Characterization and quantitation of parasite species in the effluents of the Berisso main sewage channel, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Outbreaks of disease can be caused by pathogenic intestinal parasites in drinking water. La Plata, the capital of the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, is located on the La Plata River; a principal tributary receiving the raw sewage from the city's 500,000 inhabitants via the Berisso main septic channel at an estimated volume of 108,390 m3/day (4516.3m3/h). To determine the parasite-contamination level of the La Plata River, we obtained 18 sewage effluents from the Berisso main septic channel at its point of discharge into the river and concentrated these samples by filtration. This approach detected the following parasites at the indicated average levels (cysts/m3): members of the flagellate genus Giardia, more than 9000; representatives of the amoebic species Entamoeba histolytica, slightly more than 800 and Entamoeba coli, 5000; other amoebic forms, up to 23,000. These data clearly illustrate the degree of contamination within the La Plata River caused by the Berisso septic channel. Pollution of the La Plata River to this extent thus presents a high health risk for people who drink the water from this river even after conventional processing as well as for those who use the water from this portion of the river for recreation.
De Luca
M M
MM
Cátedra de Microbiología y Parasitología Facultad de Ciencias Médicas Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina.
Pezzani
B C
BC
Córdoba
M A
MA
Basualdo
J A
JA
D000818:Animals; D001118:Argentina; D056890:Eukaryota / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005618:Fresh Water; D006376:Helminths / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D009348:Nematoda / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012722:Sewage / Q000469:parasitology*; D014504:Urban Health; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000592:standards; D014867:Water / Q000469:parasitology*; D014881:Water Supply / Q000592:standards*
D012722:Sewage; D014867:Water