TITLE:
Assessment of Drinking Water Quality Served in Different Restaurants at Islam Nagor Road Adjacent to Khulna University Campus, Bangladesh
AUTHORS:
Sadia Islam Mou, Sadhon Chandra Swarnokar, Sourav Ghosh, Md. Tamjidul Ridwan, Khandoker Faiaz Ishtiak
KEYWORDS:
Physico-Chemical Attributes, Microbial Contamination, Coliform, Restaurants, Acceptable Limits, Bangladesh
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.11 No.9,
September
26,
2023
ABSTRACT: Potable water is a growing requirement for sound
health as contaminated water and water-borne pathogens pose serious health
risks to human beings. Considering this issue, the current study aimed to assess the drinking
water quality served in different restaurants close to the
Khulna University campus in Bangladesh. A
total number of ten drinking water samples were collected from different
restaurants. Afterward, the collected water samples were analyzed to examine the physico-chemical properties
and microbiological contamination of
the water samples. Besides, microbial properties such as Total Coliform (TC),
Fecal Coliform (FC), and E. coli were analyzed by the Membrane
Filtration (MF) technique. The findings suggest that all the physico-chemical attributes were within the permissible limits
regarding recommended Bangladesh standards and WHO guidelines. But in case of EC, 40% of the samples exceeded the WHO permissible limits and for
sodium, 10% of samples exceeded both the BD and WHO standards. In addition, the
results disclosed that the drinking water served in different restaurants was
contaminated by TC, FC, and E. coli. It is observed that 100% of the
samples were contaminated by TC and FC
whereas 70% of the samples were contaminated by E. coli. Consequently, it is clearly evident that the water is
considered suitable with respect to physico-chemical analysis
but this drinking water is unfit for consumption while taking into
account its microbiological quality. The
total coliform, fecal coliform, and E. coli count attests to the fact that anyone can become harmed at any moment by ingesting
water from roadside restaurants. Finally, due to bacterial contamination, the served drinking water in these places
doesn’t meet safe and suitable water excellence, therefore, consumption of this water is deleterious to public health.