Occurrence of protozoans and other pathogens in some selected swimming pools in the Kumasi Metropolis

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Date
2016-10-13
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Abstract
The beneficial role of the use of recreational water to health and well-being has long been recognized, yet, there may also be adverse health effects associated with recreational use, if the water is polluted or unsafe. This study was aimed at determining the physico-chemical properties of water in the pools and the presence of protozoans, total coliforms and other pathogenic microorganisms in the water; in some selected swimming pools in the Kumasi Metropolis.  Water samples before and after swimming were collected from three different sections in each specific swimming pool during the study period (December 2012 to May 2013) for physiochemical and microbial analysis using standards methods. The results of the physicochemical, microbial and parasitological quality of the various sampled swimming pools in Kumasi revealed varying levels of contamination. The pH of the pool waters varied between a range of 5.95-8.83 over the sampling period. Pool water temperatures varied over a narrow range of 26.90 to 29.49 °C. The mean DO levels, colour and turbidity for before and after swimming samples of the various pools pointed to a trend of increased concentrations after use. Salinity levels of all the pool waters were generally similar for both before and after swimming samples and varied over a narrow freshwater range for all the sampled pools. With regards to microbial and parasitological (protozoa) contamination, coliform counts were generally elevated in the pool waters after use relative to their respective levels before use. Cryptosporidium oocysts were detected in five (56 %) out of the nine swimming pools while Giardia cysts were detected in all the swimming pools Giardia cysts (100 %). Prior to the physicochemical and microbial monitoring, questionnaires were administered to the swimmers which revealed that there was a level of dissatisfaction among the swimmers, some others had body itch after swimming while some others complained of foul odour. The results in this study indicated that most of the swimming pools did not meet the WHO (2011) standard for drinking water and therefore constitute a serious hazard to public health. In recommendationHealth authorities should regularly monitor the pools for compliance with regulations and also swimmers must be encouraged to shower and disinfect their foot before swimming. Swimmers should be cautioned about swimming in pools if they are suffering from gastroenteritis or other diseases.
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A thesis submitted to the Department of Theoretical and Applied Biology, College of science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of Master of Philosophy degree in Biological Sciences, 2015
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