastewater treatment can lead to spread of spread of disease in this environment. The WWTPs studied are sources of pollution to surface water with environmental and public health.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oluwatayo E. Abioye ◽  
Ayodeji Charles Osunla ◽  
Anthony I. Okoh

Water resources contaminated with pathogenic Vibrio species are usually a source of devastating infection outbreaks that have been a public health concern in both developed and developing countries over the decades. The present study assessed the prevalence of six medically significant Vibrio species in some water resources in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa for 12 months. We detected vibrios in all the 194 water samples analyzed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The prevalence of Vibrio cholerae, Vibrio mimicus, Vibrio fluvialis, Vibrio vulnificus, Vibrio alginolyticus, and Vibrio parahaemolyticus in freshwater samples was 34, 19, 9, 2, 3, and 2%, and that in brackish water samples was 44, 28, 10, 7, 46, and 51%, respectively. The population of the presumptive Vibrio spp. isolated from freshwater (628) and brackish water (342) samples that were confirmed by PCR was 79% (497/628) and 85% (291/342), respectively. Twenty-two percent of the PCR-confirmed Vibrio isolates from freshwater (n = 497) samples and 41% of the PCR-confirmed Vibrio isolates from brackish water samples (n = 291) fall among the Vibrio species of interest. The incidences of V. cholerae, V. mimicus, V. fluvialis, V. vulnificus, V. alginolyticus, and V. parahaemolyticus amidst these Vibrio spp. of interest that were recovered from freshwater samples were 75, 14, 4, 6, 1, and 1%, whereas those from brackish water samples were 24, 7, 3, 3, 47, and 18%, respectively. Our observation during the study suggests pollution as the reason for the unusual isolation of medically important vibrios in winter. Correlation analysis revealed that temperature drives the frequency of isolation, whereas salinity drives the composition of the targeted Vibrio species at our sampling sites. The finding of the study is of public health importance going by the usefulness of the water resources investigated. Although controlling and preventing most of the factors that contribute to the prevalence of medically important bacteria, such as Vibrio species, at the sampling points might be difficult, regular monitoring for creating health risk awareness will go a long way to prevent possible Vibrio-related infection outbreaks at the sampling sites and their immediate environment.


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