title: Nitrate and bacterial contamination in well waters in Vinh Phuc province, Vietnam.
abstract: Measurements were made of the nitrate concentration and bacterial contamination of groundwater samples taken from both dug wells and bores in the commune of Hop Thinh', in the administrative district of Vinh Phuc, Vietnam. A significant number (18%) of samples had nitrate concentrations in excess of the WHO Guideline value for drinking water of 50 mg L(-1), with a higher proportion in the dug wells (29%) than the bores (3.8%). High concentrations of thermotolerant coliforms were found in many of the dug wells and even in the deeper drilled bores. At the time of the study no Shigella or other infectious organisms were found. There was no correlation between nitrate concentration and bacterial content and it is concluded that nitrate concentration is not a good indicator for bacterial contamination.
authors.affiliation: Division of Enteric Infections, National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Yersin Street, Hanoi 10 000, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Phung Dac
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Cam
authors.forename: Nguyen Thi Phong
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Lan
authors.forename: Geoffrey D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Naresh
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Verma
mesh_terms: D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D009566:Nitrates / Q000032:analysis*; D014744:Vietnam / Q000453:epidemiology; D014873:Water Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D014876:Water Pollution / Q000032:analysis; D014881:Water Supply / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D009566:Nitrates; D014873:Water Pollutants