The use of DPSIR and SAF for the management of eutrophication in the Ria Formosa

Dissertação mest., Gestão da Água e da Costa, Universidade do Algarve, 2010The Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) approach considers human activities as an integral part of the ecosystem and brings together natural science, social science and economics in one framework for adaptive management. Systems Approach Framework (SAF) encompasses the ecological, social and economic components of the coastal zones and aims to establish a permanent dialogue between scientists, stakeholders and policy makers in the European coastal zones for developing effective ICZM. The objective of the present study is to find management options for eutrophication of the Ria Formosa through DPSIR and SAF. The objective includes indicating the possibility that the same approaches could also be adapted anywhere in the world for different water bodies. DPSIR approach was used to identify the Drivers, Pressures, State, Impact and Responses as well as environmental indicators in the Ria Formosa. Agriculture and Livestock, Aquaculture and Fishery, Tourism and Urbanization were the major drivers. The pressure was nutrient enrichment. The State revealed itself in considerable nutrient concentration, Macro algal growth, occurrence of HAB in some parts of the lagoon and fluctuating oxygen concentration. The Ecological impact was high clam mortality. The associated decrease in aquaculture products, job loss and human intoxication due to HAB belong to Socio-economic impacts. Earlier Responses include measures against nutrient loading and clam mortality. Additional Responses have been recommended, mainly for reduction of nutrient loading. The four steps of SAF were followed. The stakeholders were identified and the issue of eutrophication was agreed on. Having defined the virtual system, the conceptual model of the Ria Formosa was made. Consequently, the possibility of formulating the conceptual model into a numerical model representing the ecological, social and economic components of the system was discussed. The linking of the three components in a simulation model and running the scenarios was, then, discussed. The deliberation process among the stakeholders and policy makers, the scientific body as facilitator is highlighted. The format by which the final output package is disseminated is suggested. Thus, DPSIR and SAF can be used for the management of eutrophication in any part of the world with the necessary modifications on the basis of resources and system characteristics

Prevalence and risk factors of diarrhea among children less than five years of age in the rural suburbs of Dire Dawa, Eastern Ethiopia; Robust Poisson Regression Analysis

Background: Diarrhea is the second leading cause of under-five mortality in Ethiopia. Information on the prevalence and the impacting factors of diarrhea in the rural suburbs of Dire Dawa is inadequate.Objective: This study was aimed at determining risk factors of diarrhea among children less than five years of age in the rural suburbs of Dire Dawa, eastern Ethiopia.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from 02 May 2018, to 31 May 2018. The required 1146 children for this study were selected from the rural suburbs of Dire Dawa using multi-stage sampling. Both bi-variable and multivariable Robust Poisson regressions were used for identifying the risk factors. Explanatory variables with a p-value < 0.05 were considered as independently associated with diarrhea.Results: The prevalence of diarrhea among the children was 23% (95% CI: 20.7 - 25.4). The type of house floor (aPR [adjusted prevalence ratio] = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.84 - 0.95) and sharing latrine with neighbours (aPR = 1.18, 95% CI: 1.09 - 1.26) were the significant factors associated with childhood diarrhea.Conclusion: Earthen house floor and shared use of latrine were the risk factors associated with childhood diarrhea. Hence, improving the house floor condition and construction of private latrine together with health education are recommended.Keywords: Prevalence; diarrhea; rural Dire Dawa; Robust Poisson Regression

Comparing the effect of independent and combined interventions of household chlorination and handwashing on diarrhea of under-fives in rural Dire Dawa, eastern Ethiopia: a cluster randomized controlled trial

Introduction: in poorly developed countries, no single intervention is adequate to interrupt diarrhea occurrence in rural households. However, the effect sizes of multiple interventions and participants combined adherence to the interventions are understudied. This study aimed at comparing combined intervention of water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) with each individual intervention in reducing diarrhea among under-five children in rural Dire Dawa. Methods: a cluster randomized controlled factorial trial was conducted between October 2018 and January 2019. Householders in the first, second and third arms received waterguard, soap and both, respectively. However, householders in the control arm were followed with their customary practices. Generalized estimation equations (GEE) with log link Poisson distribution was used to compute adjusted incidence rate ratio and the corresponding 95% CIs. Results: overall, 36% (aIRR =0.64, 95% CI:0.57 - 0.73), 41% (aIRR =0.588, 95% CI:0.53 - 0.65), and 41% (aIRR =0.585, 95% CI:0.53 - 0.65) reduction in incidence of diarrhea was observed in the water treatment, handwashing and combined arms respectively. This study showed no additional benefit of combining the two interventions than the individual intervention. Conclusion: we recommend implementing either household water disinfection using sodium hypochlorite or household handwashing with hand hygiene promotion independently at large scale to vulnerable population to reduce diarrheal morbidity

An Analysis of the Global Applicability of Ostrom’s Design Principles to Diagnose the Functionality of Common-Pool Resource Institutions

There are a number of gaps in reviews relating Ostrom’s design principles (DPs) to common-pool resource (CPR) institutions. These include the geographical distribution of CPRs, the performance of young CPRs relative to the DPs, and the relationship between robustness and success in adherence to the DPs. to This research aims to: (i) explicitly analyze the geographical distribution of the case studies that have used the DPs, (ii) explore the relationship between the DPs and young CPR institutions, (iii) examine the relationship between robustness and success of CPR institutions based on the DPs, and (iv) identify additional factors contributing to the performance of CPR institutions. In relation to Ostrom’s DPs, the CPRs under review involve management only by the community, co-management between the community and the state, and co-management between the community and non-governmental organizations. The results show that: DPs have been applied in all the inhabited continents; the expression of the DPs is affected by the geographical settings; the DPs do not conclusively diagnose the functionality of young and viable CPR institutions, whereas they may do so for either the short-lived (failed) or the long-lasting institutions; the relationship between robustness and success appears weak; and there are additional factors that contribute to the outcomes of CPR managemen

Prevalence and Trends of Drinking Water Disinfection Byproducts-Related Cancers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Background: Disinfection byproducts (DBPs) from chlorinated drinking water have been linked to an increased risk of cancer in the bladder, stomach, colon, and rectum. No studies showed the independent trends and prevalence of these cancers in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence and trends of disinfection byproducts-related cancers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Methods: Data were collected from the Addis Ababa Cancer Registry. Spatial data sets were produced and classified into households receiving chlorinated surface water and less chlorinated groundwater. The Cochran-Armitage trend test was used to evaluate whether there was a disinfection byproducts-related cancers (DBRCs) trend among communities receiving chlorinated water. Negative binomial regression was used to analyze the incidence rate. Results: A total of 11, 438 cancer cases were registered between 2012 and 2016, and DBRCs accounted for approximately 17%. The majority of the total cancer cases were female; 7,706 (67%). The prevalence of DBRCs was found to be higher in communities supplied with chlorinated water. From 2012 to 2016, the trend of colon cancer increased (β = 10.3, P value = .034); however, esophageal cancer decreased (β = −6.5, P value = .018). Approximately 56% of colorectal cancer patients and 53% of stomach cancer patients are known to be using chlorinated surface water for drinking regularly. In addition, approximately 57.1% and 54% of kidney and bladder cancer patients, respectively, used chlorinated surface water. Conclusion: The prevalence of DBRCs in this study was found to be high. The colon cancer trend increased substantially from 2012 to 2016. The prevalence of DBRCs was higher in communities supplied with chlorinated surface water. Similarly, the prevalence of DBRCs was higher among males than females. Further study is required to validate the association between DBRCs and water chlorination

Association between microbial water quality, sanitation and hygiene practices and childhood diarrhea in Kersa and Omo Nada districts of Jimma Zone, Ethiopia.

INTRODUCTION:Diarrhea is one of the leading causes of child morbidity and mortality in low- and middle-income countries like Ethiopia. The use of safe drinking water and improved sanitation are important practices to prevent diarrhea. However, limited research has been done to link water supply, sanitation and hygiene practices and childhood diarrhea. Therefore, this study aimed at assessing the association between microbial quality of drinking water, sanitation and hygiene practices and childhood diarrhea. METHODS:Community-based matched case-control study design was applied on 198 paired children from June to July 2019 in Kersa and Omo Nada districts of Jimma Zone, Ethiopia. Cases are children < 5 years of age with diarrhea during the two weeks before the survey. The controls are children without diarrhea during the two weeks before the survey. Twenty-five percent matched pair samples of water were taken from households of cases and controls. Data were collected using structured questionnaire by interviewing mothers/caregivers. A sample of water was collected in nonreactive borosilicate glass bottles and analyzed by the membrane filtration method to count fecal indicator bacteria. A conditional logistic regression model was used; variables with p-value less than 0.05 were considered as significantly associated with childhood diarrhea. RESULTS:A total of 396 (each case matched with control) under-five children with their mothers/caregivers were included in this study. In the analysis, variables like presence of under-five child in their home (AOR = 2.76; 95% CI: 1.33-5.71), wealth status (AOR = 5.39; 95% CI: 1.99-14.55), main sources of drinking water (AOR = 4.01; 95% CI: 1.40-11.44), hand washing practice before water collection (AOR = 4.28; 95% CI: 1.46-12.56), treating water at household level (AOR = 1.22; 95% CI: 0.48-3.09), latrine use all the times of the day and night (AOR = 0.22; 95% CI: 0.06-0.78), using pit as method of waste disposal (AOR = 4.91; 95% CI: 1.39-13.29) and use of soap for hand washing (AOR = 2.89; 95% CI: 1.35-6.15) were significantly associated with childhood diarrhea. Moreover, 30% of sampled water from cases and 26% of sampled water from controls families were free from Escherichia coli whereas all sampled water analyzed for Total coliforms were positive. CONCLUSIONS:We conclude that the main sources of drinking water, hand washing before water drawing from a storage container, domestic waste disposal place and use of soap for hand washing were the most important factors for the prevention of childhood diarrhea

Evaluation of toxic elements in nails of tannery workers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

© 2020 Elsevier B.V. Working in tannery is associated with the manifestation of various diseases caused by unregulated exposure to non-biodegradable toxic elements. The aim of this study was to determine the levels of arsenic, chromium, lead and nickel in the nail of tanner workers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The level of toxic elements in the nail samples was measured using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES). Pearson correlation, principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) were used to identify the potential contributing sources of elements. The mean nail levels of As, Cr, Pb and Ni were 0.74 ± 1.21, 306.83 ± 21.42, 1.23 ± 0.69 and 3.99 ± 0.26 µg/g respectively. In all tanneries, the mean elemental concentration patterns found in the nail samples was in the increasing order of AS \u3c Pb \u3c Ni \u3c Cr. The Kruskal-Wallis test result revealed that there was a significant difference in Ni (χ2(2) = 9.266, p = 0.01) and As (χ2(2) = 12.453, p = 0.002) concentrations among the three different tanneries such as ELICO-Awash (T1), Batu (T2) and Addis Ababa (T3). However, the results didn\u27t show a significant difference for Cr (p = 0.469) and Pb (p = 0.116). Our results showed elevated levels of Cr in 94.6% of nail samples compared to previous studies. In addition, workers in the tanning industries were also exposed to other toxic elements such as As, Pb and Ni. This study stresses the need for increased investigation of adverse health impacts of metal exposure in tannery industries

Effectiveness of solar disinfection water treatment method for reducing childhood diarrhoea: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective This study aimed to pool out the available evidence on the effectiveness of the solar disinfection water treatment method for reducing childhood diarrhoea.Design Systematic review and meta-analysis.Setting Global.Methods Searches were conducted in Medline/PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library databases and references to other studies. The review included all children living anywhere in the world regardless of sex, ethnicity and socioeconomic status published in English until December 2019. Studies that compared the diarrhoea incidence between the intervention group who were exposed to solar disinfection water treatment and the control group who were not exposed to such water treatment were included. The outcome of interest was the change in observed diarrhoea incidence and the risk from baseline to postintervention. Two independent reviewers critically appraised the selected studies. Effect sizes were expressed as risk ratios, and their 95% CIs were calculated for analysis.Results We identified 10 eligible studies conducted in Africa, Latin America and Asia that included 5795 children aged from 1 to 15 years. In all identified studies, solar disinfection reduced the risk of diarrhoea in children, and the effect was statistically significant in eight of the studies. The estimated pooled risk ratio of childhood diarrhoea among participants that used the solar disinfection water treatment method was 0.62 (95% CI 0.53 to 0.72). The overall pooled results indicated that the intervention of solar disinfection water treatment had reduced the risk of childhood diarrhoea by 38%.Conclusions The intervention of solar disinfection water treatment significantly reduced the risk of childhood diarrhoea. However, the risk of bias and marked heterogeneity of the included studies precluded definitive conclusions. Further high-quality studies are needed to determine whether solar disinfection water treatment is an important method to reduce childhood diarrhoea.PROSPERO registration number CRD4202015924

Fecal Contamination in the Wastewater Irrigation System and its Health Threat to Wastewater-Based Farming Households in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Due to rapidly growing demand, the production of vegetables is increasing along the Akaki Rivers. The objective of this study was to examine the degree of fecal contamination and levels of fecal contamination and dissemination throughout the wastewater irrigation system. Irrigation water, irrigated soil, and leafy vegetables were collected twice during 2 vegetable growing seasons, at the maturity period of the growing season, from 19 sampling points along the 2 Akaki Rivers. Composite samples were taken from all sampling points and E.coli was enumerated. The mean E.coli load in wastewater and non-wastewater sources were 1.1 6 ±5.5 3 CFU/100 ml and 2.23 2 ±1.29 2 CFU/100 ml respectively. All counts of E. coli in the wastewater exceeded the WHO’s standards indicating that the irrigation water quality was unacceptable. In the wastewater-irrigated and non-wastewater-irrigated soil, the mean E.coli were 3.6 2 ±1.58 2 CFU/g and 1.32 2 ±87.1 CFU/g respectively. Meanwhile, the mean E.coli counts on the lettuce and Swiss chard were 78 ± 2 CFU/g and 44 ±3CFU/g respectively. The E.coli count on the leafy vegetables was found to be associated with the E.coli in the wastewater and soil. The production of leafy vegetables using wastewater with unacceptably high levels of E.coli and high occupational exposure introduces high levels of risk to the farming communities and to the consumers. Leafy, low-growing raw edible vegetables need careful treatment during food production and harvesting procedures or activities

Distribution of helminth eggs in environmental and stool samples of farming households along Akaki River in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Abstract Background Helminth infections are a public health issue in countries with poor sanitation facilities. However, there little information on the epidemiological association between helminths in wastewater and soil samples and rates of helminth infection among farming households along the Akaki River in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted between November 2021 and February 2022. A stratified random sampling technique was used to select farming households. The sample size for each district was determined by a proportionate allocation to the number of households. From wastewater-irrigated farms, 70 wastewater samples, 28 soil samples, and 86 farmers' stool samples were collected and analyzed for helminths. A questionnaire was used to gather ethnographic data, about farming households, whereas wastewater and soil sample analysis was used to generate quantitative data on helminth loads. The data were systematically analysed by developing themes, and bias evaluated using triangulation validation methodologies. Potential pathways to helminth infection were evaluated by measuring. Total number of helminth eggs in wastewater, soil samples and farmer's stools was investigated using Poisson regression. Results In this study, 82.9% of wastewater samples, 57.1% of soil samples, and 18.6% of farmers' stool samples contained helminth eggs. The most prevalent helminth was Ascaris lumbricoides in all samples (wastewater 67%, soil 25%, and stool 10.5%), followed by hookworm (wastewater 10%, soil 21.4%, and stool 6.9%) and Trichuris trichiura eggs (wastewater 5.7%, soil 10.7%, and stool 1.2%). There was a positive association between the total number of helminth eggs in wastewater and soil samples with counts in farmers’ stool. The Poisson regression coefficients for wastewater and soil were, 1.63 (95% CI = 1.34–1.92) and 1.70 (95% CI = 1.39–2.01), (p < 0.05). Conclusions This research has shown a clear association between the total helminth eggs in wastewater and soil samples and farmer stools along the Akaki River. Therefore, an integrated approach is essential to address the issue in this area and prevent the spread of further helminth infections