{"title":"Effect of exposure to disinfection by-products during swimming exercise on asthma-related immune responses","authors":"Bo-Ae Lee","doi":"10.2166/wh.2024.390","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2166/wh.2024.390","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Swimming is a widely practiced exercise in modern society, where there is a heightened interest in health. The exceptional benefits of swimming are well-known, yet the issue of water quality management inevitably arises due to its nature as an aquatic exercise. Several studies reported that chlorine disinfectants commonly used in swimming pool water disinfection could degrade into toxic disinfection by-products (DBPs) and suggested that the DBPs might induce respiratory disorders, including asthma. Conversely, there were also reports that the DBPs had no significant effects on respiratory conditions. In this study, we investigated the influence of swimming exercise and DBPs on asthma. The decomposition products had little effect on the number of T cells in various immune organs. However, swimming exercise was found to increase the cell count in proportion to the exercise duration. Nevertheless, there were no significant changes in other immune cells and the secretion of asthma-related cytokines. These findings indicate that the effects of swimming pool DBPs on respiratory conditions during swimming exercise are either negligible or absent, and instead, the immunological benefits gained through consistent swimming exercise outweigh any potential drawbacks.","PeriodicalId":502550,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Water and Health","volume":"119 4‐5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140429153","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Arianna Nativio, Oriana Jovanovic, Z. Kapelan, J. P. van der Hoek
{"title":"Human health risk assessment framework for new water resource recovery-based bio-composite materials","authors":"Arianna Nativio, Oriana Jovanovic, Z. Kapelan, J. P. van der Hoek","doi":"10.2166/wh.2024.168","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2166/wh.2024.168","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 \u0000 A new type of bio-composite material is being produced from water-recovered resources such as cellulose fibres from wastewater, calcite from the drinking water softening process, and grass and reed from waterboard sites. These raw materials may be contaminated with pathogens and chemicals such as Escherichia coli, heavy metals, and resin compounds. A novel risk assessment framework is proposed here, addressing human health risks during the production of new bio-composite materials. The developed framework consists of a combination of existing risk assessment methods and is based on three main steps: hazard identification, qualitative risk mapping, and quantitative risk assessment. The HAZOP and Event Tree Analysis methodologies were used for hazard identification and risk mapping stages. Then, human health risks were quantitatively assessed using quantitative chemical risk assessment, evaluating cancer and no-cancer risk, and quantitative microbial risk assessment. The deterministic and the stochastic approaches were performed for this purpose. The contamination of raw materials may pose human health concerns, resulting in cancer risk above the threshold. Microbial risk is also above the safety threshold. Additional analysis would be significant as future research to better assess the microbial risk in biocomposite production. The framework has been effectively used for chemical and microbial risk assessment.","PeriodicalId":502550,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Water and Health","volume":"33 20","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140441491","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Poliomyelitis and COVID-19: a repeated history","authors":"Baicus Anda","doi":"10.2166/wh.2024.327","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2166/wh.2024.327","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 The measurement of the enterovirus and the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in sewage water is relevant in the early detection of the introduction or disappearance of these viruses in the ecosystem. We evaluated the co-circulation of the enteroviruses and SARS-CoV-2 in 81 sewage water samples collected between September 2021 and April 2023 from different regions of north and southeast Romania, at the border with Ukraine. We used, for the molecular detection of the pathogens, the multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay produced for respiratory samples and the Respiratory 2.1 Plus panel Biofire Film array. The isolation of enteroviruses was performed on cell culture lines, in accordance with the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations. By molecular investigations, we detected the SARS-CoV-2 in 22 (27%) samples, and the human rhinovirus/enterovirus in 64 (79%) samples. By isolation on cell culture lines, 27 samples (33,33%) were positive for non-polio enteroviruses, and no poliovirus strains were isolated, proving the maintenance of the polio-free status in Romania. In an emergency situation, the molecular detection of the pathogens in sewage water using a PCR system integrating sample preparation, amplification, detection, and analysis in 1 h could be implemented.","PeriodicalId":502550,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Water and Health","volume":"17 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140439075","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pau Fonseca i Casas, Joan Garcia i Subirana, Lluís Corominas, L. Bosch
{"title":"Applying a Digital Twin and wastewater analysis for robust validation of COVID-19 pandemic forecasts: insights from Catalonia","authors":"Pau Fonseca i Casas, Joan Garcia i Subirana, Lluís Corominas, L. Bosch","doi":"10.2166/wh.2024.345","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2166/wh.2024.345","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Monitoring the spread of SARS-CoV-2 presents significant challenges due to the asymptomatic nature of the infections, the presence of numerous variants, and changes in population behavior resulting from the implementation of non-pharmaceutical interventions aimed at reducing transmission. To accurately estimate the true rate of infection, we have developed a Digital Twin model that simulates the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 infections in Catalonia. Continuous validation plays a crucial role in ensuring the accuracy of our model's predictions. Our system utilizes data from the Catalonia Health Service to quantify detected cases, hospitalizations, and the overall impact on the healthcare system. However, these data are susceptible to under-reporting due to changes in screening policies. To enhance the reliability of our model's forecasts, we incorporate data from the Catalan Surveillance Network of SARS-CoV-2 in Sewage (SARSAIGUA). In this paper, we show how we utilize sewage data in the validation process of the Digital Twin to identify any discrepancies between the model's predictions and real-time data. We outline how this continuous validation approach allows us to generate long-term forecasts and gain insights into the current situation regarding the spread of SARS-CoV-2, enabling us to reassess assumptions and enhance our understanding of the pandemic's behavior in Catalonia.","PeriodicalId":502550,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Water and Health","volume":" 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139787751","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pau Fonseca i Casas, Joan Garcia i Subirana, Lluís Corominas, L. Bosch
{"title":"Applying a Digital Twin and wastewater analysis for robust validation of COVID-19 pandemic forecasts: insights from Catalonia","authors":"Pau Fonseca i Casas, Joan Garcia i Subirana, Lluís Corominas, L. Bosch","doi":"10.2166/wh.2024.345","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2166/wh.2024.345","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Monitoring the spread of SARS-CoV-2 presents significant challenges due to the asymptomatic nature of the infections, the presence of numerous variants, and changes in population behavior resulting from the implementation of non-pharmaceutical interventions aimed at reducing transmission. To accurately estimate the true rate of infection, we have developed a Digital Twin model that simulates the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 infections in Catalonia. Continuous validation plays a crucial role in ensuring the accuracy of our model's predictions. Our system utilizes data from the Catalonia Health Service to quantify detected cases, hospitalizations, and the overall impact on the healthcare system. However, these data are susceptible to under-reporting due to changes in screening policies. To enhance the reliability of our model's forecasts, we incorporate data from the Catalan Surveillance Network of SARS-CoV-2 in Sewage (SARSAIGUA). In this paper, we show how we utilize sewage data in the validation process of the Digital Twin to identify any discrepancies between the model's predictions and real-time data. We outline how this continuous validation approach allows us to generate long-term forecasts and gain insights into the current situation regarding the spread of SARS-CoV-2, enabling us to reassess assumptions and enhance our understanding of the pandemic's behavior in Catalonia.","PeriodicalId":502550,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Water and Health","volume":"31 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139847641","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
C. A. Molina, Cristian Quiroz-Moreno, P. Jarrín-V., Magdalena Díaz, Elizabeth Yugsi, Jorge Pérez-Galarza, Lucy Baldeón-Rojas
{"title":"Bacterial community assessment of drinking water and downstream distribution systems in highland localities of Ecuador","authors":"C. A. Molina, Cristian Quiroz-Moreno, P. Jarrín-V., Magdalena Díaz, Elizabeth Yugsi, Jorge Pérez-Galarza, Lucy Baldeón-Rojas","doi":"10.2166/wh.2024.290","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2166/wh.2024.290","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 \u0000 Bacterial communities in drinking water provide a gauge to measure quality and confer insights into public health. In contrast to urban systems, water treatment in rural areas is not adequately monitored and could become a health risk. We performed 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing to analyze the microbiome present in the water treatment plants at two rural communities, one city, and the downstream water for human consumption in schools and reservoirs in the Andean highlands of Ecuador. We tested the effect of water treatment on the diversity and composition of bacterial communities. A set of physicochemical variables in the sampled water was evaluated and correlated with the structure of the observed bacterial communities. Predominant bacteria in the analyzed communities belonged to Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria. Sphingobium genus, a chlorine resistance group, was particularly abundant. Of health concern in drinking water reservoirs were Fusobacteriaceae, Lachnospiraceae, and Ruminococcaceae; these families are associated with human and poultry fecal contamination. We propose the latter families as relevant biomarkers for establishing local standards for the monitoring of potable water systems in highlands of Ecuador. Our assessment of bacterial community composition in water systems in the Ecuadorian highlands provides a technical background to inform management decisions.","PeriodicalId":502550,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Water and Health","volume":"66 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139851276","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
C. A. Molina, Cristian Quiroz-Moreno, P. Jarrín-V., Magdalena Díaz, Elizabeth Yugsi, Jorge Pérez-Galarza, Lucy Baldeón-Rojas
{"title":"Bacterial community assessment of drinking water and downstream distribution systems in highland localities of Ecuador","authors":"C. A. Molina, Cristian Quiroz-Moreno, P. Jarrín-V., Magdalena Díaz, Elizabeth Yugsi, Jorge Pérez-Galarza, Lucy Baldeón-Rojas","doi":"10.2166/wh.2024.290","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2166/wh.2024.290","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 \u0000 Bacterial communities in drinking water provide a gauge to measure quality and confer insights into public health. In contrast to urban systems, water treatment in rural areas is not adequately monitored and could become a health risk. We performed 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing to analyze the microbiome present in the water treatment plants at two rural communities, one city, and the downstream water for human consumption in schools and reservoirs in the Andean highlands of Ecuador. We tested the effect of water treatment on the diversity and composition of bacterial communities. A set of physicochemical variables in the sampled water was evaluated and correlated with the structure of the observed bacterial communities. Predominant bacteria in the analyzed communities belonged to Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria. Sphingobium genus, a chlorine resistance group, was particularly abundant. Of health concern in drinking water reservoirs were Fusobacteriaceae, Lachnospiraceae, and Ruminococcaceae; these families are associated with human and poultry fecal contamination. We propose the latter families as relevant biomarkers for establishing local standards for the monitoring of potable water systems in highlands of Ecuador. Our assessment of bacterial community composition in water systems in the Ecuadorian highlands provides a technical background to inform management decisions.","PeriodicalId":502550,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Water and Health","volume":" 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139791430","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Detection of endotoxins from selected drinking water microbiota using an LAL-based assay and its implications for human health","authors":"Harmen Hawer, Rebecca Burmester, Nadine Sonnenberg, Katja Weiß","doi":"10.2166/wh.2024.207","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2166/wh.2024.207","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Endotoxins are pyrogenic lipopolysaccharides from Gram-negative bacteria that are known to induce fever, septic shock, and multiple organ failure, posing a substantial risk to human health. Drinking water systems are especially prone to home microbiomes containing a large variety of Gram-negative bacteria. Consumption of water from these systems in developed countries is generally regarded to as non-hazardous to humans due to the low number of non-pathogenic bacterial cells per milliliter and oral admission. To assess potential risks posed by endotoxins in drinking water systems, we conducted a conventional microbiological investigation on a local community water system in the north of Germany and mined the resulting data to investigate the endotoxin contents of some of the most abundant microbiota found during these analyses. Using an LAL-based endotoxin detection method, the average normalized endotoxin content was determined. Intriguingly, we found that detectable endotoxin concentrations vary to a great extend between different waterborne species with critically high levels found for Brevundimonas diminuta and Sphingomonas paucimobilis. Although the average culturable amounts of microbiota in the drinking water system were insufficient to exert endotoxin levels critical to human health, peaks and acute contaminations may pose substantial health risks.","PeriodicalId":502550,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Water and Health","volume":"57 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139798020","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Detection of endotoxins from selected drinking water microbiota using an LAL-based assay and its implications for human health","authors":"Harmen Hawer, Rebecca Burmester, Nadine Sonnenberg, Katja Weiß","doi":"10.2166/wh.2024.207","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2166/wh.2024.207","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Endotoxins are pyrogenic lipopolysaccharides from Gram-negative bacteria that are known to induce fever, septic shock, and multiple organ failure, posing a substantial risk to human health. Drinking water systems are especially prone to home microbiomes containing a large variety of Gram-negative bacteria. Consumption of water from these systems in developed countries is generally regarded to as non-hazardous to humans due to the low number of non-pathogenic bacterial cells per milliliter and oral admission. To assess potential risks posed by endotoxins in drinking water systems, we conducted a conventional microbiological investigation on a local community water system in the north of Germany and mined the resulting data to investigate the endotoxin contents of some of the most abundant microbiota found during these analyses. Using an LAL-based endotoxin detection method, the average normalized endotoxin content was determined. Intriguingly, we found that detectable endotoxin concentrations vary to a great extend between different waterborne species with critically high levels found for Brevundimonas diminuta and Sphingomonas paucimobilis. Although the average culturable amounts of microbiota in the drinking water system were insufficient to exert endotoxin levels critical to human health, peaks and acute contaminations may pose substantial health risks.","PeriodicalId":502550,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Water and Health","volume":"150 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139857746","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
M. Shaheen, Nehal I. Ahmed, Kareem Radi, Elmahdy M. Elmahdy
{"title":"Detection and quantification of adenovirus, polyomavirus, and papillomavirus in urban sewage","authors":"M. Shaheen, Nehal I. Ahmed, Kareem Radi, Elmahdy M. Elmahdy","doi":"10.2166/wh.2024.322","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2166/wh.2024.322","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 \u0000 The objective of this study was to assess the occurrence and seasonal frequency of human adenovirus (HAdV), human polyomavirus (HPyV), and human papillomavirus (HPV) in urban sewage. The detection of these viruses was carried out by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and then the viral concentrations in the positive samples were quantified by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Additionally, genotyping of HAdV and HPyV was also performed by PCR. A total of 38/60 (63.3%) positive samples were found. HAdV was the most prevalent virus (26/60; 43.3%), followed by HPyV (21/60; 35%) and HPV (21/60; 35%). The viral concentrations in the positive samples ranged from 3.56 × 102 to 7.55 × 107 genome copies/L. The most common dual viral agents was found between HAdV and HPyV, in eight samples (8/38, 21%). HAdV types 40 and 41 as well as HPyV types JC and BK were identified, with HAdV-40 and HPyV JC being the most prevalent types. Furthermore, the detection rates of HAdV, HPyV, and HPV were higher during the winter season than the other tested seasons. The high prevalence of HAdV and HPyV supports their suitability as viral indicators of sewage contamination. Furthermore, this study demonstrates the advantages of environmental surveillance as a tool to elucidate the community-circulating viruses.","PeriodicalId":502550,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Water and Health","volume":"54 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139798045","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}