Conventional chemical water treatment systems which involve a series of steps are not feasible in rural areas, where a dispersed population is found. Moreover, it is extremely costly for investment in developing countries. Hence, improving drinking water quality at a household level is believed to be effective in fighting waterborne diseases. For this purpose, we investigated the performance of indigenous plant species locally used for turbid water treatment in Ethiopia. Batch coagulation and microbial reduction experiments were carried out on surface river waters found in Ethiopia having initial turbidities of 20, 45, 46, 80, and 195 nephelometric turbidity unit (NTU) with the flocculent dosages of 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, and 100 mg/l. Tubers of Maerua subcordata (Gilg.) DeWolf and seeds of Moringa stenopetala (Baker f.) Cufod. were used for this study, and they were able to achieve appreciable removal efficiency (up to 98 %) of turbidity at an optimum dose range of 20 to 80 mg/l in 6 h of settling time. About 99.9 % of microbial load removal were observed for both M. subcordata and M. stenopetala, which is comparable with chlorine disinfection. The experimental result revealed that these plant coagulants were able to meet World Health Organization (WHO) standards of drinking water quality (<5 NTU). This implies that with further optimization, M. subcordata and M. stenopetala can be used as an alternative to household-level water treatment in low-income countries.

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BackgroundIn dairy farming, animal feed is the first line of food safety. Animal feed can become contaminated and spoiled on farms or in storage facilities due to the diverse microorganisms that are naturally present around or on various animal feeds. This study aims to assess the level of aflatoxin and predictors in animal feeds among dairy farms in the South Gondar Zone of Ethiopia.MethodsA total of 100 samples of each animal feed ingredient (atella, hay, commercial concentrates, and cut and carry pasture) were obtained. A total of 400 animal feed ingredient samples were tested separately among 100 randomly chosen dairy farmers for aflatoxin analysis. Simultaneously, swabs from cow udders and water samples were also collected. Using a structured and pretested questionnaire, the knowledge and practices of animal feed administrators responsible for managing animal feed were also evaluated. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression models were used to identify determinants.ResultsFrom the total animal feed analyzed, 96% was positive for aflatoxins. Feed storage facilities, feed storage duration, education of animal feed administrators, mixed concentrates, and previous training were found to be associated with aflatoxin contamination levels in animal feeds.ConclusionsThe levels of aflatoxin contamination in animal feeds were found to be higher than the recommended limit; these findings suggest the spread of aflatoxin contamination between humans and animals. Furthermore, the occurrence of aflatoxins in the environment results from milk becoming contaminated with aflatoxins. A One Health strategy should therefore receive special consideration to tackle such problems and safeguard consumer safety.