Assessment of Drinking Water Quality Served in Different Restaurants at Islam Nagor Road Adjacent to Khulna University Campus, Bangladesh

Potable water is a growing requirement for sound health as contaminated water and water-borne pathogens pose serious health risks to human beings. Considering this issue, the current study aimed to assess the drinking water quality served in different restaurants close to the Khulna University campus in Bangladesh. A total number of ten drinking water samples were collected from different restaurants. Afterward, the collected water samples were analyzed to examine the physico-chemical properties and microbiological contamination of the water samples. Besides, microbial properties such as Total Coliform (TC), Fecal Coliform (FC), and E. coli were analyzed by the Membrane Filtration (MF) technique. The findings suggest that all the physico-chemical attributes were within the permissible limits regarding recommended Bangladesh standards and WHO guidelines. But in case of EC, 40% of the samples exceeded the WHO permissible limits and for sodium, 10% of samples exceeded both the BD and WHO standards. In addition, the results disclosed that the drinking water served in different restaurants was contaminated by TC, FC, and E. coli. It is observed that 100% of the samples were contaminated by TC and FC whereas 70% of the samples were contaminated by E. coli. Consequently, it is clearly evident that the water is considered suitable with respect to physico-chemical analysis but this drinking water is unfit for consumption while taking into account its microbiological quality. The total coliform, fecal coliform, and E. coli count attests to the fact that anyone can become harmed at any moment by ingesting water from roadside restaurants. Finally, due to bacterial contamination, the served drinking water in these places doesn’t meet safe and suitable water excellence, therefore, consumption of this water is deleterious to public health.

Environmental Study on a Coastal River of Bangladesh with Reference to Irrigation Water Quality Assessment: A Case Study on Shailmari River, Khulna

Water quality is the critical environmental determinant that influences the agricultural production and therefore, the economy that solely depends on its agricultural productions. Batiaghata Upazilla is one of the major crop productive areas of Khulna region and the agricultural production here largely depends on the natural water of the Shailmari River system around it. The present study was conducted to assess the suitability of this coastal river water for irrigational use. 66 water samples were collected during this study in three consecutive agricultural seasons, viz., pre-monsoon (22), monsoon (22) and post-monsoon (22) from 11 sampling stations within the river system considering the high (11) and ebb (11) tides for each station. Standard methods were followed throughout the study period for the collection of the samples and analysis of major physicochemical parameters (pH, EC, TDS, salinity, Na, K, Ca, Mg, Cl, HCO3, SO4, NO3 and PO4). Hydrocehmical characterization using Piper trilinear diagram shows that the water of the river system is Na-Cl dominated saline water type in pre-monsoon, whilst most of the samples of the river and the connected channel are characterized as fresh water of Ca-Mg-Na-HCO3 and Ca-Na-Mg-HCO3 types in monsoon and post-monsoon respectively. The calculated values of chemical indices like SAR, %Na, KI, PI and MH using the results of the analysed parameters indicate that the river water is chemically unsuitable for use in irrigation during pre-monsoon, while in the monsoon and post-monsoon the river water is within good to permissible limit for the use in the agricultural fields. However, high %Na, KI and MH values with high salinity of the channel water limit its use in agricultural applications in monsoon and post-monsoon. The USSL (United States Salinity Laboratory) diagram depicts that the river water is C4-S4 type with very high salinity and sodium content in pre-monsoon, while in other seasons the water is mostly C1-S1, C2-S1 or C2-S2 types (low to moderate salinity and sodium) in the river. Wilcox diagram shows that the river water is “suitable” for irrigation during monsoon and post-monsoon as the most of the samples range within “Excellent to Good” and “Good to permissible” categories, while it is “unsuitable” for crop irrigation during pre-monsoon when SAR (Sodium Adsorption Ratio) and EC (Electrical Conductivity) values of the water reach to their peaks.

Assessment of Groundwater Quality in a Tidal River Basin of the Ganges Delta in Bangladesh

At Shailmari River basin, located in the central Ganges Delta and the southwestern coastal Bangladesh, groundwater is the only potable source for water supply due to incompatible surface water sources. However, salinity degradation along with arsenic and iron contamination poses a serious health threat to the basin community. Considering this, an investigation was carried out along both banks of the river to assess groundwater vulnerability and its quality for drinking by conducting multi-seasonal water sampling campaigns from 20 domestic wells and analyses (both in-situ and laboratory) for several physico-chemical (pH, EC, TDS and major ions) and biological (coliforms) parameters. The results show slightly alkaline groundwater in the study area with largely variable chemical composition, i.e. EC varies from around 1900 to 2700 μS/cm. The abundance of major ions indicates as Na+ > Ca2+ > Mg2+ > K+ for cations and ?> Cl- > ?> ?> ?for anions. As per the Canadian water quality index (CCMEWQI), almost all groundwater samples concentrate in the marginal category meaning that groundwater is frequently threatened. Besides, it is not fully safe for drinking as revealed from comparison of geochemical data with national and WHO water quality standards.