Analysis of the bacterial community composition in acidic well water used for drinking in Guinea-Bissau, West Africa

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2014

Authors

Machado, A (Author) Other; Adriano Bordalo (Author) ICBAS

Journal

Title: Journal of Environmental Sciences

Vol. 26

Pages: 1605-1614

ISSN: 1001-0742

Publisher: IOS PRESS

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 0 Citations

Scopus - 0 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-009-QJD

DOI: 10.1016/j.jes.2014.05.027

Abstract (EN): Potable water is a resource out of reach for millions worldwide, and the available water maybe chemically and microbiologically compromised. This is particularly acute in Africa, where water-networks may be non-existent or restricted to a small fraction of the urban population, as in the case of Guinea-Bissau, West Africa. This study was carried out seasonally in Bolama (11 degrees N), where unprotected hand-dug wells with acidic water are the sole source of water for the population. We inspected the free-living bacterial community dynamics by automated rRNA intergenic spacer analyses, quantitative polymerase chain reaction and cloning approaches. The results revealed a clear seasonal shift in bacterial assemblage composition and microbial abundance within the same sampling site. Temperature, pH and turbidity, together with the infiltration and percolation of surface water, which takes place in the wet season, seemed to be the driving factors in the shaping and selection of the bacterial community and deterioration of water quality. Analysis of 16S rDNA sequences revealed several potential pathogenic bacteria and uncultured bacteria associated with water and sediments, corroborating the importance of a culture-independent approach in drinking water monitoring. (C) 2014 The Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 10