Water Hygiene Research Articles

The Relationship between Sanitary Hygiene and Coliform Bacteria Contamination at Refill Drinking Water Depots

Objective: This study aims to determine the relationship between sanitation hygiene and Coliform bacteria contamination in refilled drinking water in Waled District in 2023. Methods: This study uses an analytic observational design with a cross-sectional approach where the researcher will simultaneously observe or measure the independent and dependent variables (period). The sampling technique is total sampling with a sample of 30 refilled drinking water depots with 30 workers—data collection through observation and interviews. Data analysis was used, namely data analysis using Fisher's exact test. Results: Based on laboratory tests, it was found that more than half of the refilled drinking water depots were contaminated with coliform bacteria as much as 60%. After analysis, it was found that factors related to Coliform bacteria contamination in filled drinking water were access to sanitation facilities (p = 0.001), and worker behavior (p = 0.001), while factors that were not related were drinking water treatment facilities (p = 0.063), raw water (p = 1.000) and consumer service hygiene (p = 0.418). Conclusion: Of the five sanitation hygiene factors, those that have a significant relationship with coliform bacteria contaminants are sanitation facilities and behavior, while drinking water treatment facilities, raw water, and consumer service hygiene are factors that are not significant in determining bacterial contamination.

Assessing sustainability of WASH projects in public and private schools of Jalalabad City, Nangarhar, Afghanistan

This study examined the sustainability of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) projects in six schools in Jalalabad City, Afghanistan, using interviews, surveys, and observations. The study applied a recently developed framework called the “sustainability assessment framework and indicators in water sanitation and hygiene system.” The study found that community engagement, availability of facilities, appropriate technology and infrastructure, behavior changes, financial sustainability, and monitoring and evaluation were critical factors in promoting the sustainability of WASH projects in schools. One school had a 70.12% total score of sustainability and had good and sustainable water supply facilities, while five schools had partially sustainable and acceptable conditions, which had 68.79%, 63.24%, 61.25%, 59.33%, and 57.81% total scores of sustainability. In assessing the sustainability of sanitation facilities, two schools had 62.03% and 57.16% sustainability scores and were in good and partially sustainable condition, three schools had 48.92%, 48.64%, and 48.42% sustainability scores and were in partially sustainable and acceptable conditions that needed improvement, and one school had 39.88% sustainability score and was in bad and unsustainable condition. The study recommends increasing investment in WASH facilities, implementing sustainable maintenance practices, increasing community engagement, developing targeted interventions, and regular monitoring and evaluation to ensure the long-term viability and sustainability of WASH facilities in schools.

Review of Traditional First Aid for Burn Injuries in the 21st Century.

This review aims to investigate data on traditional burn first aid materials used in different countries. A systematic search was performed through 8 databases for studies on traditional burn first aid published in the 21st century. Data regarding study demographics, burn first aid, first aid materials, water irrigation, and source of knowledge were summarized, and the use of each material was discussed. A total of 28 studies including 20,150 subjects were identified. An average of 29% of the study population applied water irrigation, whereas 46% used various traditional materials, and 30% did not administer first aid. People with higher education and socioeconomy class tend to choose correct first aid actions. The single best treatment as burn first aid is cool-water irrigation. Despite that, various other materials have been used, most of which are not suitable for first aid. Some materials possess healing abilities and can be used as wound dressing, whereas others are harmful. Inappropriate materials are mostly used in underdeveloped regions lacking water access and hygiene. Mass media and community knowledge have a large influence in burn first aid practices. Raising public health awareness on burn first aid is crucial along with providing the people access to water, basic hygiene, and health care.

Analysis of Hardness Level and pH of Drilled Well Water in Semin Village, Semin District, Gunungkidul Regency

Water quality must be maintained so that it remains beneficial to humans and other living things, as a means of improving public health. The requirements for clean water quality have been regulated in Permenkes No. 416 of 1990 concerning Requirements and Supervision of Water Quality. The purpose of this study was to analyze water quality with hardness and pH parameters for water hygiene and sanitation used by the people of Semin village, Semin district, Gunungkidul district. The test results showed that the highest hardness level was found in sample C3 which was 228.86 mg/L and the lowest hardness level was found in sample A2 which was 89.55 mg/L. The highest pH test results were found in sample D3, which was 8.1, while the lowest pH level was found in sample A2, which was 6.5. Based on the test results, water from drilled wells in Semin village, Semin sub-district, Gunungkidul regency, is still suitable for use for hygiene and sanitation purposes.

Associations of WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Program (JMP) Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Service Ladder service levels and sociodemographic factors with diarrhoeal disease among children under 5 years in Bishoftu town, Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

ObjectiveTo determine the associations of WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Program Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Service Ladder service levels and sociodemographic factors with diarrhoeal disease among children under 5 years in...

Environmental enteropathy and its association with water sanitation and hygiene in slum areas of Jimma Town Ethiopia.

Environmental Enteropathy is an inflammatory condition of the gut that leads to intestinal barrier dysfunction. It is a common problem in resource-limited countries and results from exposure to larger quantities of fecal bacteria to poor personal hygiene and environmental sanitation. Due to poor intestinal permeability, there is a problem with absorption of nutrients, which in turn leads to growth faltering, poor cognitive development, and oral-vaccine failure. The aim of this study was to identify the children with an elevated lactulose to mannitol ratio (indicative of possible environmental enteropathy) and its association with water sanitation and hygiene in slum areas of Jimma Town so as to mitigate the problem of malnutrition in under-five children. A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out from January to April 2021. A Lactulose mannitol test was performed to determine the prevalence of elevated lactulose to mannitol ratio (possibly environmental enteropathy) in children aged 12 to 59 months. A pretested questionnaire was used to collect data on water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) indicators and sociodemographic characteristics. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to isolate independent predictors for possible environmental enteropathy. All tests were two-sided and statistical significance was declared at P<0.05. The results of this study showed that 19.3% (95%CI: 14.8-23.7) of children had an increased lactulose to mannitol ratio (>0.15). On multivariable logistic regression analysis, the variables drinking water from unimproved water sources (AOR 3.741; 95%CI: 0.914-15.310,p = 0.048), unsafe coverage of water storage (AOR 0.363; 95%CI: 0.169-0.777, P = 0.009), public latrine utilization (AOR 0.139 95%CI: 0.024-0.816, P = 0.029),and hand washing less than 3 critical time of hand washing practices (AOR 4.369;95%CI: 1.411-13.524,P = 0.011) were significantly associated with an increased in lactulose mannitol ratio (possible indicative of intestinal permeability/environmental enteropathy). This study showed that one fifth of under-five children in Jimma Town had an elevated lactulose to mannitol ratio (possibly environmental enteropathy). The WASH sectors and other governmental organizations should give emphasis to areas with poor water sanitation and hygiene to mitigate the problem of environmental enteropathy and related consequences like growth faltering, poor cognitive development, and oral-vaccine failure in the study area.

Assessing the impact of the COVID‑19 pandemic health protocols on the hygiene status of swimming pools of hotel units.

With the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, numerous countries imposed strict lockdown measures and travel bans, resulting in the closure of hotels. Over time, the opening of hotel units was gradually allowed, and new strict regulations and protocols were issued to ensure the hygiene and safety of swimming pools in the era of COVID-19. The present study aimed to evaluate the implementation of strict health COVID-19-related protocols in hotel units during the 2020 summer tourist season concerning microbiological hygiene and physicochemical parameters of water, and to compare the data with those from the 2019 tourist season. For this reason, 591 water samples from 62 swimming pools were analyzed, of which 381 samples were for the 2019 tourist season and 210 samples were for the 2020 tourist season. To examine the presence of Legionella spp, 132 additional samples were taken from 14 pools, of which 49 in 2019 and 83 in 2020. In 2019, 2.89% (11/381) of the samples were out of legislative limits (0/250 mg/l) regarding the presence of Escherichia coli (E. coli), 9.45% (36/381) were out of acceptable limits (0/250 mg/l) regarding the presence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) and 8.92% (34/381) had residual chlorine levels <0.4 mg/l. In 2020, 1.43% (3/210) of the samples were out of the legislative limits as regards the presence of E. coli, 7.14% (15/210) were out of acceptable limits regarding the presence of P. aeruginosa and 3.33% (7/210) of the samples measured residual chlorine levels <0.4 mg/l. The risk ratio (RR) in relation to the presence of E. coli due to incorrect compliance with the requirements for residual chlorine was calculated for 2019 at 8.50, while in 2020 it was calculated at 14.50 (P=0.008). The RR of the presence of P. aeruginosa due to inappropriate residual chlorine requirements was calculated in 2019 at 2.04 (P=0.0814), while in 2020 it was calculated at 2.07 (P=0.44). According to the microbiological hygiene and physicochemical parameters of the water samples studied, there was a significant improvement due to the strict protocols for the swimming pools in the summer season of 2020 compared to the tourist season of 2019, namely 72.72% (E. coli), 58.33% (P. aeruginosa), 79.41% (of residual chlorine <0.4 mg/l) in the three main parameters studied. Finally, an increased colonization by Legionella spp. detected in the internal networks of the hotels due to the non-operation of the hotels during the lockdown, the improper disinfection and stagnant water in the internal water supply networks. Specifically, in 2019, 95.92% (47/49) of the samples tested negative and 4.08% (2/49) tested positive (≥50 CFU/l) for Legionella spp., compared to 2020 where 91.57% (76/83) of the samples tested negative and 8.43% (7/83) tested positive.

Building a business case for workplace menstrual hygiene management programs: a social cost–benefit analysis

Abstract Inadequate menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) pose a great challenge for working women, affecting their productivity, job satisfaction, attendance, and advancement, and also have implications for their employers. Yet there has been little research to quantify the impacts of poor MHH conditions or to consider the value add of workplace MHH programs. As part of USAID's Water Sanitation and Hygiene Partnerships for Learning and Sustainability project, we conducted a social cost–benefit analysis (CBA) of the Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) in the Workplace Action Research, a 10-month intervention in private sector enterprises in Nepal and Kenya. The intervention aimed to determine if providing adequate MHM in the workplace contributes to women's economic empowerment, including improved business and social outcomes. This CBA of a workplace MHM intervention – the first of its kind – found a positive return for investing in workplace MHM programs. The average benefit–cost ratio in the base-case across factories in a 10-month intervention was 1.4, which increased to 2.3 when projected over 24 months. These early results of a pilot CBA on MHM in the workplace should serve as a call for greater attention by governments and businesses to the needs of menstruating women.

Demographic dynamics of waterborne disease and perceived associated WASH factors in Bushenyi and Sheema districts of South-Western Uganda

Water remains a significant player in spreading pathogens, including those associated with neglected tropical diseases. The implications of socio-demographic delineations of water quality, sanitation, and hygiene (“WASH”) interventions are on the downswing. This study assessed waterborne diseases and perceived associated WASH factors in the Bushenyi and Sheema districts of South-Western Uganda. This study examines the linear relationship between WASH and identifies the association of specific demographic factors as well as their contributions/correlations to waterborne disease in the study area. A structured qualitative and quantitative data collection approach was adopted in face-to-face questionnaire-guided interviews of 200 respondents on eight surface water usage. Most participants, 65.5%, were females and had a higher score of knowledge of WASH (71%), 68% score on the improper practice of WASH, and 64% score on unsafe water quality. Low score for basic economic status was (57%), report of common diarrhoea was (47%), and a low incidence of waterborne disease outbreaks (27%). The principal component analysis (PCA) depicts the knowledge and practice of WASH to have a strong positive correlation (r = 0.84, p < 0.001; r = 0.82, p < 0.001); also economic status positively correlated with grade of water source, knowledge, and practice of WASH (correlation coefficient = 0.72; 0.99; 0.76 and p-values = 0.001; < 0.001; < 0.001 respectively). Occupation (p = 0.0001, OR = 6.798) was significantly associated with knowledge and practice of WASH, while age (r = −0.21, p < 0.001) was negatively associated with knowledge and practice of WASH. The basic economic status explains why “low economic population groups” in the remote villages may not effectively implement WASH, and diarrhoea was common among the population. Diarrhoea associated with unsafe water quality and improper practice of WASH is common among the study population, and there is a low incidence of waterborne disease outbreaks. Therefore, government, stakeholders, and non-governmental organisations should work together to promote proper practice of WASH conditions to limit the occurrence of diarrhoea and prevent potential waterborne disease outbreaks.

Applicability of Zeolite from the Daubabinsk and Chankanai Deposits as a Sorbent for Natural Waters

This article examined the characteristics of zeolites from the Chankanai and Daubabinsk deposits. In the field of water treatment, the purpose of investigating natural zeolite from the Chankanai and Daubabinsk deposits as a sorbent presents new opportunities and prospects, as this raw material is little studied. The effectiveness of the sorbents was assessed based on the results of the water specifications according to the following criteria: methods for determining the total hardness of water; methods for measuring the mass concentration of total iron in water; methods for the determination of chloride in water; methods for the determination of nitrogen-containing substances in water; methods for determining the dry residue content of water; methods for determining the sulphate content of water; on hygiene requirements and water quality control. Zeolite modifications were aimed at improving their adsorption properties, increasing the efficiency of pollutant removal and developing optimal methods of using zeolites in water filtration. Modified zeolite from the Chankanai and Daubabinsk deposits showed high efficiency as a filter. When it was used to treat natural water, which normally contains high hardness and alkalinity, the best results were achieved with zeolite from the Chankanai deposit. In terms of Fe+ and Cl content, the best results were achieved using zeolite from the Daubabinsk deposit.

Water, Sanitation and Hygienic (WASH) risk factors that promote cholera outbreaks in Nairobi County

BACKGROUND &#x0D; Cholera is still a significant worldwide threat to global public health as it leads to about 100,000 deaths every year. It is a diarrheal water and foodborne disease with its person-to-person transmission resulting from limited sanitation access, poor hygiene, and inadequate water supply, which often leads to outbreaks. This study sought to examine Water, Sanitation and Hygienic (WASH) risk factors that promote cholera outbreaks in Nairobi County &#x0D; METHODOLOGY &#x0D; A cross-sectional descriptive research design was used in this study. The target population included 2,154,726 residents of Nairobi County aged 18 years and above. Slovin's Formula was used in the study to estimate the sample size. The study adopted stratified random sampling in the selection of 399 respondents from the target population. Primary datasets were collected using questionnaires and key informant interviews. The data from the questionnaires were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Descriptive statistics such as percentages and frequencies were used to study the trends and WASH factors related to cholera outbreaks. Inferential statistics included Chi-square (X2), which was used to analyze the relationship between variables. &#x0D; RESULTS &#x0D; The study established that the top five WASH challenges associated with the spread of Cholera disease included lack of enough water supply (76%); poor personal hygiene (54%); poor wastewater management (54%); poor community hygiene and sanitation (55%); and poorly maintained sewage facilities in the residential areas (44%). Communal water challenges included irregular supply of water (77%) and limited access to safe drinking water in most of the households (58%), lack of tap water in households (44%), unhygienic water vending facilities (57%) and supply of poorly treated water (38%). &#x0D; CONCLUSION &#x0D; The main risk factors related to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene practices (WASH) in areas reporting cholera outbreaks in Nairobi County were lack of adequate water supply, poor personal hygiene, poor wastewater management, poorly maintained sewage facilities, and poor culture of community hygiene and sanitation. Inadequate water supply, unregulated water vendors and water kiosks made water contamination likely.

Knowledge and practices of the adult population on diarrheal diseases, transmission, and prevention in Sierra Leone: A community-based cluster survey

INTRODUCTION &#x0D; There is limited information on the knowledge and prevention practices of diarrheal disease transmission among adults in Sierra Leone. We assessed the level of knowledge and practices of adults on diarrheal disease transmission and prevention in Sierra Leone. &#x0D; METHODOLOGY &#x0D; A community-based cross-sectional cluster survey was conducted in four districts of Sierra Leone. A pre-tested, structured questionnaire was used to collect demographic, knowledge and practices on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), diarrheal diseases transmission and prevention. On Knowledge questions, a score above 50% was categorized as adequate and below 50% was categorized as poor. We calculated frequencies, proportions and chi-square to compare knowledge and practice differences between urban and rural settings. &#x0D; RESULTS &#x0D; Of the total 926 study subjects, 676 (73%) were female, with a median age of 29 years (range:18 - 96 years). Almost, 75% (671/926) of study participants had adequate knowledge of the critical moments of hand washing, higher in urban (79%) compared to rural areas (66%), (p&lt;0.001). Forty-one per cent (377/926) of the study participants had limited knowledge of diarrheal diseases transmission with 48% in urban and 33% in rural areas (p&lt;0.001), 87% (801/926) had limited knowledge of the measures of diarrheal diseases prevention, higher in rural, 416 (92%) compared to urban, 385 (81%), (p&lt;0.001). &#x0D; CONCLUSION &#x0D; Study participants had adequate knowledge on the importance of handwashing, and the critical times to wash hands. Study participants had limited knowledge about the transmission and prevention of diarrheal disease. The majority of the study subjects practice hand hygiene and safe water treatment method in urban as compared to rural settings. We recommend developing a WASH-related sensitization program to improve community awareness of diarrheal disease transmission and prevention.

Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WaSH) insecurity in unhoused communities of Los Angeles, California

BackgroundAccess to water and sanitation is a basic human right; however, in many parts of the world, communities experience water, sanitation, and hygiene (WaSH) insecurity. While WaSH insecurity is prevalent in many low and middle-income countries, it is also a problem in high-income countries, like the United States, as is evident in vulnerable populations, including people experiencing homelessness. Limited knowledge exists about the coping strategies unhoused people use to access WaSH services. This study, therefore, examines WaSH access among unhoused communities in Los Angeles, California, a city with the second-highest count of unhoused people across the nation.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study using a snowball sampling technique with 263 unhoused people living in Skid Row, Los Angeles. We calculated frequencies and used multivariable models to describe (1) how unhoused communities cope and gain access to WaSH services in different places, and (2) what individual-level factors contribute to unhoused people’s ability to access WaSH services.ResultsOur findings reveal that access to WaSH services for unhoused communities in Los Angeles is most difficult at night. Reduced access to overnight sanitation resulted in 19% of the sample population using buckets inside their tents and 28% openly defecating in public spaces. Bottled water and public taps are the primary drinking water source, but 6% of the sample reported obtaining water from fire hydrants, and 50% of the population stores water for night use. Unhoused people also had limited access to water and soap for hand hygiene throughout the day, with 17% of the sample relying on hand sanitizer to clean their hands. Shower and laundry access were among the most limited services available, and reduced people’s ability to maintain body hygiene practices and limited employment opportunities. Our regression models suggest that WaSH access is not homogenous among the unhoused. Community differences exist; the odds of having difficulty accessing sanitation services is two times greater for those living outside of Skid Row (Adj OR: 2.52; 95% CI: 1.08–6.37) and three times greater for people who have been unhoused for more than six years compared to people who have been unhoused for less than a year (Adj OR: 3.26; 95% CI: 1.36–8.07).ConclusionOverall, this study suggests a need for more permanent, 24-h access to WaSH services for unhoused communities living in Skid Row, including toilets, drinking water, water and soap for hand hygiene, showers, and laundry services.

Burden of disease attributable to unsafe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene in domestic settings: a global analysis for selected adverse health outcomes

Assessments of disease burden are important to inform national, regional, and global strategies and to guide investment. We aimed to estimate the drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH)-attributable burden of disease for diarrhoea, acute respiratory infections, undernutrition, and soil-transmitted helminthiasis, using the WASH service levels used to monitor the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as counterfactual minimum risk-exposure levels. We assessed the WASH-attributable disease burden of the four health outcomes overall and disaggregated by region, age, and sex for the year 2019. We calculated WASH-attributable fractions of diarrhoea and acute respiratory infections by country using modelled WASH exposures and exposure-response relationships from two updated meta-analyses. We used the WHO and UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene public database to estimate population exposure to different WASH service levels. WASH-attributable undernutrition was estimated by combining the population attributable fractions (PAF) of diarrhoea caused by unsafe WASH and the PAF of undernutrition caused by diarrhoea. Soil-transmitted helminthiasis was fully attributed to unsafe WASH. We estimate that 1·4 (95% CI 1·3-1·5) million deaths and 74 (68-80) million disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) could have been prevented by safe WASH in 2019 across the four designated outcomes, representing 2·5% of global deaths and 2·9% of global DALYs from all causes. The proportion of diarrhoea that is attributable to unsafe WASH is 0·69 (0·65-0·72), 0·14 (0·13-0·17) for acute respiratory infections, and 0·10 (0·09-0·10) for undernutrition, and we assume that the entire disease burden from soil-transmitted helminthiasis was attributable to unsafe WASH. WASH-attributable burden of disease estimates based on the levels of service established under the SDG framework show that progress towards the internationally agreed goal of safely managed WASH services for all would yield major public-health returns. WHO and Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.

Water, sanitation, and hygiene practices among rural households and related health impacts: a case study from some North Indian villages

Abstract The present study was carried out to assess the water availability, hygiene practices, and sanitary conditions in the households of open defecation-free (ODF) villages after achieving ODF status. Monitoring was conducted from 360 households of 9 ODF villages from 3 blocks of the Kurukshetra district of north India, using a questionnaire. The results interpreted that 78.33% of the surveyed population were using water supplied from government borewells and 65.55% of respondents agreed that their water is safe for drinking as they did not have any water-related diseases. Many respondents (57.2%) replied that someone in their family had suffered from waterborne disease in the preceding year. About 42.8% of households were treating their drinking water at the house level through methods like boiling, chlorination, and reverse osmosis systems. 90.8% of respondents said that they have access to a functional latrine facility. However, 5% population responded that they still prefer fields for open defecation (OD). Logistic regression results showed that the presence of garbage or litter and stagnant water near the household were associated with an increased risk of disease occurrence among the households. The findings suggested that people should maintain good sanitation and hygiene in their household surroundings to avoid health problems.

Concern for Public Health Education with Hygiene and Clean Water Using Posters and Leaflets

Hives Disease is the most common complaint experienced by the community. The cause of hives is due to a lack of clean and healthy living habits. Besides that, the main factor for the many hives is because the quality of the water in the village is very bad, the lack of clean water supply is also the reason because almost all residents there bathe with well water where the water is colored, tastes and smells. This study aims to analyze the increase in public knowledge before and after receiving education. Methods: This research is a quantitative research with observation and interview methods. The sample is 33 people who fit the inclusion criteria. Data analysis using the Wiloxon Ranks test. The degree of error used is = 0.05. Results: It is known that the p-value = 0.205 &lt;0.05, which means that there is no significant difference between the pre-test and post-test group scores. Conclusion: Based on these results it can be concluded that there is an increase in knowledge that is not significant in the community

Analysis of Iron (Fe) Content and PH Content of Protected Well Water in Leubok Village, Aceh Barat District

The provision of clean water is still a major problem in Indonesia and one of the reasons is that the available raw water is still limited. Even though it is recognized that water sources are closely related to the nutritional status of children, including stunting. The research objective was to analyze the water quality in protected deep wells in Leubok Village, Aceh Barat District. The method used is descriptive with an observational approach and laboratory examination. Two water sources, namely water from a drilled well with a depth of 12 meters and water from a drilled well with a depth of 6 meters are the research samples. The results of the physical test showed that the water was colorless, odorless and tasteless in both water sources. In the water of the drilled well at a depth of 12 meters, it was found that the content of Fe was 0.16 Mg/L and the pH was 7.9 Mg/L, while the water in the well, which was 6 meters deep, was found to contain Fe 0.06 Mg/L and the pH of the water was 7.5 Mg/L. The conclusion that can be drawn is that the sources of clean water from both water sources in Leubok Village meet the standard of maximum concentration for clean water for hygiene and sanitation purposes, as well as the requirements for drinking water, especially the physical and chemical criteria (particularly pH and Fe). To be truly suitable for consumption, further studies are needed on microbiological parameters, inorganic chemical parameters, and other chemical parameters.

Design and Implementation of River Water Cleaning Machine

Water is a basic need for all living beings, it is important to maintain the cleanliness and hygiene of water. Water gets polluted due to many reasons such as waste from industry, garbage waste, sewage waste, etc. Most of the time, the water bodies are cleaned manually with human labor which requires a lot of time and cost. Hence there is a need to incorporate technology such that cleaning work is done efficiently and effectively and human intervention is minimum. The proposed system is a remotely controlled robot that collects surface water trash and the collected waste can be easily disposed. The system effectively cleans wastes found in rivers and lakes such as plastic wastes, garlands, bottles, and other wastes found floating on water.

First insight into microplastic groundwater pollution in Latin America: the case of a coastal aquifer in Northwest Mexico

Microplastics have been studied on biota and other environmental domains, such as soils. Despite the importance of groundwater as a resource for millions of people worldwide as drinking water and personal hygiene, domestic, agricultural, mining, and industrial purposes, there are very few studies concerning microplastics in this domain around the world. We present the first study in Latin America addressing this topic. Six capped boreholes were analyzed in terms of abundance, concentration, and chemical characterization, at three different depths, from a coastal aquifer in Northwest Mexico. This aquifer is highly permeable and affected by anthropogenic activities. A total of 330 microplastics were found in the eighteen samples. In terms of concentration, the interval ranged from 10 to 34 particles/L, with an average of 18.3 particles/L. Four synthetic polymers were identified: isotactic polypropylene (iPP), hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC), carboxylated polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and low-density polyethylene (LDPE); with iPP being the most abundant (55.8%) in each borehole. Agriculture activities and septic outflows are considered the potential regional sources of these contaminants into the aquifer. Three possible transport pathways to the aquifer are suggested: (1) marine intrusion, (2) marsh intrusion, and (3) infiltration through the soil. More research about the occurrence, concentration, and distribution of the different kinds of microplastics in groundwater is needed to have a better understanding of the behavior and health risks to organisms, including human beings.

The Role of "Swachh Bharat Abhiyan" in the Development of Sanitation Environment (with Special Reference to Gram Panchayats of Tumkur District)

Some great scholars analysed that “For every human being potable drinking water, sanitation and healthy hygiene practices are important to sustain healthy life. Sanitation and Hygiene have direct link to the heath of humans, and if the proper health is maintained then the economic condition of the country will absolutely improve gradually”. One of the recent scheme has implemented i.e Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. Swachh Bharat Mission i.e. Clean India Mission, a national level campaign, Launched on October 2014 by the Government of India is a major step towards the protection of degrading environment. Swachh Bharat Abhiyan came into existence to ensure that each and every citizen of India should get the access to these basic necessities. Our study therefore highlights the key issues which may act as a hindrance to the progress of this Abhiyan in rural parts of India. The objectives of the study include maintenance of sanitation, usage of toilets, Hygiene practices. The methods of the study is based on both primary and secondary data. The sample size for the study is 50 respondent from Yalanadu and Heggere Gram panchayat, Chikkanayakanahalli and Tumkur Taluk, both Talukas of Tumkur district of Karnataka state. A questionnaire is designed to determine the present sanitation and hygiene status of the Gram panchayat. Compared to the previous schemes, Present scheme has improved 20%, but yet to reach the target. Present study analyzed that the scheme is yet to reach their goal due to technical incomplete construction, improper utilization of individual household toilets, Anganavadi and school toilets, improper maintenance of liquid and solid waste management.