Abstract
Bacterial contamination of drinking water is a major public health problem in rural China. To explore bacterial contamination in rural areas of Beijing and identify possible causes of bacteria in drinking water samples, water samples were collected from wells in ten rural districts of Beijing, China. Total bacterial count, total coliforms and Escherichia coli in drinking water were then determined and water source and wellhead protection were investigated. The bacterial contamination in drinking water was serious in areas north of Beijing, with the total bacterial count, total coliforms and Escherichia coli in some water samples reaching 88,000 CFU/mL, 1,600 MPN/100 mL and 1,600 MPN/100 mL, respectively. Water source types, well depth, whether the well was adequately sealed and housed, and whether wellhead is above or below ground were the main factors influencing bacterial contamination levels in drinking water. The bacterial contamination was serious in the water of shallow wells and wells that were not closed, had no well housing or had a wellhead below ground level. The contamination sources around wells, including village dry toilets and livestock farms, were well correlated with bacterial contamination. Total bacterial counts were affected by proximity to sewage ditches and polluting industries, however, proximity to landfills did not influence the microbial indicators.
Highlights
Bacterial contamination of drinking water is a major contributor to water-borne diseases such as diarrhea, nausea, gastroenteritis, typhoid dysentery and other health-related problems, especially in children and persons with weak immune systems [1,2]
The same trends were observed among the three microbial indicators and water source or its protection. These results demonstrate that water source, well depth and wellhead protection could affect bacterial contamination
The total bacterial count, total coliforms and Escherichia coli in water samples ranged from non-detectable to 88,000 CFU/mL, non-detectable to 1,600 most probable number (MPN)/100 mL and non-detectable to
Summary
Bacterial contamination of drinking water is a major contributor to water-borne diseases such as diarrhea, nausea, gastroenteritis, typhoid dysentery and other health-related problems, especially in children and persons with weak immune systems [1,2]. Total coliforms and Escherichia coli are common indicators of water contamination with disease causing pathogens used in. According to the WHO standard for public drinking water, total coliforms and fecal coliforms in 100 mL of water must both be below detectable levels [4]. The Chinese drinking water quality guideline for total coliforms and Escherichia coli is none detectable per 100 mL. The guideline for total bacteria count is less than 100 CFU·
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
