Srishti Srivastava, Akshay Kumar, Rajiv Gupta, Abdul Malik
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Ensuring universal access to safe drinking water remains a global challenge, especially in semi-arid regions facing water scarcity, pollution, inadequate infrastructure, and rapid urbanization. The present study aimed to assess drinking water quality by analysing antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli (E. coli) and their spatial distribution, identifying contamination hotspots using integrated physicochemical, microbial, and advanced geospatial assessments on 122 samples collected from surface and groundwater of semi-arid areas with key physicochemical parameters analysed using standard methods. Microbial contamination was assessed through heterotrophic plate counts and coliform tests, detecting E. coli (n = 83 isolates) that underwent antibiotic susceptibility testing via the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method against eleven antibiotics. Results showed that several key physicochemical (total dissolved solids, alkalinity, fluoride, and calcium) and microbial parameters exceeded WHO permissible limits. Correlation analysis revealed significant relationships among water quality indicators in both water sources. Advanced geospatial techniques, including Empirical Bayesian Kriging and Getis-Ord Gi cluster analysis, enabled spatial interpolation of studied parameters and identified significant antibiotic-resistant E. coli clusters in 15 wards. The antibiogram showed high resistance levels, with 91.6% of isolates resistant to oxacillin, 83.1% to amoxicillin, and 63.9% to ciprofloxacin, complemented by the Multiple Antibiotic Resistance Index reaching up to 0.83 indicating a high risk of contamination. Spatial-cluster analysis pinpointed high-risk areas exhibiting significant antibiotic-resistant E. coli clusters. This integrated approach underscores the urgent need for improved water treatment, antimicrobial resistance surveillance, and infrastructure upgrades to mitigate contamination risks in drinking water systems of rapidly urbanizing semi-arid regions worldwide.
期刊介绍：
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment emphasizes technical developments and data arising from environmental monitoring and assessment, the use of scientific principles in the design of monitoring systems at the local, regional and global scales, and the use of monitoring data in assessing the consequences of natural resource management actions and pollution risks to man and the environment.
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