Identification of Human and Animal Fecal Contamination in Drinking Water Sources in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, Using Host-Associated <i>Bacteroidales</i> Quantitative PCR Assays

oleh: Bikash Malla, Rajani Ghaju Shrestha, Sarmila Tandukar, Dinesh Bhandari, Daisuke Inoue, Kazunari Sei, Yasuhiro Tanaka, Jeevan B. Sherchand, Eiji Haramoto

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2018-12-01

Deskripsi

This study identified the sources of fecal contamination in the groundwater of different land covers. A total of 300 groundwater samples were collected in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, in the dry (<i>n =</i> 152) and wet (<i>n =</i> 148) seasons of 2016. Fecal indicator bacteria were initially enumerated, and then fecal contamination sources were identified using human (BacHum), ruminant (BacR), and pig-associated (Pig2Bac) <i>Bacteroidales</i> quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays. Sixty-six percent (197/300) of the tested groundwater samples had <i>Escherichia coli</i> concentrations higher than the World Health Organization threshold for drinking (&lt;1 most probable number/100 mL). The fecal contamination of the groundwater was of human (22%, 55/250), ruminant (11%, 28/250), and pig (3%, 8/250) origin. Deep tube wells were less likely to be positive for <i>E. coli</i> and fecal markers compared to shallow dug wells. The human fecal marker was more likely to be detected in sources from built-up as compared to agricultural areas (Adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 3.60, <i>p</i> = 0.002). Likewise, the ruminant fecal marker was more likely to be detected in sources from agricultural as compared to built-up areas (AOR = 2.90, <i>p</i> = 0.018). These findings suggest the preparation of mitigation strategies for controlling fecal pollution based on land cover and well types.