Drinking water | Syrian Journal of Agricultural Research SJAR

Hanan Kurabi *¹

¹Food Science Department, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Aleppo, Syria.

(*Corresponding author: Dr Hanan Kurabi. E-Mail: hanansrn76@gmail.com ).

Received: 22/ 03/ 2025 Accepted: 21/ 07/ 2025

Abstract:

The aim of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic effect of ozone on the microbial and sensory properties of drinking water supplied by several residential units at the University of Aleppo. The study was conducted from June to September 2024 in the Microbiology Laboratory of the Department of Food Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering, Aleppo. The results showed that 33.33% of the studied water samples complied with the Syrian standard specifications due to their low initial microbial load and the absence of fecal coliform bacteria, E. coli, yeasts, and fungi. However, 66.66% of the samples were unfit for drinking due to their high initial microbial load and fecal contamination resulting from leakage from sewage pipes into drinking water networks or contamination during transportation and packaging operations. The effect of treating the samples with ozone at a concentration of 0.3 g/L for 15 minutes was positive. The ozone treatment reduced the total coliform count in samples (S2, S3, S6, S7, S8, S9) by 4, 16, 4, 14, 33.3, 33%) respectively. As for the fecal bacteria, their count decreased in the previous samples by (100, 5.5, 100, 5, 100, 100)% respectively. Yeasts and fungi were completely eliminated by 100%, which transformed the water samples that did not meet the specifications into samples that met the specifications and were suitable for drinking. Some pathogenic microorganisms transmitted through drinking water were isolated and characterized. A total of 42 intestinal bacterial isolates were isolated, with Escherichia coli accounting for 26%, Pseudomonas aeruginosa accounting for 14%, and Klebsiella accounting for 7%. Treatment with ozone at a concentration of 0.3 g/L for 15 minutes had no effect on the sensory characteristics of the water samples studied.

Keywords: Drinking water, ozone, pathogenic bacteria, microbial quality.

Full paper in Arabic: pdf

Taher Cheikho⁽¹⁾ Mahmoud Haj Issa⁽²⁾ and Hadi Dayoub*⁽¹⁾

(1). Department of Forestry and Environment, Faculty of Agriculture, Tishreen University, Latakia, Syria.

(2). Soil and Water Sciences Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Tishreen University, Latakia, Syria.

(*Corresponding author: Eng. Hadi Dayoub. E-mail: hadi.dayob.sy@gmail.com)

Received: 10/04/2018 Accepted: 29/09/2018

Abstract

This study was conducted to assess the water quality of El-Sen River in the Syrian coastal basin for drinking and irrigation purposes. Water samples from four sites along the river bed were collected monthly during October 2013 to September 2014, and were analyzed for some important physical and chemical parameters. The study revealed that all of the studied parameters concentrations were found within the permissible limits for human consumption according to the Syrian and World Health Organization Standards. As well as these ions concentrations were found to be directly related to environmental and geologic features of the river basin, where limestone and dolomite formations occupy a large part of its surface. Piper and Schöeller-Berkaloff diagrams revealed that the water is of HCO₃-Ca-Mg type. According to U.S. Salinity Laboratory classification of irrigation water, all samples were under water type (C2-S1). Such water can be used for irrigation on almost all soils with little danger of the development of harmful levels of exchangeable sodium, and if a moderate amount of leaching occurs. Statistical analysis showed significant differences between the means of electrical conductivity, sodium, potassium, sulfates, nitrates, nitrite and phosphates of sampling points. Application of Principal Components Analysis to physio-chemical data showed that the correlations with the first and the second factors (F1-F2) revealed the dissolution phenomenon of carbonate formations of limestone and dolomite.

Key words: El-Sen river, Water quality, Drinking water, Irrigation water.

Full paper in Arabic: PDF