The Heavy Metals and Microbiological Profiles of the Major Drinking Water Supply System of Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines

Paper Details

Research Paper 01/03/2022
Views (748) Download (80)
current_issue_feature_image
publication_file

The Heavy Metals and Microbiological Profiles of the Major Drinking Water Supply System of Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines

Ronnie L. Besagas, Romeo M. Del Rosario, Angelo Mark P. Walag
Int. J. Biosci.20( 3), 154-160, March 2022.
Certificate: IJB 2022 [Generate Certificate]

Abstract

This study characterized Cagayan de Oro’s major water supply system. Copper, chromium, lead, cobalt, manganese, nickel, and cadmium concentrations were measured in both raw and treated water along with two microbiological parameters (total coliform and Escherichia coli). The samples were composed of raw water from the Bubunawan River in Baungon, Bukidnon and processed water from selected households in Carmen, Cagayan de Oro City. The atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) found that most selected metals were present in raw and processed water at varying concentrations. The raw water was found to contain Cu, Cr, Pb, Mn, and Cd, while the processed water contained Cu, Cr, Pb, and Cd, with no Mn detected. The concentrations of these metals were within the PNSDW, USEPA, and WHO maximum allowable limits, indicating that the public is safe from the effects of these heavy metals. Too numerous to count total coliform bacteria indicated that the raw water sample was significantly polluted with coliform bacteria. This signifies that pathogen are present in the water supply, rendering it unsafe for human consumption unless regularly disinfected. On the other hand, the disinfected raw water or processed water had less than 1 total coliform count and no E. coli. The treated water met the PNSDW and USEPA microbiological criteria. In conclusion, the treatment process applied to Cagayan de Oro City’s major water supply system is effective in producing drinking water free of harmful heavy metals and microorganisms.

VIEWS 235

Alberta Environmental Protection. 2006. Alberta Water Quality Guideline for the Protection of Fresh Aquatic Life: Copper. Standards and Guidelines Branch, Alberta Environmental Protection. Retrieved from http://environemnt.gov.ab.ca/info/library/7253.pdf.

ATSDR. 2000. Toxicological profile for manganese. Atlanta, GA, United States Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

Besagas RL, Asoy AY, Ceniza MS, Leopoldo GD, Dael NT, Del Rosario RM. 2015. Upland and Coastal Freshwater Sources in Misamis Oriental, Philippines. Mindanao Journal of Science and Technology 13, 1-11.

Canavan MM, Cobb S, Srinker C. 1934. Chronic manganese poisoning. Archives of Neurology and Psychiatry 32, 501–512.

Cook DG, Fahn S, Brait KA. 1974. Chronic manganese intoxication. Archives of Neurology 3, 059– 64.

Liyanage C, Yamada K. 2017. Impact of population growth on the water quality of natural water bodies. Sustainability 9(8), 1405.

Martin S, Griswold W. 2009. Human Health Effects of Heavy Metals. Center for Hazardous Substance Research. Kansas State University. Retrieved from http://www.engg.ksu.edu/CHSR/outreach/docs/15/HumanHealthEffectofHeavyMetals.pdf.

Roels HA. 1992. Assessment of the permissible exposure level to manganese in workers exposed to manganese dioxide dust. British Journal of Industrial Medicine 49, 25–34.

Shindell DT, Rind D, Lonergan P. 1998. Climate change and the middle atmosphere. Part IV: Ozone response to doubled CO2. Journal of Climate, 11, 895–918.

Soh YC, Roddick F, Van Leeuwen J. 2008. The future of water in Australia: The potential effects of climate change and ozone depletion on Australian water quality, quantity and treatability. The Environmentalist 28(2), 158–165.

USEPA. 2000. Chromium Compounds. U. S. Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/hlthef/chromium.html.

Voss R, May W, Roeckner E. 2002. Enhanced resolution modelling study on anthropogenic climate change: Changes in extremes of the hydrological cycle. International Journal of Climatology 22, 755–777.

WHO. 2011. Manganese in Drinking-water: Background document for development of WHO Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality. World Health Organization. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/chemicals/manganese.pdf.

Zhao H, Duan X, Stewart B, You B, Jiang X. 2013. Spatial correlations between urbanization and river water pollution in the heavily polluted area of Taihu Lake Basin, China. Journal of Geographical Sciences 23(4), 735–752.