Assignment Of General

Microbiology
Submitted To:-
Maim Farah
Andaleep
Submitted By:-
Huzaifa Farooq
Department:-
Microbiology
Semester:-
2nd
Date:-
29-01-2021
Assignment Topic:-
Microbiology of
water
and waste water
As my assignment topic is to disscus the
microbiology of water and waste water but before
going to explain these its very important to know
some physical properties of water and same
important points about water. So first of all i will
breifly explain water and some of its physical and
chemical properties and then i will disscus the
microbiology of water inshallah.
Water:-
• The water molecule is composed of two
hydrogen atoms, each linked by a single chemical
bond to an oxygen atom. Most hydrogen atoms
have a nucleus consisting solely of a proton.
• Water is a substance composed of the chemical
elements hydrogen and oxygen and existing in
gaseous, liquid, and solid states. It is one of the
most plentiful and essential of compounds. A
tasteless and odourless liquid at room temperature,
it has the important ability to dissolve many other
substances. Indeed, the versatility of water as a
solvent is essential to living organisms. Life is
believed to have originated in the aqueous solutions
of the world’s oceans, and living organisms depend
on aqueous solutions, such as blood and digestive
juices, for biological processes.
• The water molecule is composed of two
hydrogen atoms, each linked by a single chemical
bond to an oxygen atom. Most hydrogen atoms
have a nucleus consisting solely of a proton.
• Physical properties of water:-
• Water is a colourless and tasteless liquid. The
molecules of water have extensive hydrogen bonds
resulting in unusual properties in the condensed
form. This also leads to high melting and boiling
points. As compared to other liquids, water has a
higher specific heat, thermal conductivity, surface
tension, dipole moment, etc. These properties form
the reason for its significance in the biosphere.
Water is an excellent solvent and therefore it helps
in the transportation of ions and molecules required
for metabolism. It has a high latent heat of
vaporization which helps in the regulation of body
temperature.
• Microbiology Of Water:-
• Water is essential to life, but many people do
not have access to clean and safe drinking water
and many die of waterborne bacterial infections.
• I am gonna describe a few general
characterization of the most important bacterial
diseases transmitted through water, cholera,
typhoid fever and bacillary dysentery is presented,
focusing on the biology and ecology of the causal
agents and on the diseases’ characteristics and their
life cycles in the environment.
• The importance of pathogenic Escherichia coli
strains and emerging pathogens in drinking water
transmitted diseases is also briefly discussed.
Microbiological water analysis is mainly based on
the concept of fecal indicator bacteria. The main
bacteria present in human and animal feces and the
most important fecal indicator bacteria are
presented and discussed
• Important sources of bacterial fecal pollution of
environmental waters are also briefly indicated. In
the last topic it is discussed which indicators of fecal
pollution should be used in current drinking water
microbiological analysis.
• It was concluded that safe drinking water for all
is one of the major challenges of the 21st century
and that microbiological control of drinking water
should be the norm everywhere. Routine basic
microbiological analysis of drinking water should be
carried out by assaying the presence of Escherichia
coli by culture methods. Whenever financial
resources are available, fecal coliform
determinations should be complemented with the
quantification of enterococci. More studies are
needed in order to check if ammonia is reliable for a
preliminary screening for emergency fecal pollution
outbreaks. Financial resources should be devoted to
a better understanding of the ecology and behavior
of human and animal fecal bacteria in
environmental waters.
• Water as a source of infection:-
• Water is essential to life. An adequate, safe and
accessible supply must be available to all. Improving
access to safe drinking-water can result in significant
benefits to health. Every effort should be made to
achieve a drinking water quality as safe as possible.
• Many people struggle to obtain access to safe
water. Two and a half billion people have no access
to improved sanitation, and more than 1.5 million
children die each year from diarrheal diseases.
According to the WHO, the mortality of water
associated diseases exceeds 5 million people per
year. From these, more that 50% are microbial
intestinal infections, with cholera standing out in
the first place.
• In general terms, the greatest microbial risks are
associated with ingestion of water that is
contaminated with human or animal feces.
Wastewater discharges in fresh waters and costal
seawaters are the major source of fecal
microorganisms, including pathogens.
• Acute microbial diarrheal diseases are a major
public health problem in developing countries.
People affected by diarrheal diseases are those with
the lowest financial resources and poorest hygienic
facilities. Children under five, primarily in Asian
countries, are the most affected by microbial
diseases transmitted through water.
• Microbial waterborne diseases also affect
developed countries. In the USA, it has been
estimated that each year 560,000 people suffer
from severe waterborne diseases, and 7.1 million
suffer from a mild to moderate infections, resulting
in estimated 12,000 deaths a year.
•disease:-
Transmission of infectious
• Around 3.1% of deaths in the world are due to
unhygienic and poor quality of water.
• The World Health Organization estimates that
80% of diseases worldwide are waterborne.
• Poor water quality becomes inevitable when
water gets polluted with industrial waste, human
waste, animal waste, garbage, untreated sewage,
chemical effluents, etc. Drinking or cooking with
such polluted water leads to waterborne diseases
and infections such as amoebiasis, giardiasis, and
toxoplasmosis.
• Contaminated water could carry viruses such as
Hepatitis A and E, bacteria like E.coli (E.coli can be
passed from hand to hand, such as via vendors of
street food or food handled by someone carrying
E.coli bacteria. It can lead to food poisoning). The
result: dangerous diseases like cholera and typhoid
fever. Other waterborne diseases include diarrhoea,
dysentery, polio and meningitis.
• Unclean water for washing can cause skin and
infectious eye disease such as Trachoma. Trachoma
can lead to visual impairment or blindness.
• Rural populations are more at risk from
waterborne illnesses, but everyone faces risks of
polluted or contaminated water. Waterborne illness
can affect anyone, anywhere. The risk is more for
infants, younger children, the elderly and patients of
diabetes, chronic diseases of heart disease, kidney,
etc.
• Water Borne Diseases:-
• Water borne diseases are the ones caused by
pathogenic microbes spread via contaminated
water.
•Impact:-
Water-Borne Diseases and their
• The pathogenic microorganisms, their toxic
exudates, and other contaminants together, cause
serious conditions such as cholera, diarrhea,
typhoid, amebiasis, hepatitis, gastroenteritis,
giardiasis, campylobacteriosis, scabies, and worm
infections, to name a few.
• Diarrhea:-
• The most common of all water-borne diseases,
diarrhea, mainly affects children below five years of
age.
• The symptoms include dizziness, dehydration,
pale skin, and loss of consciousness in severe cases.
It usually lasts for a couple of weeks and can turn
out to be fatal if it goes untreated.
• Cholera:-
• It is mainly caused by bacteria named Vibrio
cholerae via consumption of contaminated food or
drinking water.
• The symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, fever,
and abdominal cramps. Cholera occurs
predominantly in children, but can also affect
adults. It possesses a mortality rate that is
alarmingly high among the water-borne diseases.
• People with a suppressed immunity, like those
who are malnourished or infected with Human
Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), are at a heightened
risk of death if they’re infected with the bacteria.
• Typhoid:-
• Typhoid fever is caused by Salmonella typhi
bacteria transmitted via contaminated water.
• The patients typically suffer from prolonged
episodes of fever, loss of appetite, nausea,
headache, constipation, and loss of body weight.
Prompt attention is needed to cure typhoid in the
patient, as well as to prevent the spread of this
contagious disease.
• Amoebiasis:-
• It is caused by a parasite named Entamoeba
histolytica. The protozoan organism is transmitted
by unknowingly consuming cysts (an inactive form
of the parasite) in food, and it affects the intestine.
The parasite thrives on contaminated soil and fecal
matter.
• The common symptoms of amoebiasis include
abdominal cramps and watery stools.
• Hepatitis A:-
• This condition mainly affects the liver and is
caused by Hepatitis A virus. The route of
contamination is usually oral, while it also spreads
through physical contact with an infected person.
• Hepatitis A patients manifest common
symptoms such as fever, nausea, and vomiting, but
can suffer severe complications if they’re not
treated in time.
• Giardia:-
• This waterborne disease is shared through
contaminated water, most often in ponds and
streams, but it can also be found in a town’s water
supply, swimming pools, and more. The infection is
caused by a parasite and typically clears up after a
few weeks. However, it’s possible for those who
have been exposed will experience intestinal
problems for years to come.
• Symptoms:-
• Abdominal pain
• Cramps and bloating
• Diarrhea
• Nausea
• Weight loss
• Polio:-
• Polio (infantile paralysis) is a communicable
disease, which is categorized as a disease of
civilization. Polio spreads through human-to-human
contact, usually entering the body through the
mouth due to faecally contaminated water or food.
• The disease is usually fatal if the nerve cells in
the brain are attacked (bulbar poliomyelitis), causing
paralysis of essential muscles, such as those
controlling swallowing, heartbeat, and respiration.
• There is no specific drug for treatment. For
reasons not clearly understood, some people who
have had severe polio experience post polio
syndrome, a condition in which new weakness and
pain occurs years later in previously affected
muscles.
• Scabies:-
• Scabies is a highly contagious parasitic skin
disease caused by the itch mite (Sarcoptes scabiei).
• It is acquired through close contact with an
infested individual or contaminated clothing and is
most prevalent among those living in crowded and
unhygienic conditions. Personal hygiene is an
important preventive measure and access to
adequate water supply is important in control.
• The principal sign of the disease is a pimple like
rash that is most commonly found on hands,
especially the webbing between the fingers, the skin
folds of the wrist, elbow or knee, the penis, the
breast or the shoulder. Infestation often causes
intense itching all over the body, especially at night.
• Scabies mites are found worldwide, affecting all
socioeconomic classes and in all climates. Epidemics
have been linked to poverty, poor water supply,
sanitation, and overcrowding. There are about 300
million cases of scabies in the world each
• Hookworm infection:-
• Hookworm infection is an intestinal parasite
that usually causes diarrhoea or cramps. Heavy
infestation with hookworm can be serious for
newborns, children, pregnant women, and persons
who are malnourished.
• Hookworm infection is contracted from contact
with soil contaminated by hookworm, by walking
barefoot or accidentally swallowing contaminated
soil.
• The first signs of hookworm infection are itching
and a rash at the site where the larvae penetrate
the skin. These signs may be followed by abdominal
pain, diarrhoea, loss of appetite and weight loss,
and anaemia
• Transmission
• Climate change plays a crucial role in the
outbreaks of such infections.
• Major precipitation events such as heavy rains
or snowfall increase the risk of the water-borne
diseases. Several instances of the outbreak of
epidemic infections after natural calamities such as
flood have been recorded in history.
• The overflowing of sewage treatment plants
during floods becomes the immediate risk that
needs to be curbed. On the other hand, drought-
affected areas also become high-risk due to the
accumulation of high concentration of pathogens in
a limited amount of available water sources.
• Natural calamities such as earthquakes or major
cyclones often cause drastic changes in the
ecosystem of the water bodies. Sometimes, the
newly created environment (pH, temperature, etc.)
is favorable for the growth of a particular type of
pathogen. The unprocessed water from such
sources becomes harmful for routine use due to the
high microbial burden.
• The mere negligence of the cleaning staff of
water treatment plants can also cause huge damage
to the community, especially in small towns where
people do not have water purifiers installed in their
homes.
• Also, the persistent usage of contaminated
water for agricultural purposes (due to lack of pure
water in the area) results in the colonization of
pathogens in the soil. Consuming crops in that
particular area may predispose the residents to
disease-causing microorganisms.
Precautions
waterborne to prevent
disease:-
• Ensure the water is visibly clean and free from
sand and silt. Filter the water to get rid of visible
dirt.
• Drink only clean and safe water – either
portable water or water filtered through water
purifiers.
• Get water purifying devices like filters, RO unit,
etc., regularly serviced and maintained.
• Ensure stored water is germ-free.
• Add antiseptic liquid, such as Dettol in dubious-
looking bathing water.
• Hand hygiene – regularly wash hands with soap
after returning home, after using the toilet,
before and after preparing food, before eating
or drinking anything.
• Teach hand hygiene to children. Children should
make it a habit to always wash hands when
returning home after playing games.
 • Ensure food is washed and thoroughly cooked.
• Use disposable glass and plates whenever
possible when eating outside food, particularly
street food.
• Avoid eating stale cooked food, unrefrigerated
food kept exposed outside for long hours.
• Take vaccinations for immunization against
preventable diseases like Typhoid, Hepatitis A,
Polio, etc.
•Eutrophication:-
Chemical pollutants And
• Water Pollution:-
• Water pollution, the release of substances into
subsurface groundwater or into lakes, streams,
rivers, estuaries, and oceans to the point where the
substances interfere with beneficial use of the water
or with the natural functioning of ecosystems.
• In addition to the release of substances, such as
chemicals or microorganisms, water pollution may
also include the release of energy, in the form of
radioactivity or heat, into bodies of water.
• Water Quality Standards:-
• Although pure water is rarely found in nature
(because of the strong tendency of water to dissolve
other substances), the characterization of water
quality (i.e., clean or polluted) is a function of the
intended use of the water. For example, water that
is clean enough for swimming and fishing may not
be clean enough for drinking and cooking. Water
quality standards (limits on the amount of
impurities allowed in water intended for a particular
use) provide a legal framework for the prevention of
water pollution of all types.
• There are several types of water quality
standards. Stream standards are those that classify
streams, rivers, and lakes on the basis of their
maximum beneficial use; they set allowable levels
of specific substances or qualities (e.g., dissolved
oxygen, turbidity, pH) allowed in those bodies of
water, based on their given classification. Effluent
(water outflow) standards set specific limits on the
levels of contaminants (e.g., biochemical oxygen
demand, suspended solids, nitrogen) allowed in the
final discharges from wastewater-treatment plants.
Drinking-water standards include limits on the levels
of specific contaminants allowed in potable water
delivered to homes for domestic use. In the United
States, the Clean Water Act and its amendments
regulate water quality and set minimum standards
for waste discharges for each industry as well as
regulations for specific problems such as toxic
chemicals and oil spills. In the European Union,
water quality is governed by the Water Framework
Directive, the Drinking Water Directive, and other
laws.
• Eutrophication:-
• Eutrophication is when the environment
becomes enriched with nutrients. This can be a
problem in marine habitats such as lakes as it can
cause algal blooms. Some algae even produce toxins
that are harmful to higher forms of life. This can
cause problems along the food chain and affect any
animal that feeds on them.
• Eutrophication, the gradual increase in the
concentration of phosphorus, nitrogen, and other
plant nutrients in an aging aquatic ecosystem such
as a lake. The productivity or fertility of such an
ecosystem naturally increases as the amount of
organic material that can be broken down into
nutrients increases. This material enters the
ecosystem primarily by runoff from land that carries
debris and products of the reproduction and death
of terrestrial organisms. Water blooms, or great
concentrations of algae and microscopic organisms,
often develop on the surface, preventing the light
penetration and oxygen absorption necessary for
underwater life. Eutrophic waters are often murky
and may support fewer large animals, such as fish
and birds, than non-eutrophic waters.
Control Of Eutrophication:-
By applying few given methods we can easily control
Eutrophication.
 • improvement of the purifying performance of
waste water treatment plants, installing tertiary
treatment systems to reduce nutrient
concentrations;
• implementation of effective filter ecosystems to
remove nitrogen and phosphorus present in the
run-off water (such as phyto-purification
plants);
• reduction of phosphorous in detergents;
• rationalisation of agricultural techniques
through proper planning of fertilisation and use
of slow release fertilisers;
• use of alternative practices in animal husbandry
to limit the production of waste water.
• In cases where water quality is already so
compromised as to render any preventive
initiative ineffective, “curative” procedures can
be implemented, such as:
• removal and treatment of hypolimnetic water
(deep water in contact with the sediments) rich
in nutrients since in direct contact with the
release source;
• drainage of the first 10-20 cm of sediment
subject to biological reactions and with high
phosphorus concentrations;
• oxygenation of water for restore the ecological
conditions, reducing the negative effects of the
eutrophic process, such as scarcity of oxygen
and formation of toxic compounds deriving
from the anaerobic metabolism;
• chemical precipitation of phosphorous by the
addition of iron or aluminium salts or calcium
carbonate to the water, which give rise to the
precipitation of the respective iron, aluminium
or calcium orthophosphates, thereby reducing
the negative effects related to the excessive
presence of phosphorus in the sediments
Wastewater
Treatment:- and Sewage
• Wastewater is treated in 3 phases: primary
(solid removal), secondary (bacterial
decomposition), and tertiary (extra filtration).
• Primary Treatment:-
• In primary treatment, sewage is stored in a
basin where solids (sludge) can settle to the bottom
and oil and lighter substances can rise to the top.
These layers are then removed and then the
remaining liquid can be sent to secondary
treatment. Sewage sludge is treated in a separate
process called sludge digestion.
• Secondary Treatment:-
• Secondary treatment removes dissolved and
suspended biological matter, often using
microorganisms in a controlled environment. Most
secondary treatment systems use aerobic bacteria,
which consume the organic components of the
sewage (sugar, fat, and so on). Some systems use
fixed film systems, where the bacteria grow on
filters, and the water passes through them.
Suspended growth systems use “activated” sludge,
where decomposing bacteria are mixed directly into
the sewage. Because oxygen is critical to bacterial
growth, the sewage is often mixed with air to
facilitate decomposition.
• Tertiary Treatment
• Tertiary treatment (sometimes called “effluent
polishing”) is used to further clean water when it is
being discharged into a sensitive ecosystem. Several
methods can be used to further disinfect sewage
beyond primary and secondary treatment. Sand
filtration, where water is passed through a sand
filter, can be used to remove particulate matter.
Wastewater may still have high levels of nutrients
such as nitrogen and phosphorus. These can disrupt
the nutrient balance of aquatic ecosystems and
cause algae blooms and excessive weed growth.
Phosphorus can be removed biologically in a
process called enhanced biological phosphorus
removal. In this process, specific bacteria, called
polyphosphate accumulate organisms that store
phosphate in their tissue. When the biomass
accumulated in these bacteria is separated from the
treated water, these biosolids have a high fertilizer
value. Nitrogen can also be removed using nitrifying
bacteria. Lagooning is another method for removing
nutrients and waste from sewage. Water is stored in
a lagoon and native plants, bacteria, algae, and
small zooplankton filter nutrients and small particles
from the water.
• Sludge Digestion:-
• Sewage sludge scraped off the bottom of the
settling tank during primary treatment is treated
separately from wastewater. Sludge can be disposed
of in several ways. First, it can be digested using
bacteria; bacterial digestion can sometimes produce
methane biogas, which can be used to generate
electricity. Sludge can also be incinerated, or
condensed, heated to disinfect it, and reused as
fertilizer.
• Drinking Water Purification:-
• In order to purify drinking water from a source
(such as a lake, river, reservoir or groundwater), the
water must go through several steps to remove
large particles and different types of pathogens.
• Drinking Water Purification:-
• Water is purified for drinking through a system
of filters and by chemical disinfectant.
• Pumping and Containment:-
• Water is pumped from the source into holding
tanks.
• Screening:-
• Water is passed through a screen filter to
remove large debris.
• Storage:-
• Water is stored in reservoirs, tanks, and water
towers in preparation for purification. Sometimes
water is “pre-cholrinated” in this system to prevent
bacterial growth while it is in storage.
• Coagulation and Sedimentation:-
• Although there are many processes by which
large particles are removed from drinking water,
most water purification systems implement some
kind of coagulation system. A chemical that causes
particle aggregation is added to the water, and
clumps of particles form and settle to the bottom of
the reservoir. This is called sedimentation.
• Membrane Filtration:-
• Membrane filters are able to remove all
particles larger than 0.2 um. Larger pathogens such
as giardia lamblia and cryptosporidium are trapped
in these filters, but the cysts they produce are small
enough to pass through.
• Disinfection:-
• Before water is considered potable, it must be
disinfected to remove any pathogens that passed
through the membrane filter.
• Methods of Disinfection:-
• Chlorination is the most common form of
disinfection. Chlorine is a strong oxidant, and rapidly
kills many microorganisms, especially bacteria.
Because chlorine is a toxic gas, it can also be
dangerous to sanitation workers. Chlorine based
compounds like choloramine are often used.
Although chlorine is very effective against bacteria,
it is not as effective against the cysts formed by
protozoans (like giardia lamblia and
cryptosporidium). Chlorine can sometimes leave
residual byproducts in water.
• Ozone is an unstable molecule that readily gives
up one atom of oxygen providing a powerful
oxidizing agent. This agent is toxic to most
waterborne organisms. Ozone is widely used in
Europe, and is an effective method to kill cysts
formed by protozoans. It also works well against
almost all other pathogens.
• Ultraviolet Light is very effective at inactivating
protozoan cysts, and will also kill bacteria and
viruses. However, it is not as effective in cloudy
water. It is sometimes used in concert with
chlorination.
THE
END