Microbial quality of coastal areas of Bandar Abbas city: Is there any potential risks for swimmers?

Abstract

Aim: This study was conducted on the microbial contamination of water of Bandar Abbas beaches in order to achieve comprehensive information for determining the quality of swimming coasts. Materials and Methods: After initial examination of the number and location of swimming coasts in terms of appearance and areas with the highest number of swimmers, 5 coastal swimming areas were selected as sampling sites. Sampling was done for 6 months and 10 samples per month. Physicochemical (water temperature, pH, turbidity, electrical conductivity, and salinity) and microbial indicators including total and fecal coliforms, Escherichia coli, fecal streptococci, Clostridium perfringens as well as Salmonella as a pathogenic microorganism were measured in each sampling period. Results: Results of this study showed that the mean number of streptococci, total coliforms, fecal coliforms, and E. coli was 930, 24,000, 9300, and 9300 most probable number (MPN)/100 ml, respectively. It was also found that the mean concentration of C. perfringens in the sampling stations was 250 CFU/100 ml. The frequency of detection of Salmonella in stations 2 and 3 was 16.7 and in station 5 was 8.3 and was not observed in other stations. According to the results, in most sampling stations, the concentration of the microbial indicators was higher than the standard. A significant relationship between different species of bacteria was observed. The results also showed a significant relationship between the amount of turbidity and microbial (P < 0.05). Conclusion: According to the results of the present study, it was observed that most of the swimming coasts of Bandar Abbas were not in a favorable microbial condition, due to the discharge of industrial and municipal sewage and waste disposal. The results highlight the potential risk of microbial pathogens for swimmers and the necessity of sanitation practices of coastal area to protect public health. © 2020 International Journal of Environmental Health Engineering | Published by Wolters Kluwer - Medknow