IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v18y2021i16p8537-d613276.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Soul of the Jukskei River: The Extent of Bacterial Contamination in the Jukskei River in Gauteng Province, South Africa

Author

Listed:
  • Kousar Banu Hoorzook

    (Process Energy Environment Technology Station (PEETS), Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 17011, Doornfontein, Johannesburg 2028, South Africa
    Water and Health Research Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 17011, Doornfontein, Johannesburg 2028, South Africa)

  • Anton Pieterse

    (Water and Health Research Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 17011, Doornfontein, Johannesburg 2028, South Africa)

  • Lee Heine

    (Water and Health Research Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 17011, Doornfontein, Johannesburg 2028, South Africa)

  • Tobias George Barnard

    (Water and Health Research Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 17011, Doornfontein, Johannesburg 2028, South Africa)

  • Nickey Janse van Rensburg

    (Process Energy Environment Technology Station (PEETS), Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 17011, Doornfontein, Johannesburg 2028, South Africa)

Abstract

River water quality is an important health issue as the water is utilised for drinking, domestic and agricultural use in developing countries. This study aimed to investigate the effect water from a major city has on the water quality of the Jukskei River that daylights in Johannesburg, South Africa. The river water samples were analysed for physio-chemical properties, microbiology, antibiotic resistance of bacterial isolates, genetic markers, and potentially toxic metals. Data analysis revealed increased electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, and turbidity since 2010. Total Coliform and Escherichia coli detected were above the South African water quality guidelines for domestic, recreational, and irrigation purposes. Additionally, sodium, zinc, nickel, lithium, and lead exceeded the guidelines in domestic, recreational, and irrigation water. Pathogenic strains of E. coli (aEPEC, EHEC, EIEC, and EAEC) were isolated from the water. Various other potentially pathogenic organisms that have been implicated as causes of gastro-intestinal, and a wide range of other diseases, were also detected and demonstrated multiple levels of resistance to antibiotics tested. The results show that the river water is a potential health threat to downstream users. These results will feed into the environmental management action plan for Water for the Future (NGO group).

Suggested Citation

  • Kousar Banu Hoorzook & Anton Pieterse & Lee Heine & Tobias George Barnard & Nickey Janse van Rensburg, 2021. "Soul of the Jukskei River: The Extent of Bacterial Contamination in the Jukskei River in Gauteng Province, South Africa," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-19, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:16:p:8537-:d:613276
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/16/8537/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/16/8537/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Olufemi Emmanuel Akanbi & Henry Akum Njom & Justine Fri & Anthony C. Otigbu & Anna M. Clarke, 2017. "Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Staphylococcus aureus Isolated from Recreational Waters and Beach Sand in Eastern Cape Province of South Africa," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-15, September.
    2. Anthony C. Otigbu & Anna M. Clarke & Justine Fri & Emmanuel O. Akanbi & Henry A. Njom, 2018. "Antibiotic Sensitivity Profiling and Virulence Potential of Campylobacter jejuni Isolates from Estuarine Water in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-15, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Yingying Wang & Jialing Lin & Ting Zhang & Suiping He & Ying Li & Wencui Zhang & Xiaohua Ye & Zhenjiang Yao, 2020. "Environmental Contamination Prevalence, Antimicrobial Resistance and Molecular Characteristics of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus and Staphylococcus Epidermidis Isolated from Secondary Sch," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(2), pages 1-9, January.
    2. Valery Silvery Sonola & Gerald Misinzo & Mecky Isaac Matee, 2021. "Occurrence of Multidrug-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus among Humans, Rodents, Chickens, and Household Soils in Karatu, Northern Tanzania," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-9, August.
    3. João Brandão & Elisabete Valério & Chelsea Weiskerger & Cristina Veríssimo & Konstantina Sarioglou & Monika Novak Babič & Helena M. Solo-Gabriele & Raquel Sabino & Maria Teresa Rebelo, 2023. "Strategies for Monitoring Microbial Life in Beach Sand for Protection of Public Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(9), pages 1-21, May.
    4. Martina O. Chukwu & Akebe Luther King Abia & Eunice Ubomba-Jaswa & Lawrence Obi & John Barr Dewar, 2019. "Characterization and Phylogenetic Analysis of Campylobacter Species Isolated from Paediatric Stool and Water Samples in the Northwest Province, South Africa," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(12), pages 1-22, June.
    5. Ashok J. Tamhankar & Cecilia Stålsby Lundborg, 2019. "Antimicrobials and Antimicrobial Resistance in the Environment and Its Remediation: A Global One Health Perspective," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(23), pages 1-7, November.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:16:p:8537-:d:613276. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.