Investigation into the microbial contamination in a spring water distribution system, Western Cape, South Africa
30 Sep 2011-African Journal of Microbiology Research (Academic journals)-Vol. 5, Iss: 20, pp 3200-3214
TL;DR: This paper aims to demonstrate the efforts towards in-situ applicability of EMMARM, which aims to provide real-time information about concrete mechanical properties such as E-modulus and compressive strength.
Abstract: National Research Foundation (NRF) and Cape
Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) for financial
support.
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TL;DR: An analysis of 39 whole-genome sequences comprising three Comamonas species from aquatic environments in South Australia that were recovered on media supplemented with carbapenems makes several key observations, including the identification of a subset of C. denitrificans isolates that harbored genomic islands encodingcarbapenemase blaGES-5 or extended-spectrum β-lactamases blaOXA alleles.
Abstract: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a global public health threat, and the increase in resistance to “last-resort drugs,” such as carbapenems, is alarming. Wastewater has been flagged as a hot spot for AMR evolution. Comamonas spp. are among the most common bacteria in wastewater and play a role in its bioaugmentation. ABSTRACT Comamonas spp. are Gram-negative bacteria that catabolize a wide range of organic and inorganic substrates. Comamonas spp. are abundant in aquatic and soil environments, including wastewater, and can cause opportunistic infections in humans. Because of their potential in wastewater bioaugmentation and bioremediation strategies, the identification of Comamonas species harboring genes encoding carbapenemases and other clinically important antibiotic resistance genes warrant further investigation. Here, we present an analysis of 39 whole-genome sequences comprising three Comamonas species from aquatic environments in South Australia that were recovered on media supplemented with carbapenems. The analysis includes a detailed description of 33 Comamonas denitrificans isolates, some of which carried chromosomally acquired blaGES-5, blaOXA, and aminoglycoside resistance (aadA) genes located on putative genomic islands (GIs). All blaGES-5- and blaOXA-containing GIs appear to be unique to this Australian collection of C. denitrificans. Notably, most open reading frames (ORFs) within the GIs, including all antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes, had adjacent attC sites, indicating that these ORFs are mobile gene cassettes. One C. denitrificans isolate carried an IncP-1 plasmid with genes involved in xenobiotic degradation and response to oxidative stress. Our assessment of the sequences highlights the very distant nature of C. denitrificans to the other Comamonas species and its apparent disposition to acquire antimicrobial resistance genes on putative genomic islands. IMPORTANCE Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a global public health threat, and the increase in resistance to “last-resort drugs,” such as carbapenems, is alarming. Wastewater has been flagged as a hot spot for AMR evolution. Comamonas spp. are among the most common bacteria in wastewater and play a role in its bioaugmentation. While the ability of Comamonas species to catabolize a wide range of organic and inorganic substrates is well documented, some species are also opportunistic pathogens. However, data regarding AMR in Comamonas spp. are limited. Here, through the genomic analyses of 39 carbapenem-resistant Comamonas isolates, we make several key observations, including the identification of a subset of C. denitrificans isolates that harbored genomic islands encoding carbapenemase blaGES-5 or extended-spectrum β-lactamase blaOXA alleles. Given the importance of Comamonas species in potential wastewater bioaugmentation and bioremediation strategies, as well as their status as emerging pathogens, the acquisition of critically important antibiotic resistance genes on genomic islands warrants future monitoring.
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Dissertation•
01 Jan 2013
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25 Nov 2004
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a survey of the state of the art in the field of water quality management, focusing on the bottling process and its application in the water industry.
Abstract: Preface. Contributors. 1 Introduction (Nicholas Dege). 1.1 Background. 1.2 The third edition. 2 Market Development of Bottled Waters (Duncan Finlayson). 2.1 Introduction. 2.2 The historical background. 2.3 Market segmentation. 2.4 Global giants and local leaders. 2.5 Global review. 2.6 USA. 2.7 West Europe into the new millennium. 2.8 China. 2.9 Bottled water and the environment. 2.10 Flavoured and functional waters. 2.11 Trends for the future. 3 Categories of Bottled Water (Nicholas Dege). 3.1 Introduction. 3.2 Europe. 3.3 North America. 3.4 Codex Alimentarius. 3.5 Russia. 3.6 Latin America. 3.7 Australia and New Zealand. 3.8 Asia. 3.9 South Africa. 3.10 Conclusions. 4 Hydrogeology of Bottled Waters (Mike Streetly, Rod Mitchell, Melanie Walters and Peter Ravenscroft). 4.1 Introduction. 4.2 Understanding underground water Hydrogeology. 4.3 Groundwater quality. 4.4 Groundwater source development. 4.5 Management of groundwater sources. 4.6 Protecting groundwater quality. 5 Water Treatments (Jean-Louis Croville, Jean Cantet and Sebastien Saby). 5.1 Why and when water must be treated. 5.2 Water treatment objectives. 5.3 Water treatment processes. 5.4 Conclusions. 6 Bottling Water Maintaining Safety and Integrity through the Process (Dorothy Senior and Nicholas Dege). 6.1 The nature of water. 6.2 Influencing factors. 6.3 Labelling. 6.4 Shelf- life, batch coding and traceability. 6.5 Hygiene and good manufacturing practices. 7 Bottle Manufacture and Filling Equipment (Manfred Faltermeier). 7.1 Introduction. 7.2 PET bottles one of the most important packages for water. 7.3 Filling technology. 7.4 Carbonation and flavour addition prior to filling. 8 Cleaning and Disinfection in the Bottled Water Industry (Winnie Louie and David Reuschlein). 8.1 Introduction. 8.2 Cleaners (detergents). 8.3 Sanitizers. 8.4 Types of cleaning and basics. 8.5 Cleaning in place (CIP). 8.6 General guidelines for conducting a cleaning and sanitation validation. 8.7 The do's and don'ts of cleaning and disinfection. 9 Quality Management (Dorothy Senior and Nicholas Dege) 9.1 Introduction. 9.2 Defining quality. 9.3 Quality policy. 9.4 Food safety standards and hazard analysis critical control point. 9.5 Process control. 9.6 Quality assurance. 9.7 Independent or government laboratories. 9.8 Recognition of source. 9.9 Industry networking. 10 Bottled Watercoolers (Michael Barnett). 10.1 Introduction. 10.2 World markets. 10.3 Equipment development. 10.4 Water categories for watercoolers. 10.5 The bottling process. 10.6 Handling, transportation and service. 10.7 Hygiene. 10.8 Trade associations. 11 Third-Party Auditing of Bottled Water Operations (Bob Tanner). 11.1 Introduction. 11.2 Conduct of audits. 11.3 Setting the criteria for the audit. 11.4 The bottling plant audit. 11.5 Conclusion of audit and follow-up actions. 12 Microbiology of Natural Mineral Waters (Henri Leclerc and Milton S. da Costa). 12.1 Introduction. 12.2 Groundwater habitat. 12.3 Bottle habitat. 12.4 Microbial community. 12.5 Inhibitory effect of autochthonous bacteria. 12.6 Assessing health risk from autochthonous microflora. 12.7 Assessment and management of microbial health risks. 12.8 Conclusion. 13 Microbiology of Treated Bottled Water (Stephen C. Edberg and Manuel A. Chaidez). 13.1 Introduction. 13.2 Source water protection and monitoring. 13.3 Water treatment. 13.4 Naturally occurring bacteria. 13.5 Product safety. 13.6 Summary. 14 Formulation and Production of Flavoured and Functional Waters (Fred Jones). 14.1 Introduction. 14.2 Composition. 14.3 Formulation. 14.4 Production. 14.5 On sale. 14.6 New and developing technologies. 14.7 Conclusions. 15 Environment (Tod D. Christenson and John V. Stier). 15.1 Introduction. 15.2 Environmental standards. 15.3 Expectations for corporate environmental stewardship. 15.4 Bottled water value chain. 15.5 Life-cycle assessment methodologies. 15.6 Primary environmental issues. 15.7 Water resources. 15.7.1 Water use and conservation practices. 15.7.2 Water-related business risks. 15.7.3 Water footprinting. 15.8 Climate change and energy. 15.9 Solid waste management. 15.10 Beverage industry environmental roundtable. 15.11 Closing. Index A color plate section.
36 citations
"Investigation into the microbial co..." refers background in this paper
...For a UV light to function optimally the quartz must be cleaned regularly to ensure full transmissivity and efficacy (Senior and Dege, 2005)....
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...Senior and Dege (2005) confirmed that the efficiency of UV irradiation as with any other disinfection process is dependant on the quality of the incoming source water....
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TL;DR: The study was aimed at assessing techniques, which would provide an accurate indication of the planktonic bacterial pollution load in the Berg River, Western Cape, South Africa Sampling of sites started in June 2004 and continued for a period of 1 year until June 2005.
Abstract: The study was aimed at assessing techniques, which would provide an accurate indication of the planktonic bacterial pollution load in the Berg River, Western Cape, South Africa Sampling of sites started in June 2004 and continued for a period of 1 year until June 2005 The most probable number (MPN) technique was used to determine the level of faecal coliforms and E coli, while the heterotrophic plate count method was used to determine the amount of culturable micro-organisms in planktonic samples The flow cytometry (FCM) and direct acridine orange count (DAOC) (epifluorescence microscopy) techniques were employed to evaluate total bacterial counts in planktonic (water) samples The highest MPN and heterotrophic plate counts were recorded in Week 37 at site B2 at 17 x 107 micro-organisms/100 m and 104 x 106micro- organisms/m, respectively In comparison, the viable FCM counts, were significantly higher (p < 005) for that period at 17 x 107 micro-organisms/m The highest total FCM count of 37 x 107 micro-organisms/m was recorded in Week 41 at Site B2 In comparison the highest DAOC of 83 x 106 micro-organisms/m was obtained in Week 29 at Site B2 Results showed that on average the heterotrophic plate count represented a fraction (< 365%) of the total FCM counts The total DAOC count also represented a fraction (< 4308%) of the total FCM count for most of the sampling period Results therefore showed that the FCM proved to be more effective in evaluating microbial pollution in water samples
31 citations
TL;DR: The microbial quality of eight of the ten selected bottled water samples analysed was within the acceptable limits set by the SABS guidelines and therefore, was safe for human consumption.
Abstract: Due to the increased demand and consumption of bottled water in South Africa, there has been a growing concern about the microbiological quality of this product. Retail outlets sell local as well as imported bottled water to consumers. The microbiological quality of 10 different (8 local and 2 imported) bottled water products were tested over a period of three months on days 1, 30 and 90. Tests for the detection of heterotrophic plate count (HPC) bacteria, total and faecal coliform bacteria, spore-forming Clostridium perfringens, somatic and F-RNA coliphages were performed on the samples. In addition samples were analysed for three selected enteric viruses, caliciviruses, enteroviruses and rotaviruses using the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The results indicated that 8/10 of the bottled water samples analysed, met the requirements set by the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) for HPCs in bottled water of less than 100 counts per ml. However, in two bottled water samples the average HPC bacteria counts were 2.64 x 102 cfu·ml-1 and 8.89 x 103 cfu·ml-1 respectively which exceeded the recommended SABS guideline. HPC counts showed a slight variation during the three-month period in the bottled water samples. Total and faecal coliform bacteria, enterococci, C. perfringens, bacteriophages or enteric viruses were not detected in any of the ten bottled water samples analysed. It can be concluded that the microbial quality of eight of the ten selected bottled water samples analysed was within the acceptable limits set by the SABS guidelines and therefore, was safe for human consumption.
30 citations
"Investigation into the microbial co..." refers background in this paper
...In a random survey of bottled water conducted in South Africa by Ehlers et al. (2004), heterotrophic plate counts ranging from 1.1 x 102 to 5.4 x 102 cfu/ml were recorded....
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16 Nov 2007
28 citations