Drinking water system treatment and contamination in Shatila Refugee Camp in Beirut, Lebanon.

East Mediterr Health J

George Washington University, Milken Institute School of Public Health, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Washington DC, United States of America.

Published: November 2016

Drinking water at Shatila Palestinian Refugee Camp in Beirut, Lebanon is of poor quality and unpredictably intermittent quantity. We aimed to characterize drinking water sources and contamination at Shatila and determine how drinking water can be managed to reduce community health burdens. We interviewed the Popular Committee, well owners, water vendors, water shopkeepers and preschool administrators about drinking water sources, treatment methods and the population served. Water samples from the sources and intermediaries were analysed for thermotolerant faecal coliforms (FCs), Giardia lamblia, Cryptosporidium parvum and microsporidia, using immunofluorescent antibody detection for G. lamblia and C. parvum, and chromotrope-2 stain for microsporidia. All drinking water sources were contaminated with FCs and parasites. FC counts (cfu/mL) were as follows: wells (35-300), water vendors (2-178), shops (30-300) and preschools (230-300). Responsible factors identified included: unskilled operators; improper maintenance of wells and equipment; lack of proper water storage and handling; and misperception of water quality. These factors must be addressed to improve water quality at Shatila and other refugee camps.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.26719/2016.22.8.568DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

drinking water
24
water
12
water sources
12
contamination shatila
8
shatila refugee
8
refugee camp
8
camp beirut
8
beirut lebanon
8
water vendors
8
water quality
8

Similar Publications

Despite their potential risks to human health and the environment at ng/L to μg/L concentrations, there has been relatively little effort to measure trace organic compounds (TOrCs) in surface waters of Central America. The concentrations of eighteen TOrCs detected at eleven surface water sites in the Lempa River basin of El Salvador and four sources of drinking water for the cities of San Salvador, Antiguo Cuscatlán, Soyapango, and Santa Tecla are reported here. All samples were analyzed via liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The potential of urinary miR-200c-3p as a biomarker of fluorosis in rats.

Ecotoxicol Environ Saf

January 2025

Key Lab of Etiology and Epidemiology, Education Bureau of Heilongjiang Province & Ministry of Health (23618504), Center for Endemic Disease Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province 150081, China. Electronic address:

Fluorine is a strong oxidizing element and excessive intake can have harmful effects, particularly on the body's calcified tissues. Recent studies have demonstrated a link between miRNA and fluorosis. This study aimed to evaluate the time-dose-effect relationship of miR-200c-3p in plasma, urine and cartilage of rats with drinking water fluorosis, and to explore its potential as a biomarker.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Benzotrithiophene-based covalent organic frameworks for sensitive fluorescence detection and efficient removal of Ag from drinking water.

Talanta

December 2024

Department of Food Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Food Macromolecules Science and Processing, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China. Electronic address:

The simultaneous detection and removal of Ag from drinking water was crucial for preventing human health, while it was also extremely challenging due to bifunctional materials that combine both Ag adsorption and detection functions rarely being explored. In this study, a benzotrithiophene-based covalent organic framework (TAPA-BTT) was synthesized and applied to detect and remove Ag. TAPA-BTT exhibited high crystallinity, a large specific surface area, and good thermal stability.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Electrochemical water treatment: Review of different approaches.

J Environ Manage

January 2025

Center for Energy and Environment, School of Advanced Sciences, KLE Technological University, Vidyanagar, Hubballi, 580031, Karnataka, India; University Center for Research & Development (UCRD), Chandigarh University, Gharuan, Mohali, 140413, Panjab, India. Electronic address:

The continued development in agriculture, the rapid growth of industrialization, and last but not least, the increase in the global population adversely affects the environment. The availability of drinking water decreases every year with the rise in water pollution, which is the consequence of the failure of conventional approaches to the water treatment process. This review will provide a comprehensive and detailed analysis of the electrochemical water treatment processes, as these techniques have several benefits over conventional methods, such as being cost-effective, easily applicable, selective, and broad applicability.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Lactiplantibacillus plantarum P101 Alleviates Liver Toxicity of Combined Microplastics and Di-(2-Ethylhexyl) Phthalate via Regulating Gut Microbiota.

Probiotics Antimicrob Proteins

January 2025

State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Nanchang University, 235 Nanjing East Road, Nanchang, 330047, China.

Microplastics (MPs) and Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) as emerging contaminants, have caused increasing concern due to their co-exposure risks and toxicities to humans. Lactic acid bacteria have been demonstrated to play a significant role in the mitigation of organismal damage. Probiotic intervention is widely recognized as a safe and healthy therapeutic strategy for targeting the mitigation of organic damage.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!