Waterborne Pathogens—Threats to Water Quality

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Water Quality and Contamination".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 August 2022) | Viewed by 10134

Special Issue Editors

University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
Interests: drinking water; pathogens; biofilm; water treatments; microbial source tracking
University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Interests: waterborne bacterial and viral pathogens; antibiotic resistance genes in water; microbial source tracking

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Water scarcity is a global problem that is expected to be exacerbated by the increased water demand predicted for the coming years. Water re-use is seen as a promising alternative to increase water availability for human use, including agricultural, domestic, and industrial use. Different novel water treatments have been developed. However, water re-use is still in its infancy, and more research is needed to understand the microbial risks posed by the use of reclaimed water in the different sectors, including the persistence of pathogens in the different water matrices and the dissemination of antibiotic-resistance genes, from a One-Health perspective.   

This Special Issue aims to provide an update on the different emerging water treatment technologies and their impact on reducing pathogens in the water cycle. Manuscript types include original research articles, opinion articles, and reviews in the field of reclaimed water as it relates to public health.

Prof. Dr. Cristina García-Aljaro
Prof. Dr. Laura Sala-Comorera
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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. Water 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 2600 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

  • Public health
  • Drinking water
  • Water treatments
  • Water reuse
  • Microbial source tracking
  • Quantitative microbial risk assessment

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 4798 KiB  
Article
Assessment of Microbial Contamination in the Infulene River Basin, Mozambique
by Clemêncio Nhantumbo, Nídia Cangi Vaz, Mery Rodrigues, Cândido Manuel, Sífia Rapulua, Jéssica Langa, Hélio Nhantumbo, Dominic Joaquim, Michaque Dosse, José Sumbana, Ricardo Santos, Silvia Monteiro and Dinis Juízo
Water 2023, 15(2), 219; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w15020219 - 04 Jan 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2685
Abstract
Water microbial contamination is one of the major threats to human health. The study focus is on Infulene River Basin, a urban catchment with mainly informal settlements, with limited water supply and sanitation. In the catchment there are two wastewater treatment plants, one [...] Read more.
Water microbial contamination is one of the major threats to human health. The study focus is on Infulene River Basin, a urban catchment with mainly informal settlements, with limited water supply and sanitation. In the catchment there are two wastewater treatment plants, one hospital and beer factory located on the banks of the main stream; water from this stream is used for urban agriculture and domestic uses by some dwellers. These factors present a significant health risk from water-borne diseases. At the moment there is limited knowledge about the level of microbial contamination of the different sources of water at the disposal of the communities. Thus, a preliminary study on fecal microbial contamination was conducted targeting the Infulene River and the drainage system from the nearby Maputo city draining into the system, with additional investigation on the drinking water provided by the city water supply company. The quantification of Total Coliforms (TC) and Escherichia coli (EC) was conducted at several sampling locations. Results were compared with official drinking water standards. Eighty two percent (82%) and 61% of Infulene river water and drainage water samples were positive for TC (105 to 109 NPN/100 mL) and EC (105 to 107 NPN/100 mL), respectively. For drinking water samples, 63% and 23% were positive for TC (up to 6000 NPN/100 mL) and EC (up to 1000 NPN/100 mL), respectively. Higher microbial contamination was found in neighborhoods with the poorest sanitation and shallow groundwater, i.e., Chamanculo, Xipamanine, Mafalala, Aeroporto and Maxaquene, a situation that was more expressive during the rainy season. Overall, the study confirmed the high vulnerability to microbial contamination of all sources investigated due to poor sanitation and lack of drainage infrastructure. The risks to human health might be even higher considering that contaminated water is used for gardening of vegetable watering and domestic use. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Waterborne Pathogens—Threats to Water Quality)
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15 pages, 2050 KiB  
Article
Meteorological and Water Quality Factors Associated with Microbial Diversity in Coastal Water from Intensified Oyster Production Areas of Thailand
by Saharuetai Jeamsripong, Varangkana Thaotumpitak, Saran Anuntawirun, Nawaphorn Roongrojmongkhon and Edward R. Atwill
Water 2022, 14(23), 3838; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w14233838 - 25 Nov 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1956
Abstract
Coastal pollution is of public health concern due to the possibility of bacterial contamination in aquaculture affecting health risk and seafood safety. This study determined the concentrations of total coliforms, fecal coliforms, E. coli, and V. parahaemolyticus and the presence of V. [...] Read more.
Coastal pollution is of public health concern due to the possibility of bacterial contamination in aquaculture affecting health risk and seafood safety. This study determined the concentrations of total coliforms, fecal coliforms, E. coli, and V. parahaemolyticus and the presence of V. cholerae and Salmonella in water and measured water quality and meteorological factors from the major oyster cultivation areas in Thailand. The water samples (n = 363) were collected from Surat Thani (n = 60), Chanthaburi (n = 60), Trat (n = 60), Phetchaburi (n = 60), Chonburi (n = 63), and Phang Nga (n = 60) from February 2021 to January 2022. The prevalence of total coliforms (96.7%), fecal coliforms (60.6%), E. coli (22.9%), along with the prevalence of Salmonella (2.5%), Vibrio parahaemolyticus (74.9%), and V. cholerae (11.3%) were determined. Common Salmonella serovars were Othmarschen and Lamberhurst. The concentration of E. coli was significantly associated with dissolved oxygen and precipitation (p < 0.0001). Therefore, continuing microbiological monitoring and surveillance of water for coastal aquaculture is important to produce safe aquatic products. Furthermore, raising awareness of coastal pollution and seafood safety will help enhance sustainable coastal fisheries in Thailand. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Waterborne Pathogens—Threats to Water Quality)
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17 pages, 2419 KiB  
Article
Latitudinal Dynamics of Vibrio along the Eastern Coastline of Australia
by Nathan L. R. Williams, Nachshon Siboni, William L. King, Varunan Balaraju, Anna Bramucci and Justin R. Seymour
Water 2022, 14(16), 2510; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w14162510 - 15 Aug 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1958
Abstract
The marine genus of bacteria, Vibrio, includes several significant human and animal pathogens, highlighting the importance of defining the factors that govern their occurrence in the environment. To determine what controls large-scale spatial patterns among this genus, we examined the abundance and [...] Read more.
The marine genus of bacteria, Vibrio, includes several significant human and animal pathogens, highlighting the importance of defining the factors that govern their occurrence in the environment. To determine what controls large-scale spatial patterns among this genus, we examined the abundance and diversity of Vibrio communities along a 4000 km latitudinal gradient spanning the Australian coast. We used a Vibrio-specific amplicon sequencing assay to define Vibrio community diversity, as well as quantitative PCR and digital droplet PCR to identify patterns in the abundances of the human pathogens V. cholera, V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus. The hsp60 amplicon sequencing analysis revealed significant differences in the composition of tropical and temperate Vibrio communities. Over 50% of Vibrio species detected, including the human pathogens V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus, displayed significant correlations with either temperature, salinity, or both, as well as different species of phytoplankton. High levels of V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus were detected in the tropical site at Darwin and the subtropical Gold Coast site, along with high levels of V. parahaemolyticus at the subtropical Sydney site. This study has revealed the key ecological determinants and latitudinal patterns in the abundance and diversity of coastal Vibrio communities, including insights into the distribution of human pathogens, within a region experiencing significant ecological shifts due to climate change. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Waterborne Pathogens—Threats to Water Quality)
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26 pages, 3723 KiB  
Article
Monitoring Bacterial Community Dynamics in a Drinking Water Treatment Plant: An Integrative Approach Using Metabarcoding and Microbial Indicators in Large Water Volumes
by Anna Pinar-Méndez, Owen S. Wangensteen, Kim Præbel, Belén Galofré, Javier Méndez, Anicet R. Blanch and Cristina García-Aljaro
Water 2022, 14(9), 1435; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w14091435 - 30 Apr 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3041
Abstract
Monitoring bacterial communities in a drinking water treatment plant (DWTP) may help to understand their regular operations. Bacterial community dynamics in an advanced full-scale DWTP were analyzed by 16S rRNA metabarcoding, and microbial water quality indicators were determined at nine different stages of [...] Read more.
Monitoring bacterial communities in a drinking water treatment plant (DWTP) may help to understand their regular operations. Bacterial community dynamics in an advanced full-scale DWTP were analyzed by 16S rRNA metabarcoding, and microbial water quality indicators were determined at nine different stages of potabilization: river water and groundwater intake, decantation, sand filtration, ozonization, carbon filtration, reverse osmosis, mixing chamber and post-chlorination drinking water. The microbial content of large water volumes (up to 1100 L) was concentrated by hollow fiber ultrafiltration. Around 10 million reads were obtained and grouped into 10,039 amplicon sequence variants. Metabarcoding analysis showed high bacterial diversity at all treatment stages and above all in groundwater intake, followed by carbon filtration and mixing chamber samples. Shifts in bacterial communities occurred downstream of ozonization, carbon filtration, and, more drastically, chlorination. Proteobacteria and Bacteroidota predominated in river water and throughout the process, but in the final drinking water, the strong selective pressure of chlorination reduced diversity and was clearly dominated by Cyanobacteria. Significant seasonal variation in species distribution was observed in decantation and carbon filtration samples. Some amplicon sequence variants related to potentially pathogenic genera were found in the DWTP. However, they were either not detected in the final water or in very low abundance (<2%), and all EU Directive quality standards were fully met. A combination of culture and high-throughput sequencing techniques may help DWTP managers to detect shifts in microbiome, allowing for a more in-depth assessment of operational performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Waterborne Pathogens—Threats to Water Quality)
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12 pages, 1164 KiB  
Article
Coprostanol as a Population Biomarker for SARS-CoV-2 Wastewater Surveillance Studies
by Liam J. Reynolds, Laura Sala-Comorera, Mohd Faheem Khan, Niamh A. Martin, Megan Whitty, Jayne H. Stephens, Tristan M. Nolan, Eadaoin Joyce, Nicola F. Fletcher, Cormac D. Murphy and Wim G. Meijer
Water 2022, 14(2), 225; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w14020225 - 13 Jan 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2756
Abstract
Wastewater surveillance is a cost-effective tool for monitoring SARS-CoV-2 transmission in a community. However, challenges remain with regard to interpretating such studies, not least in how to compare SARS-CoV-2 levels between different-sized wastewater treatment plants. Viral faecal indicators, including crAssphage and pepper mild [...] Read more.
Wastewater surveillance is a cost-effective tool for monitoring SARS-CoV-2 transmission in a community. However, challenges remain with regard to interpretating such studies, not least in how to compare SARS-CoV-2 levels between different-sized wastewater treatment plants. Viral faecal indicators, including crAssphage and pepper mild mottle virus, have been proposed as population biomarkers to normalise SARS-CoV-2 levels in wastewater. However, as these indicators exhibit variability between individuals and may not be excreted by everyone, their utility as population biomarkers may be limited. Coprostanol, meanwhile, is a bacterial metabolite of cholesterol which is excreted by all individuals. In this study, composite influent samples were collected from a large- and medium-sized wastewater treatment plant in Dublin, Ireland and SARS-CoV-2 N1, crAssphage, pepper mild mottle virus, HF183 and coprostanol levels were determined. SARS-CoV-2 N1 RNA was detected and quantified in all samples from both treatment plants. Regardless of treatment plant size, coprostanol levels exhibited the lowest variation in composite influent samples, while crAssphage exhibited the greatest variation. Moreover, the strongest correlations were observed between SARS-CoV-2 levels and national and Dublin COVID-19 cases when levels were normalised to coprostanol. This work demonstrates the usefulness of coprostanol as a population biomarker for wastewater surveillance studies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Waterborne Pathogens—Threats to Water Quality)
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