Water Quality and Public Health

A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 December 2018) | Viewed by 38109

Special Issue Editors


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Co-Guest Editor
School of Undergraduate Studies, Sciences Program, University of Maryland, 3501 University Blvd East, Adelphi, MD 20783, USA
Interests: industrial and municipal wastewater treatment; waste treatment; industrial hygiene; environmental management and sustainability; air pollution control

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Co-Guest Editor
Department of Environmental and Physical Sciences, Southern New Hampshire University, 2500 N River Rd, Manchester, NH 03106, USA
Interests: biogeochemistry; environmental chemistry; water quality; soil chemistry

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Quality of water in various uses such as drinking water, domestic consumption, food and soft drinking production and recreational water use may have important effects on human health. Unpolluted natural water is of good quality. Water pollution and other environmental pollution caused the deterioration of water quality with serious consequences in human health. Production of new synthetic organic compounds and new pharmaceutical compound are adding more than 10,000 compounds a year to the production list. These emerging new compounds are now found in the water supply and drinking water and have significant effects on human health. New and advanced water treatment processes are developed for the removal of these emerging compounds in drinking water in order to minimize the effects on human health. Identifying health effects related to water quality problems is challenging to engineering professionals and health professionals.

This special issue focuses on the current status of research in water quality with emphasis in drinking water quality, effects of water quality on human health, and how to reduce the health effects related water quality.

Prof. Dr. Yung-Tse Hung
Dr. Mario GR Cora-Hernandez
Dr. Hamed Majidzadeh
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • water quality
  • drinking water
  • health effects of water supply
  • emerging contaminants in water supply
  • water quality management
  • water treatment process
  • wastewater treatment processes
  • risk assessment
  • water security
  • water safety

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 2107 KiB  
Article
Characterization and Adsorption Behavior of Strontium from Aqueous Solutions onto Chitosan-Fuller’s Earth Beads
by Shameem Hasan, A. Rafi M. Iasir, Tushar K. Ghosh, Bhaskar Sen Gupta and Mark A. Prelas
Healthcare 2019, 7(1), 52; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/healthcare7010052 - 26 Mar 2019
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 5114
Abstract
Fuller’s earth spherical beads using chitosan as a binder were prepared for the removal of strontium ions from aqueous solution. The adsorbents were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), which revealed the porous nature of the beads. The [...] Read more.
Fuller’s earth spherical beads using chitosan as a binder were prepared for the removal of strontium ions from aqueous solution. The adsorbents were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), which revealed the porous nature of the beads. The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area of the beads was found to be 48.5 m2/g. The adsorption capacities of the beads were evaluated under both batch and dynamic conditions. The adsorption capacity was found to be ~29 mg/g of adsorbent at 298 K when the equilibrium concentration of strontium in the solution was 925 mg/L at pH 6.5. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) data suggest that strontium uptake by the beads occurs mainly through an ion-exchange process. Kinetic data indicate that the sorption of strontium onto the beads follows anomalous diffusion. Thermodynamic data suggest that the ion-exchange of Sr2+ on the bead surface was feasible, spontaneous and endothermic in nature. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water Quality and Public Health)
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8 pages, 221 KiB  
Article
A Proactive Environmental Approach for Preventing Legionellosis in Infants: Water Sampling and Antibiotic Resistance Monitoring, a 3-Years Survey Program
by Ioanna Alexandropoulou, Theodoros Parasidis, Theocharis Konstantinidis, Maria Panopoulou and Theodoros C. Constantinidis
Healthcare 2019, 7(1), 39; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/healthcare7010039 - 08 Mar 2019
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4316
Abstract
A proactive environmental monitoring program was conducted to determine the risk and prevent nosocomial waterborne infections of Legionella spp. in infants. Sink taps in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and two obstetric clinics were monitored for Legionella spp. A total of 59 [...] Read more.
A proactive environmental monitoring program was conducted to determine the risk and prevent nosocomial waterborne infections of Legionella spp. in infants. Sink taps in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and two obstetric clinics were monitored for Legionella spp. A total of 59 water samples were collected during a 3-year period and 20 of them were found colonized with Legionella pneumophila. Standard culture, molecular, and latex agglutination methods were used for the detection and identification of Legionella bacteria. Hospital personnel also proceeded with remedial actions (hyperchlorination and thermal shock treatment) in the event of colonization. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of erythromycin, ciprofloxacin was determined for Legionella isolates using the e-test method. Our data indicate that the majority of neonatal sink-taps were colonized at least once during the study with Legionella spp. Among 20 isolates, 5 were considered as low-level resistant, 3 in erythromycin and 2 in ciprofloxacin, while no resistant strains were detected. Environmental surveillance in neonatal and obstetric units is suggested to prevent waterborne infections, and thus to reduce the risk of neonatal nosocomial infections. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water Quality and Public Health)
13 pages, 260 KiB  
Article
Co-Infection by Waterborne Enteric Viruses in Children with Gastroenteritis in Nepal
by Sarmila Tandukar, Jeevan B. Sherchand, Surendra Karki, Bikash Malla, Rajani Ghaju Shrestha, Dinesh Bhandari, Ocean Thakali and Eiji Haramoto
Healthcare 2019, 7(1), 9; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/healthcare7010009 - 13 Jan 2019
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 5731
Abstract
Enteric viruses are highly contagious and a major cause of waterborne gastroenteritis in children younger than five years of age in developing world. This study examined the prevalence of enteric virus infection in children with gastroenteritis to identify risk factors for co-infections. In [...] Read more.
Enteric viruses are highly contagious and a major cause of waterborne gastroenteritis in children younger than five years of age in developing world. This study examined the prevalence of enteric virus infection in children with gastroenteritis to identify risk factors for co-infections. In total, 107 stool samples were collected from patients with acute gastroenteritis along with samples of their household drinking water and other possible contamination sources, such as food and hand. The presence of major gastroenteritis-causing enteric virus species (group A rotaviruses, enteroviruses, adenoviruses, and noroviruses of genogroup I) in stool and water samples was examined using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Among the 107 stool samples tested, 103 (96%) samples contained at least one of the four tested enteric viruses, and the combination of group A rotaviruses and enteroviruses was the most common co-infection (52%, n = 54/103). At least one viral agent was detected in 16 (16%) of 103 drinking water samples. Identical enteric viruses were detected in both the stool and water samples taken from the same patients in 13% of cases (n = 13/103). Group A rotaviruses were most frequently found in children suffering from acute diarrhea. No socio-demographic and clinical factors were associated with the risk of co-infection compared with mono-infection. These less commonly diagnosed viral etiological agents in hospitals are highly prevalent in patients with acute gastroenteritis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water Quality and Public Health)
13 pages, 3406 KiB  
Article
Repeated Heat Regeneration of Bone Char for Sustainable Use in Fluoride Removal from Drinking Water
by H. M. Ayala S. Herath, Tomonori Kawakami and Masamoto Tafu
Healthcare 2018, 6(4), 143; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/healthcare6040143 - 08 Dec 2018
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3976
Abstract
The effectiveness of regenerated chicken bone char (CBC) in fluoride removal was investigated in the present study. Heat treatment was studied as the regeneration method. Results revealed that the CBC regenerated at 673 K yielded the highest fluoride adsorption capacity, hence, 673 K [...] Read more.
The effectiveness of regenerated chicken bone char (CBC) in fluoride removal was investigated in the present study. Heat treatment was studied as the regeneration method. Results revealed that the CBC regenerated at 673 K yielded the highest fluoride adsorption capacity, hence, 673 K was the best regenerating temperature. The study continued up to five regeneration cycles at the best regenerating temperature; 673 K. The CBC accounted to 16.1 mg F/g CBC as the total adsorption capacity after five regeneration cycles. The recovery percentage of CBC reduced from 79% at the first regeneration to 4% after five regeneration cycles. The hydroxyapatite structure of CBC was not changed during the fluoride adsorption by five regeneration cycles. The ion exchange incorporated with the chemical precipitation occurred during the fluoride adsorption. The repeated regeneration of CBC is possible and it could be used as a low cost defluoridation technique to minimize the wastage of bone char. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water Quality and Public Health)
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13 pages, 3776 KiB  
Article
The Extremely High Adsorption Capacity of Fluoride by Chicken Bone Char (CBC) in Defluoridation of Drinking Water in Relation to Its Finer Particle Size for Better Human Health
by H. M. Ayala S. Herath, Tomonori Kawakami and Masamoto Tafu
Healthcare 2018, 6(4), 123; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/healthcare6040123 - 10 Oct 2018
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 4622
Abstract
The ingestion of fluoride-contaminated water causes serious health issues in people all over the world. In the current study, the adsorption of fluoride onto chicken bone char (CBC) was investigated as a defluoridation technique. Finer-sized CBC with a diameter of 106–212 µm was [...] Read more.
The ingestion of fluoride-contaminated water causes serious health issues in people all over the world. In the current study, the adsorption of fluoride onto chicken bone char (CBC) was investigated as a defluoridation technique. Finer-sized CBC with a diameter of 106–212 µm was used to investigate the fluoride adsorption capacity onto CBC. Results revealed that finer-sized CBC yielded an unusually high fluoride adsorption capacity of 11.2 mg/g at the equilibrium fluoride concentration of 10 mg/L. The study shows that CBC can be utilized in the defluoridation of drinking water and that finer-sized CBC enhances ion exchange to perform a higher adsorption capacity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water Quality and Public Health)
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Review

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19 pages, 4359 KiB  
Review
Impacts of Salinity Intrusion in Community Health: A Review of Experiences on Drinking Water Sodium from Coastal Areas of Bangladesh
by Mashura Shammi, Md. Mostafizur Rahman, Serene Ezra Bondad and Md. Bodrud-Doza
Healthcare 2019, 7(1), 50; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/healthcare7010050 - 22 Mar 2019
Cited by 85 | Viewed by 13081
Abstract
Increasing salt intake has substantial negative impacts on human health and well-being. This article focused on the construction of Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework for drinking water sodium (DWS) followed by a review on the published studies regarding salinity intrusion, DWS, and their effects on [...] Read more.
Increasing salt intake has substantial negative impacts on human health and well-being. This article focused on the construction of Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework for drinking water sodium (DWS) followed by a review on the published studies regarding salinity intrusion, DWS, and their effects on health perspectives in Bangladesh. Saline water is an important factor for hypertension or high blood pressure in the coastal areas. DWS can also lead women, especially pregnant women, to an increased risk of (pre)eclampsia, hypertension, as well as infant mortality. Several interventions, such as rainwater harvesting, pond sand filter (PSF) system, managed aquifer recharge (MAR), and pilot scale solar-powered desalination plants, such as reverse osmosis (RO), were reviewed on the context of their effectiveness in controlling drinking water sodium. Although rainwater consumption has the positive impact of low or no sodium intake, it still possesses negative impacts from not having vital minerals. A steady increment in sodium concentration through the span of the dry season was observed in MAR. It is, subsequently, important to increase awareness on DWS intake by providing and adopting correct technological interventions and training communities on the maintenance of the adaptive measures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water Quality and Public Health)
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