scholarly journals Application of chemometric methods for assessment and modelling of microbiological quality data concerning coastal bathing water in Greece

2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Agelos Papaioannou ◽  
George Rigas ◽  
Panagiotis Papastergiou ◽  
Christos Hadjichristodoulou
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Microbiological Quality ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Detection Methods ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Waterborne Diseases ◽  
Chemometric Methods ◽  
Bathing Water

<em>Background</em>. Worldwide, the aim of managing water is to safeguard human health whilst maintaining sustainable aquatic and associated terrestrial, ecosystems. Because human enteric viruses are the most likely pathogens responsible for waterborne diseases from recreational water use, but detection methods are complex and costly for routine monitoring, it is of great interest to determine the quality of coastal bathing water with a minimum cost and maximum safety. <br /><em>Design and methods.</em> This study handles the assessment and modelling of the microbiological quality data of 2149 seawater bathing areas in Greece over 10-year period (1997-2006) by chemometric methods. <br /><em>Results</em>. Cluster analysis results indicated that the studied bathing beaches are classified in accordance with the seasonality in three groups. Factor analysis was applied to investigate possible determining factors in the groups resulted from the cluster analysis, and also two new parameters were created in each group; VF1 includes <em>E. coli</em>, faecal coliforms and total coliforms and VF2 includes faecal streptococci/enterococci. By applying the cluster analysis in each seasonal group, three new groups of coasts were generated, group A (ultraclean), group B (clean) and group C (contaminated). <em>Conclusions</em>. The above analysis is confirmed by the application of discriminant analysis, and proves that chemometric methods are useful tools for assessment and modeling microbiological quality data of coastal bathing water on a large scale, and thus could attribute to effective and economical monitoring of the quality of coastal bathing water in a country with a big number of bathing coasts, like Greece.

The impact of bird populations on the microbiological quality of bathing waters

2005 ◽  
Vol 51 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 199-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Wither ◽  
M. Rehfisch ◽  
G. Austin
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Microbiological Quality ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Water Quality Data ◽  
North West ◽  
Bird Populations ◽  
Bathing Waters ◽  
The Impact

To ensure optimum quality at Bathing Waters, the control of diffuse sources of bacterial contamination is receiving increasing attention. As part of an initiative to improve the quality of the EU designated bathing waters on the Fylde Coast (North West England), a project was undertaken to quantify the faecal indicator load from birds and assess the significance on water quality. High bird counts are encountered on the Fylde Coast with gulls, feral pigeons and starlings being prominent. The piers at Blackpool make an attractive roost for starlings with numbers peaking at over 30,000 in late summer. Systematic recording of bird numbers and locations was undertaken during 2001/2. Estimates were also made of the daily faecal organism production by the different species. The spatial distribution of faecal organisms from the bird population was statistically linked to synoptic water quality data. This allowed estimates to be made of the contribution from birds to the faecal pollution load at the bathing waters. The work confirmed a statistically significant link between bird populations and water quality with a marked seasonal bias.

scholarly journals Statistical Analyses: Possible Reasons for Unreliability of Source Tracking Efforts

2005 ◽  
Vol 71 (8) ◽  
pp. 4690-4695 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clarivel Lasalde ◽  
Roberto Rodríguez ◽  
Gary A. Toranzos
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Discriminant Function ◽  
Discriminant Function Analysis ◽  
Function Analysis ◽  
Microbiological Quality ◽  
Statistical Analyses ◽  
Indicator Organisms ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Quality Of Water

ABSTRACT Analyses for the presence of indicator organisms provide information on the microbiological quality of water. Indicator organisms recommended by the United States Environmental Protection Agency for monitoring the microbiological quality of water include Escherichia coli, a thermotolerant coliform found in the feces of warm-blooded animals. These bacteria can also be isolated from environmental sources such as the recreational and pristine waters of tropical rain forests in the absence of fecal contamination. In the present study, E. coli isolates were compared to E. coli K12 (ATCC 29425) by restriction fragment length polymorphism using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Theoretically, genomic DNA patterns generated by PFGE are highly specific for the different isolates of an organism and can be used to identify variability between environmental and fecal isolates. Our results indicate a different band pattern for almost every one of the E. coli isolates analyzed. Cluster analysis did not show any relations between isolates and their source of origin. Only the discriminant function analysis grouped the samples with the source of origin. The discrepancy observed between the cluster analysis and discriminant function analysis relies on their mathematical basis. Our validation analyses indicate the presence of an artifact (i.e., grouping of environmental versus fecal samples as a product of the statistical analyses used and not as a result of separation in terms of source of origin) in the classification results; therefore, the large genetic heterogeneity observed in these E. coli populations makes the grouping of isolates by source rather difficult, if not impossible.

scholarly journals Management of Microbiological Contamination of the Water Network of a Newly Built Hospital Pavilion

Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 75
Author(s):  
Osvalda De Giglio ◽  
Giusy Diella ◽  
Marco Lopuzzo ◽  
Francesco Triggiano ◽  
Carla Calia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Legionella Pneumophila ◽  
Microbiological Quality ◽  
Silver Ions ◽  
Waterborne Diseases ◽  
Water Safety ◽  
Water Network ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Quality Of Water ◽  
Water Safety Plan

The good installation, as well as commissioning plan, of a water network is a crucial step in reducing the risk of waterborne diseases. The aim of this study was to monitor the microbiological quality of water from a newly built pavilion before it commenced operation. Overall, 91 water samples were tested for coliforms, Escherichia coli, enterococci, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Legionella at three different times: T0 (without any water treatment), T1 (after treatment with hydrogen peroxide and silver ions at initial concentration of 20 mg/L and after flushing of water for 20 min/day for seven successive days) and T2 (15 days later). Coliforms were detected in 47.3% of samples at T0, 36.3% at T1 and 4.4% at T2. E. coli was isolated in 4.4% of the samples only at T1, while enterococci appeared in 12.1% of the samples at T1 and in 2.2% at T2. P. aeruginosa was isolated in 50.5% of the samples at T0, 29.7% at T1 and 1.1% at T2. Legionella pneumophila serogroup 8 was isolated in 80.2% of the samples at T0, 36.3% at T1 and 2.2% at T2. Our results confirmed the need for a water safety plan in new hospital pavilions to prevent the risk of waterborne diseases.

scholarly journals Microbiological Quality of Drinking Water and Prevalence of Waterborne Diseases in the Gaza Strip, Palestine: A Narrative Review

2019 ◽  
Vol 07 (04) ◽  
pp. 122-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samer Abuzerr ◽  
Simin Nasseri ◽  
Masud Yunesian ◽  
Samir Yassin ◽  
Mahdi Hadi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Gaza Strip ◽  
Microbiological Quality ◽  
Narrative Review ◽  
Waterborne Diseases ◽  
The Gaza Strip

scholarly journals Assessment of water quality using chemometric methods - a case study of Rusałka Lake, NW-Poland

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 ◽  
pp. 80-89
Author(s):  
Tymoteusz I. Miller
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Discriminant Analysis ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Chemometric Methods ◽  
Quality Indices ◽  
Water Quality Indices ◽  
Chl A

Chemometric methods, such as cluster analysis, factor analysis and discriminant analysis were applied to identify and assess the quality of lake water. Samples were collected from the Rusałka Lake, located in Szczecin City from September 2012 to September 2015 with frequency once a month. 25 water quality indices were evaluated in particular: Chl a, Eh, temperature, pH, COD-Mn, COD-Cr, BOD5, DO, NO3-, NO2-, NH4+, TN, SRP, TP, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl-, SO42- ,HCO3-, Fetot, Mntot, Pb, Zn, Cd, Cu. Cluster analysis was performed to determine the similarity in terms of variation of the examined water quality indices and to determine seasonal variation between inflow and outflow areas of the lake. Factor analysis revealed that water quality is shaped by high anthropogenic activities. Discriminant analysis was used for the final assessment of which of the studied variables discriminate between the inflow and outflow zones and seasons. The chemometric approach and results provided useful information on the type of parameters affecting the quality of water in the analyzed lake. The data and information obtained can lead to better understanding of changes which are present in small flow lakes under high anthropopressure.

Microbiological Status and Food Safety Compliance of Commercial Basil Production Systems

2016 ◽  
Vol 79 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
WILLEKE de BRUIN ◽  
DENISE OTTO ◽  
LISE KORSTEN
Keyword(s):  
Food Safety ◽  
Salmonella Typhimurium ◽  
Water Samples ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Safety Management ◽  
Membrane Filter ◽  
Microbiological Quality ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Study Results

ABSTRACT Basil has been implicated in a number of microbe-associated foodborne illnesses across the world, and the source of contamination has often been traced back to the production and/or processing stages of the supply chain. The aim of this study was to evaluate the microbiological quality of fresh basil from the point of production to the retail outlet in the Gauteng and Northwest Provinces of South Africa. A total of 463 samples were collected over a 3-month period from two large-scale commercial herb producing and processing companies and three retail outlets. The microbiological quality of the samples was assessed based on the presence or absence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella Typhimurium and the levels of the indicator bacteria E. coli and total coliforms. Salmonella Typhimurium was detected on four basil samples (0.9%) arriving at the processing facility and at dispatch, but no E. coli O157:H7 was detected throughout the study. Total coliform counts were 0.4 to 4.1 CFU/g for basil, 1.9 to 3.4 log CFU/ml for water, and 0.2 to 1.7 log CFU/cm2 for contact surfaces, whereas E. coli was detected in the water samples and only once on basil. The Colilert-18 and membrane filter methods were used to analyze water samples, and a comparison of results revealed that the Colilert-18 method was more sensitive. Strong evidence suggests that high numbers of coliforms do not necessarily indicate the presence of Salmonella Typhimurium. The study results highlight the importance of effective implementation of food safety management systems in the fresh produce industry.

scholarly journals Environmental Factors and the Microbial Quality of Urban Drinking Water in a Low-Income Country: The Case of Madagascar

Water ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 1450 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Bastaraud ◽  
Jean Rakotondramanga ◽  
Jackson Mahazosaotra ◽  
Noror Ravaonindrina ◽  
Ronan Jambou
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Microbiological Quality ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Climatic Data ◽  
Microbial Quality

Access to piped water is often limited to urban areas in low-income countries, and the microbiological quality of drinking water varies due to technical and environmental constraints. To analyse the parameters that modulate the contamination of these systems, this study examines 16 years of microbial quality data for water supplied in 32 urban areas of Madagascar. A discriminant statistical approach and agglomerative hierarchical clusters were applied to environmental and climatic data. The microbial contamination varied between sites from 3.3 to 17.5%, and 78% of the supply systems showed large variations between years or months. Agglomerative hierarchical clusters (AHCs) revealed four supply system profiles that share a similar bacteriological evolution. Heavy rainfall and dry periods sustained increasing contamination, as reflected in levels of spores of sulphite-reducing clostridia (SSRC) and/or total coliforms (TC). SSRC were dominant in three profiles, with faecal indicator bacteria (FIB) dominant in the other. Principal component analysis demonstrated the main drivers of contamination: type of water source, implemented treatment, location of the site, population growth, lack of protection, agriculture, urbanization/sanitation, and flooding threats. Contamination increased over the 16-year period, reaching alarming levels. The protection of water sources should be a concern for public authorities.

Molecular techniques and their potential application in monitoring the microbiological quality of indoor air

1995 ◽  
Vol 41 (8) ◽  
pp. 657-665 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. MacNeil ◽  
T. Kauri ◽  
W. Robertson
Keyword(s):  
Indoor Air ◽  
Molecular Detection ◽  
Microbiological Quality ◽  
Air Sampling ◽  
Restriction Endonuclease Analysis ◽  
Molecular Techniques ◽  
Detection Methods ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Bacteria And Fungi

Health effects associated with poor indoor air quality have created a need for accurate, reproducible methods of monitoring the microbiological content of indoor air. Improved methods of detection may allow researchers to clarify the effect of individual species present in the indoor environment on human health. This review discusses the shortcomings of current methods of identification and detection and focuses on the potential for molecular techniques in this emerging field. Probe techniques, restriction endonuclease analysis, karyotyping, and DNA and polymerase chain reaction fingerprinting methods available to detect and identify bacteria and fungi significant in the indoor air environment are discussed. Problems that may be encountered using these techniques are also considered. The authors have included a brief discussion on current air sampling techniques as well as adapting these techniques for use with molecular detection methods.Key words: indoor air microbiology, microbiological air sampling, molecular detection methods.

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