Damiba Wendyam Arsene Flavien, Gathenya John Mwangi, Raude James Messo, Home Patrick Gathogo
Civil Engineering, Environment, and Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) Pan African University-Institute for Basic Sciences Technology and Innovation (PAUSTI) Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) Nairobi Kenya.
Soil, Water and Environmental Engineering Department Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) Nairobi Kenya.
Geohealth. 2025 Mar 27;9(4):e2024GH001169. doi: 10.1029/2024GH001169. eCollection 2025 Apr.
The increase in water contaminants threatens ecosystems and human health, underscoring the need for effective water quality (WQ) control. This study assessed the Kakia-Esamburmbur catchment's water sustainability status for drinking purposes by analyzing water samples from the catchment. In-depth physical, chemical, and microbiological investigations were undertaken using a dual approach. This entailed using the Water Quality Index (WQI) for domestic uses and applying a health risk assessment model. The study revealed that turbidity, total viable bacteria, fecal coliforms, and Escherichia coli exceeded WHO, East African, and Kenyan standards (EAS and KEBS) for domestic use and that 50% of samples tested for electrical conductivity also exceeded these guidelines. According to EAS for natural drinking water, 30% of water sources were classified as poor, 20% as very poor, and 50% as unsuitable for domestic use. Overall mean WQI values, based on standards, indicated that the WQ was unfit for domestic use. Nine pesticides associated with antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) were identified and quantified using Pesticide Human Health Risk Assessment (PHHRA). As a result, 70% of water samples had high levels of carbendazim (CBD), rendering them unsafe for children and infants to consume. This was indicated by a hazard quotient (HQ) > 1 and hazard index (HI) > 1. Statistical evaluations showed geogenic and anthropogenic pressures control hydrogeochemical and microbiological processes in water.
水中污染物的增加威胁着生态系统和人类健康，凸显了有效控制水质的必要性。本研究通过分析该流域的水样，评估了卡基亚-埃桑布尔姆布尔流域用于饮用目的的水可持续性状况。采用双重方法进行了深入的物理、化学和微生物调查。这包括使用生活用水水质指数（WQI）并应用健康风险评估模型。研究表明，浊度、总活菌数、粪大肠菌群和大肠杆菌超过了世界卫生组织、东非和肯尼亚的生活用水标准（EAS和KEBS），并且50%检测电导率的样本也超过了这些指导标准。根据EAS对天然饮用水的标准，30%的水源被归类为差，20%为极差，50%不适合家庭使用。基于标准的总体平均WQI值表明水质不适合家庭使用。使用农药人类健康风险评估（PHHRA）鉴定并定量了九种与抗生素抗性基因（ARG）相关的农药。结果，70%的水样多菌灵（CBD）含量高，对儿童和婴儿来说饮用不安全。这通过危害商（HQ）>1和危害指数（HI）>1表明。统计评估表明，地质和人为压力控制着水中的水文地球化学和微生物过程。
