Matwewe Fatuma, Hyland Kate, Thomas Jacqueline
Environmental Health and Ecological Sciences, Ifakara Health Institute, P.O. Box 53, Ifakara, Morogoro, Tanzania E-mail:
Maji Safi kwa Afya Bora (MSABI), P.O. Box 284, Ifakara, Morogoro, Tanzania.
J Water Health. 2018 Jun;16(3):359-368. doi: 10.2166/wh.2018.220.
In developing countries, rural water sources have the highest levels of faecal contamination but are the least monitored. Affordable field-based water quality tests are needed. The presence of faecal indicator bacteria can be determined with hydrogen sulphide (HS) detecting tests, that are inexpensive and simple to make locally. In rural Tanzania, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) designed, produced and evaluated a new HS water quality test kit. The HS test results correlated with log Escherichia coli densities from conventional water quality tests. The production cost was US$ 1.10 and the test retailed for US$ 1.37. In total, 433 tests were sold through local pharmacies and NGOs. Additionally, 165 WaSH education meetings, reaching 3,408 community members, were conducted with the HS test demonstrated in over half the meetings. Pre- and post-surveys of 294 meeting participants saw an increased reporting of household level water treatment by 24%. The HS test was widely accepted, with 94% of those surveyed willing to buy the test in the future. International and national guidelines for drinking water monitoring need to be amended to include locally produced HS water quality tests. This will enable households to monitor their own water sources and make informed choices about water safety and treatment.
在发展中国家，农村水源的粪便污染程度最高，但监测却最少。因此需要价格亲民的现场水质检测方法。可以通过硫化氢（HS）检测试验来确定粪便指示菌的存在，这种检测方法成本低廉且易于在当地制作。在坦桑尼亚农村，一个非政府组织（NGO）设计、生产并评估了一种新型HS水质检测试剂盒。HS检测结果与传统水质检测中大肠杆菌密度的对数值相关。该试剂盒的生产成本为1.10美元，零售价格为1.37美元。通过当地药店和非政府组织总共售出了433份检测试剂盒。此外，还举办了165场水、环境卫生与个人卫生（WaSH）教育会议，有3408名社区成员参加，超过半数的会议展示了HS检测。对294名会议参与者进行的会前和会后调查显示，家庭层面水处理的报告增加了24%。HS检测被广泛接受，94%的受访者表示愿意在未来购买该检测产品。国际和国家饮用水监测指南需要修订，以纳入当地生产的HS水质检测方法。这将使家庭能够自行监测其水源，并就水安全和处理做出明智的选择。
