Effect of Irrigation Water Quality on the Microbial Contamination of Fresh Vegetables in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon

Amale Mcheik; Ali Awad; Ali Fadel; Carine Mounzer; Salam Nasreddine

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ajaf.20180606.16

| Peer-Reviewed

Effect of Irrigation Water Quality on the Microbial Contamination of Fresh Vegetables in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon

Amale Mcheik, Ali Awad, Ali Fadel, Carine Mounzer, Salam Nasreddine

Published in American Journal of Agriculture and Forestry (Volume 6, Issue 6)

Received: 7 October 2018 Accepted: 23 October 2018 Published: 15 November 2018

Views: Downloads:

Download PDF

Share This Article

Twitter
Linked In
Facebook

Abstract

Irrigation water is probably the leading source of contamination of fresh vegetables in the world. In agricultural intensive areas, surface and groundwater resources are more likely to be exposed to be contaminated with zoonotic bacteria, given their close proximity to sources of faeces from livestock, dairy farms and wildlife. The aim of this study was to determine the role of irrigation water as a vehicle for the transmission of zoonotic bacteria of faecal origin and its contribution to the bacterial contamination of fresh vegetables to conclude with a need of risk management in rural areas. First, to determine the magnitude and the frequency of faecal contamination and the pathogens in the water source, the microbiological quality of the water resources used in irrigation in the studied area, including the upper Litani and the private wells located near its basin was investigated. In a second step, an assessment of the microbiological quality of the fresh vegetables irrigated from these water resources was done. A total of twelve different vegetables comprising spinach, parsley, cabbage and lettuce and 38 water samples were collected from both the well waters and the Litani River from the 5 studied sites and analyzed for a period of 5 months, to assess the microbial contamination level. Samples were analyzed for aerobic bacteria, total coliforms, faecal coliforms, E.coli and S.aureus. All vegetables sampled during the study period recorded high level of coliforms, E.coli and S.aureus. The microbial load recorded in the water samples was generally higher than that recorded in the vegetables. Since most of these vegetables are eaten fresh or slightly cooked, there is a concern on the public health that will be affected. Education of farmers and consumers on food safety has to be intensified to avert a possible outbreak.

Published in	American Journal of Agriculture and Forestry (Volume 6, Issue 6)
DOI	10.11648/j.ajaf.20180606.16
Page(s)	191-197
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2018. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Faecal Coliforms, Irrigation Water, Well Water, Contaminated Vegetables

References

[1]	Westcot, D. W. 1997. Quality control of wastewater for irrigated crop production. Water Reports no. 10. Rome, Italy: Food Agricultural Organization.
[2]	Johnson, J. Y. M., Thomas, J., Graham, T., Townshend, I., Byrne, J., Selinger, L., & Gannon, V. P. J. (2003). Prevalence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella spp. in surface waters of southern Alberta and its relation to manure sources. Canadian Journal of Microbiology, 49 (5), 326-335.
[3]	Fadel, A. (2014). Physico-chemical functioning and development of phytoplankton in Karaoun reservoir (Lebanon): application of a hydrodynamic-ecological model (Doctoral dissertation, Université Paris-Est).
[4]	FDA/CFSAN. 2001. Production practices as risk factors in microbial food safety of fresh and fresh-cut produce. http:// ucgaps.ucdavis.edu/documents/Preharvest_Factors_and Risk 2041. pdf. Accessed 15 April 2007.
[5]	WHO (World Health Organization). 2003. The present state of foodborne disease in QECD countries. http://www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/foodbornedisease/en/OECD%20Final%20for%20WEB.pdf.Accessed 13 May 2007.
[6]	Chang, J. & Fang, T. 2007. Survival of E.coli 0157: H7 and Salmonella enteric serovars Typhimurium in iceberg lettuce and the antimicrobial effect of rice vinegar against E.coli 0157: H7. Food Microbiology 24, 745-751.
[7]	Henneberry, S. R., Piewthongngam, K. & Qiang, H. 1999. Consumer food safety concerns and fresh produce consumption. Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics 24, 98-113.
[8]	Bihn, E. A.& Gravani, R. B. 2006. Role of good agricultural practices in fruit and vegetable safety. In: Microbiology of fresh produce. Matthews, K. R. (ed.). Washington DC: ASM Press.
[9]	Solomon, E. B., Potenski, C. J., Mathews, K. R. 2002. Effect of irrigation method on transmission to and persistence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 on lettuce. Journal of Food Protection 65, 673-676.
[10]	Ibenyassine, k., Aitmhand, R., Karamoko Y., Cohen, N. & Ennaji M. M. 2006. Use of repetitive DNA sequences to determine the persistence of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli in vegetables and in soil grown in fields treated with contacted irrigation water. Letters in Applied Microbiology 43, 528-533.
[11]	Steele, M., Mahdi, A. & Odumeru, J. 2005. Microbial assessment of irrigation water used for production of fruit and vegetables in Ontario, Canada. Journal of Food Protection 68, 1388-1392.
[12]	Combarro, M. P., Gonzalez, M., Aranjo, M., Amezaga, A. C., Sueiro, R. A. & Garrido, M. J. 1997. Listeria species incidence and characterization in a river receiving town sewage from a sewage treatment plant. Water Science Technology 35, 201-204.
[13]	Johnson, D. C., Enriquez, C. E., Pepper, I. L., Davis, T. L., Gerba, C. P. & Rose, J. B. 1997. Survival of Giardia, Cryptosporidium, Poliovirus and Salmonella in marine waters. Water Science Technology 35, 261-268. United Nations Development Program-UNDP. (1995
[14]	M. A. Halablab, I. H. Sheet and H. M. Holail, "Microbiological Quality of Raw Vegetables Grown in Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, "American Journal of Food Technology, Vol. 6, No. 2, 2011, pp. 129-139.
[15]	Temsah, M., Tarhini, K., Fadel, A., & Slim, K. (2016). Effect of Irrigation with Lake Water Containing Cylindrospermopsin Toxin on Seed Germination and Seedlings Growth of Cucumis Sativus and Lycopersicon Esculatum. International Journal of Science: Basic and Applied Research, 108-122.
[16]	Fadel, A., Faour, G., & Slim, K. (2016). Assessment of the trophic state and chlorophyll-a concentrations using Landsat OLI in Karaoun reservoir, Lebanon. Lebanese Science Journal, 17 (2), 130.
[17]	Fadel, A., Atoui, A., Lemaire, B. J., Vinçon-Leite, B., & Slim, K. (2014). Dynamics of the toxin cylindrospermopsin and the cyanobacterium Chrysosporum (Aphanizomenon) ovalisporum in a Mediterranean eutrophic reservoir. Toxins, 6 (11), 3041-3057.
[18]	Flynn, D. 2009. Cantaloupe recalled for Salmonella. http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2009/10/cantaloupe-recalled-for-salmonella/. Accessed 16 December 2009.
[19]	Schreck, S. 2009. Cantaloupe recalled for possible Salmonella contamination. http://www.foodpoisonjournal.com/admin/trackback/134463. Accessed 16 December 2009.
[20]	Beuchat, L. R. 2006. Vectors and conditions for pre-harvest contamination of fruits and vegetables with pathogens capable of causing enteric diseases. British Food Journal 108, 38-53.
[21]	Beuchat, L. R. & Ryu, J. 1997. Produce handling and processing practices. Emerging Infectious Disease 3, 1-9.
[22]	Sigge, G. & Fitchet, T. 2009. Food safety in the linelight. South African Food Review 36, 14-16.
[23]	Harris, L. J., Farber, J. N., Beuchat, L. R., Parish, M. E., Suslow, T. V., Garrett, E. H. & Busta, F. F. (2003). Outbreaks associated with fresh produce: Incidence, growth and survival of pathogens in fresh and fresh-cut produce. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety 2, 78-141.
[24]	Tambekar, D. H. and R. H. Mundhada, 2006. Bacteriological quality of salad vegetables sold in Amravati city (India). J. Biological Sci., 6: 28-30.
[25]	Soriano. J. M., H. Rico, J. C. Molto and Manes, 2000. Assessment of the microbiological quality and wash treatments of lettuce served in University restaurants. Int. J. Food Microbiol., 58: 123-128.
[26]	Haydar C., Nehmé N., Awad S., Koubayssi B., Fakih M., Yaacoub A., Toufaily J., Villieras F. and Hamieh T.. Physicochemical and Microbial assessment of water Quality in the Upper Litani River Basin, Lebanon. Environmental and Earth Sciences, SSN 2224-3216. ISSN:2225-0948. Vol. 4, No. 9, 2014.
[27]	Beuchat, L. R. 2002. Ecological factors influencing survival and growth of human pathogens on raw fruits and vegetables. Microb. Infect., 4: 413-423.
[28]	P. Amoah, P. Drechsel, R. C. Abaidoo and M. Henseler. "Irrigated Urban Vegetable Production in Ghana: Microbiological Contamination in Farms and Markets and Associated Consumer Risk Groups". Journal for Water and Health Vol. 5, No. 3, 2007, pp. 455-466, doi: 10.2166/wh.2007.041.
[29]	Ackerson and E. Awwah, "Microbial Risk Assessment of Urban Agricultural Farming: A case study on Kwane Nkrumah University of Sciences and Technology Campus, Kumasi, Ghana", International Journal of Sciences and Technology, Vol. 1, No. 3, 2012, pp. 118-125.
[30]	Ayçiçek, H., B. Sarimehmetodlu and S. Çakiroglu, 2004. Assessment of the microbiological quality of meals sampled at the meal serving units of a military hospital in Ankara, Turkey. Food Control, 15: 379-384.

Cite This Article

Plain Text BibTeX RIS

APA Style

Amale Mcheik, Ali Awad, Ali Fadel, Carine Mounzer, Salam Nasreddine. (2018). Effect of Irrigation Water Quality on the Microbial Contamination of Fresh Vegetables in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon. American Journal of Agriculture and Forestry, 6(6), 191-197. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajaf.20180606.16

Copy | Download

ACS Style

Amale Mcheik; Ali Awad; Ali Fadel; Carine Mounzer; Salam Nasreddine. Effect of Irrigation Water Quality on the Microbial Contamination of Fresh Vegetables in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon. Am. J. Agric. For. 2018, 6(6), 191-197. doi: 10.11648/j.ajaf.20180606.16

Copy | Download

AMA Style

Amale Mcheik, Ali Awad, Ali Fadel, Carine Mounzer, Salam Nasreddine. Effect of Irrigation Water Quality on the Microbial Contamination of Fresh Vegetables in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon. Am J Agric For. 2018;6(6):191-197. doi: 10.11648/j.ajaf.20180606.16

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.ajaf.20180606.16,
  author = {Amale Mcheik and Ali Awad and Ali Fadel and Carine Mounzer and Salam Nasreddine},
  title = {Effect of Irrigation Water Quality on the Microbial Contamination of Fresh Vegetables in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon},
  journal = {American Journal of Agriculture and Forestry},
  volume = {6},
  number = {6},
  pages = {191-197},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ajaf.20180606.16},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajaf.20180606.16},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajaf.20180606.16},
  abstract = {Irrigation water is probably the leading source of contamination of fresh vegetables in the world. In agricultural intensive areas, surface and groundwater resources are more likely to be exposed to be contaminated with zoonotic bacteria, given their close proximity to sources of faeces from livestock, dairy farms and wildlife. The aim of this study was to determine the role of irrigation water as a vehicle for the transmission of zoonotic bacteria of faecal origin and its contribution to the bacterial contamination of fresh vegetables to conclude with a need of risk management in rural areas. First, to determine the magnitude and the frequency of faecal contamination and the pathogens in the water source, the microbiological quality of the water resources used in irrigation in the studied area, including the upper Litani and the private wells located near its basin was investigated. In a second step, an assessment of the microbiological quality of the fresh vegetables irrigated from these water resources was done. A total of twelve different vegetables comprising spinach, parsley, cabbage and lettuce and 38 water samples were collected from both the well waters and the Litani River from the 5 studied sites and analyzed for a period of 5 months, to assess the microbial contamination level. Samples were analyzed for aerobic bacteria, total coliforms, faecal coliforms, E.coli and S.aureus. All vegetables sampled during the study period recorded high level of coliforms, E.coli and S.aureus. The microbial load recorded in the water samples was generally higher than that recorded in the vegetables. Since most of these vegetables are eaten fresh or slightly cooked, there is a concern on the public health that will be affected. Education of farmers and consumers on food safety has to be intensified to avert a possible outbreak.},
 year = {2018}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Effect of Irrigation Water Quality on the Microbial Contamination of Fresh Vegetables in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon
AU  - Amale Mcheik
AU  - Ali Awad
AU  - Ali Fadel
AU  - Carine Mounzer
AU  - Salam Nasreddine
Y1  - 2018/11/15
PY  - 2018
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajaf.20180606.16
DO  - 10.11648/j.ajaf.20180606.16
T2  - American Journal of Agriculture and Forestry
JF  - American Journal of Agriculture and Forestry
JO  - American Journal of Agriculture and Forestry
SP  - 191
EP  - 197
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2330-8591
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajaf.20180606.16
AB  - Irrigation water is probably the leading source of contamination of fresh vegetables in the world. In agricultural intensive areas, surface and groundwater resources are more likely to be exposed to be contaminated with zoonotic bacteria, given their close proximity to sources of faeces from livestock, dairy farms and wildlife. The aim of this study was to determine the role of irrigation water as a vehicle for the transmission of zoonotic bacteria of faecal origin and its contribution to the bacterial contamination of fresh vegetables to conclude with a need of risk management in rural areas. First, to determine the magnitude and the frequency of faecal contamination and the pathogens in the water source, the microbiological quality of the water resources used in irrigation in the studied area, including the upper Litani and the private wells located near its basin was investigated. In a second step, an assessment of the microbiological quality of the fresh vegetables irrigated from these water resources was done. A total of twelve different vegetables comprising spinach, parsley, cabbage and lettuce and 38 water samples were collected from both the well waters and the Litani River from the 5 studied sites and analyzed for a period of 5 months, to assess the microbial contamination level. Samples were analyzed for aerobic bacteria, total coliforms, faecal coliforms, E.coli and S.aureus. All vegetables sampled during the study period recorded high level of coliforms, E.coli and S.aureus. The microbial load recorded in the water samples was generally higher than that recorded in the vegetables. Since most of these vegetables are eaten fresh or slightly cooked, there is a concern on the public health that will be affected. Education of farmers and consumers on food safety has to be intensified to avert a possible outbreak.
VL  - 6
IS  - 6
ER  -

Copy | Download

Author Information

Amale Mcheik

Doctoral School of Science and Technology, Research Platform for Environmental Science (PRASE), Faculty of Sciences, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon
Ali Awad

Doctoral School of Science and Technology, Research Platform for Environmental Science (PRASE), Faculty of Sciences, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon
Ali Fadel

National Center for Remote Sensing, National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS), Beirut, Lebanon
Carine Mounzer

Doctoral School of Science and Technology, Research Platform for Environmental Science (PRASE), Faculty of Sciences, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon
Salam Nasreddine

Doctoral School of Science and Technology, Research Platform for Environmental Science (PRASE), Faculty of Sciences, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon

Download PDF

Sections

Plain Text BibTeX RIS

APA Style

Amale Mcheik, Ali Awad, Ali Fadel, Carine Mounzer, Salam Nasreddine. (2018). Effect of Irrigation Water Quality on the Microbial Contamination of Fresh Vegetables in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon. American Journal of Agriculture and Forestry, 6(6), 191-197. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajaf.20180606.16

Copy | Download

ACS Style

Amale Mcheik; Ali Awad; Ali Fadel; Carine Mounzer; Salam Nasreddine. Effect of Irrigation Water Quality on the Microbial Contamination of Fresh Vegetables in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon. Am. J. Agric. For. 2018, 6(6), 191-197. doi: 10.11648/j.ajaf.20180606.16

Copy | Download

AMA Style

Amale Mcheik, Ali Awad, Ali Fadel, Carine Mounzer, Salam Nasreddine. Effect of Irrigation Water Quality on the Microbial Contamination of Fresh Vegetables in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon. Am J Agric For. 2018;6(6):191-197. doi: 10.11648/j.ajaf.20180606.16

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.ajaf.20180606.16,
  author = {Amale Mcheik and Ali Awad and Ali Fadel and Carine Mounzer and Salam Nasreddine},
  title = {Effect of Irrigation Water Quality on the Microbial Contamination of Fresh Vegetables in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon},
  journal = {American Journal of Agriculture and Forestry},
  volume = {6},
  number = {6},
  pages = {191-197},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ajaf.20180606.16},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajaf.20180606.16},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajaf.20180606.16},
  abstract = {Irrigation water is probably the leading source of contamination of fresh vegetables in the world. In agricultural intensive areas, surface and groundwater resources are more likely to be exposed to be contaminated with zoonotic bacteria, given their close proximity to sources of faeces from livestock, dairy farms and wildlife. The aim of this study was to determine the role of irrigation water as a vehicle for the transmission of zoonotic bacteria of faecal origin and its contribution to the bacterial contamination of fresh vegetables to conclude with a need of risk management in rural areas. First, to determine the magnitude and the frequency of faecal contamination and the pathogens in the water source, the microbiological quality of the water resources used in irrigation in the studied area, including the upper Litani and the private wells located near its basin was investigated. In a second step, an assessment of the microbiological quality of the fresh vegetables irrigated from these water resources was done. A total of twelve different vegetables comprising spinach, parsley, cabbage and lettuce and 38 water samples were collected from both the well waters and the Litani River from the 5 studied sites and analyzed for a period of 5 months, to assess the microbial contamination level. Samples were analyzed for aerobic bacteria, total coliforms, faecal coliforms, E.coli and S.aureus. All vegetables sampled during the study period recorded high level of coliforms, E.coli and S.aureus. The microbial load recorded in the water samples was generally higher than that recorded in the vegetables. Since most of these vegetables are eaten fresh or slightly cooked, there is a concern on the public health that will be affected. Education of farmers and consumers on food safety has to be intensified to avert a possible outbreak.},
 year = {2018}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Effect of Irrigation Water Quality on the Microbial Contamination of Fresh Vegetables in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon
AU  - Amale Mcheik
AU  - Ali Awad
AU  - Ali Fadel
AU  - Carine Mounzer
AU  - Salam Nasreddine
Y1  - 2018/11/15
PY  - 2018
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajaf.20180606.16
DO  - 10.11648/j.ajaf.20180606.16
T2  - American Journal of Agriculture and Forestry
JF  - American Journal of Agriculture and Forestry
JO  - American Journal of Agriculture and Forestry
SP  - 191
EP  - 197
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2330-8591
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajaf.20180606.16
AB  - Irrigation water is probably the leading source of contamination of fresh vegetables in the world. In agricultural intensive areas, surface and groundwater resources are more likely to be exposed to be contaminated with zoonotic bacteria, given their close proximity to sources of faeces from livestock, dairy farms and wildlife. The aim of this study was to determine the role of irrigation water as a vehicle for the transmission of zoonotic bacteria of faecal origin and its contribution to the bacterial contamination of fresh vegetables to conclude with a need of risk management in rural areas. First, to determine the magnitude and the frequency of faecal contamination and the pathogens in the water source, the microbiological quality of the water resources used in irrigation in the studied area, including the upper Litani and the private wells located near its basin was investigated. In a second step, an assessment of the microbiological quality of the fresh vegetables irrigated from these water resources was done. A total of twelve different vegetables comprising spinach, parsley, cabbage and lettuce and 38 water samples were collected from both the well waters and the Litani River from the 5 studied sites and analyzed for a period of 5 months, to assess the microbial contamination level. Samples were analyzed for aerobic bacteria, total coliforms, faecal coliforms, E.coli and S.aureus. All vegetables sampled during the study period recorded high level of coliforms, E.coli and S.aureus. The microbial load recorded in the water samples was generally higher than that recorded in the vegetables. Since most of these vegetables are eaten fresh or slightly cooked, there is a concern on the public health that will be affected. Education of farmers and consumers on food safety has to be intensified to avert a possible outbreak.
VL  - 6
IS  - 6
ER  -

Copy | Download