Drinking Water Quality and Occurrence of Giardia in Finnish Small Groundwater Supplies

Abstract

Abstract:The microbiological and chemical drinking water quality of 20 vulnerable Finnish small groundwater supplies was studied in relation to environmental risk factors associated with potential sources of contamination. The microbiological parameters analyzed included the following enteric pathogens: Giardia and Cryptosporidium, Campylobacter species, noroviruses, as well as indicator microbes (Escherichia coli, intestinal enterococci, coliform bacteria, Clostridium perfringens, Aeromonas spp. and heterotrophic bacteria). Chemical analyses included the determination of pH, conductivity, TOC, color, turbidity, and phosphorus, nitrate and nitrite nitrogen, iron, and manganese concentrations. Giardia intestinalis was detected from four of the water supplies, all of which had wastewater treatment activities in the neighborhood. Mesophilic Aeromonas salmonicida, coliform bacteria and E. coli were also detected. None of the samples were positive for both coliforms and Giardia. Low pH and high iron and manganese concentrations in some OPEN ACCESSResources 2015, 4 638 samples compromised the water quality. Giardia intestinalis was isolated for the first time in Finland in groundwater wells of public water works. In Europe, small water supplies are of great importance since they serve a significant sector of the population. In our study, the presence of fecal indicator bacteria, Aeromonas and Giardia revealed surface water access to the wells and health risks associated with small water supplies.

Efficiency of Private Household Sand Filters in Removing Nutrients and Microbes from Wastewater in Finland

“…Wastewater contains a large range of pathogenic microorganisms (bacteria, parasites, and viruses) [11], which can be inactivated with different mechanisms, but it is known that bacteria and viruses can be transported in soil with the risk of contaminating drinking water wells, bathing waters, or other surface waters [12][13][14]. The removal of enteric microbes in on-site treatment systems is therefore important, but unfortunately this property has been less extensively studied than the removal of nutrients, since only the latter is regulated by wastewater legislation.…”

Filtro rápido de arena para el estudio de remoción de enteroparásitos protozoos en agua

“…Cryptosporidium se eliminan al ambiente en gran número con las heces de los hospederos infectados y pueden contaminar fuentes de agua cruda (sin tratamiento) y suministros de agua de bebida (12,13,14,15,16,17). Además del hombre, existe un amplio rango de especies animales que pueden liberar en el ambiente estas formas infectantes, aumentado así su potencialidad de transmisión hídrica (11).…”

Members of the family Campylobacteraceae: Campylobacter jejuni, Campylobacter coli

“…It is particularly difficult to recognize the association with water when private wells and untreated surface water is used as drinking water (Kapperud et al, 2003;Schönberg-Norio et al, 2004;Olson et al, 2008). For example, in Norway (Brennhovd et al, 1992) and Finland (Pitkänen et al, 2015), no Campylobacter spp. were recovered from water samples, but this is not always the case.…”