title: Assessment of the Physicochemical Qualities and Prevalence of Escherichia coli and Vibrios in the Final Effluents of Two Wastewater Treatment Plants in South Africa: Ecological and Public Health Implications.
abstract: The final effluents of two wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa were evaluated for their physicochemical and microbiological qualities over a period of 12 months. The physicochemical parameters assessed ranged as follows both plants. The ranges of values for the physicochemical are: pH (3.9-8.6), total dissolved solids (86.50-336.3 mg/L), electrical conductivity (13.57-52.50 mS/m), temperature (13-28 °C), nitrate (0-21.73 mg/L), nitrite (0.01-0.60 mg/L), orthophosphate (1.29-20.57 mg/L), turbidity (4.02-43.20 NTU), free chlorine (0.05-7.18 mg/L), dissolve oxygen (3.91-9.60 mg/L), biochemical oxygen demand (0.1-9.0 mg/L) and chemical oxygen demand (4.67-211 mg/L). The microbiological assessment for both WWTPs revealed the presence of E. coli in counts ranging between 0 and 1.86 × 10⁴ CFU/100 mL and Vibrio counts ranging between 0 and 9.93 × 10³ CFU/100 mL. We conclude that these WWTPs are important point sources of pollution in surface water with potential public health and ecological risks.
authors.affiliation: SAMRC Microbial Water Quality Monitoring Centre, University of Fort Hare, Alice 5700, South Africa. 201205709@ufh.ac.za.|Applied and Environmental Microbiology Research Group, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Fort Hare, Alice 5700, South Africa. 201205709@ufh.ac.za.
authors.forename: Olayinka
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Osuolale
authors.affiliation: SAMRC Microbial Water Quality Monitoring Centre, University of Fort Hare, Alice 5700, South Africa. aokoh@ufh.ac.za.|Applied and Environmental Microbiology Research Group, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Fort Hare, Alice 5700, South Africa. aokoh@ufh.ac.za.
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Okoh
mesh_terms: D057919:Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis; D004463:Ecology; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009566:Nitrates / Q000032:analysis; D009573:Nitrites / Q000032:analysis; D011634:Public Health; D013019:South Africa; D013696:Temperature; D014733:Vibrio / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology*; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D009566:Nitrates; D009573:Nitrites; D062065:Wastewater; D014867:Water; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: E. coli; Vibrio; final effluent; physicochemical; public health; wastewater