• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.56-66
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• 1984

Giardia lamblia is a pathogenic flagellate causing intestinal disorders such as diarrhea, abdominal pain and malabsorption of nutrients. Giardia is mainly infected by the ingestion of contaminated foods per os. Craun (1979) has recently reported that mass infection of this flagellate through the contaminated water supply systems is one of public health hazards. Also, so-called traveller's diarrhea is sometimes caused by Giardia infection (CDC, U.S.A., 1971). However, a few epidemiological studies figuring out the mode of infection or control measures of Giardia infection has been done so far in Korea. The present study was aimed to know the prevalence of Giardia infection in several Korean populations, detectability of this flagellate in water systems and the viability of the cysts against sewages and disinfectants applying to drinking water. In the present study, 388 stool specimens from orphanage children in Chun-joo, Chung-joo, On-yang and Chun-an areas and 538 stool specimens from inhabitants in Woo-do, In-chon, and Chun-joo were examined by formalin-ether concentration technique to detect out Giardia cysts. On the other hand, water samples from 14 sites of Han River and its tributaries were collected in May through July, 1984. Fifty liter of water sample in each sampling site was then filtered through water filtering system deviced by U.S. Environmental Proutection Agency and the sediments rinsed out from the thread rolls, a part of water filtering system, were examined to detect out the Giardia cysts. In order to observe the viability of Giardia cysts in the sewage samples, the cysts were treated in it at $4^{\circ}C$ or $25^{\circ}C$ for 7 through 28 days. For this purpose, the cysts were also exposed to various concentrations of disinfectants such as chlorine, iodine and ozone gas for proper time intervals. After treatment, the viability test of the Giardia cysts were carried out by method of Rice and Schaefer (1981) with minor modification. The results obtained in this study were as follows : 1) The detection rates of G lamblia cysts in the stool specimens were 18.3% in orphans and 4.3% in general examinees. 2) The prevalences of Giardia Infection were higher in the young age groups than in-adults. The highest positive rate was 18.4% in the age group less than 10. 3) Of 14 water specimens sampled from Han River system and its tributaries around the Seoul area, the Giardia cysts were detected from 4 samples, and no cyst was found in the water supply systems. 4) The cysts treated in the sewage survived for 28 days at $4^{\circ}C$ and for 13 days at $25^{\circ}C$. 5) The cysts were completely destroyed within 60 minutes by exposure to 8 mg/l of residual chlorine at 4g and within 30 minutes by exposure to the same concentration of chlorine at $25^{\circ}C$. 6) The cysts were all dead when exposed to 1 mg/1 of iodine for 60 minutes at $4^{\circ}C$ or $25^{\circ}C$. 7) The cysts were destroyed after 10 minute exposure in 0.15 mg to 0.25mg of residual ozone gas per liter. Summarizing the above results, it is considered that Giardia infection is regarded as water-borne disease and the cysts are able to be controlled by the application with the disinfectants in the water supply systems.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.7 no.6
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• pp.761-772
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• 1998

This study was performed to determine the optimum coagulant dosing amount for effective treatment of raw water. The removal rate of turbidity and the variations of water qualities according to various dosage of coagulants such as Alum, PAC and PACS were investigated. The optimum coagulant dosing amount to make the lowest turbidity of water were 35mg/ι t of Alum, 30mg/ι of PAC and 10mg/ι of PACS in case of 5 NTU of raw water turbidity, and 30mg/ι of Alum, 25mg/ι of PAC and 10mg/ι of PACS in case of 10 NTU of that, respectively. The removal rates of turbidity at 4 min. and 8 min. of settling time were 10 and 72% of Alum, 44 and 62% of PAC and 25 and 55% of PACS in case of 5 NTU, and 52 and 70% of Alum, 90 and 95% of PAC and 10 and 28% of PACS in case of 10 NTU, respectively. Judging from the settling capability of floc., the reaction time of floe. formation and removal efficiency of turbidity, PAC was evaluated as more effective coagulant than Alum and PACS. Also PAC was regarded as the most effective coagulant when the water supply was changed sharply and the fluctuation of the surface loading occured with wide and sharp in settling basin. pH and alkalinity of the water were decreased with increasing coagulants dosage. But pH and alkalinity were not decreased below 5.8 which is the standard for drinking water quality, and 10mg/ι which is the limit concentration of floc. breakage, respectively. Residual Al of the treated water was decreased with increasing coagulants dosage in case of 5 and 10NTU of raw water turbidity. $KMnO_4$ consumption of the water was decreased with increasing coagulants dosage. The reduction rate of $KMnO_4$ consumption at the optimum coagulants dosage were 39% of Alum. 18% of PAC and 11% of PACS in case of 5 NTU of raw water turbidity, and 42% of Alum, 27% of PAC and 36% of PACS in case of 10 NTU of that, respectively. Any relationship was not found between the removal rate of turbidity and KMnO$_4$ consumption. TOC of the water was a bit decreased with increasing coagulants dosage up to 30mg/ι but not changed above 30mg/ι of coagulants dosage. The degree of TOC reduction was increased in the order of Alum, PAC and PACS treatment. Zeta potential of the colloidal floe. at the optimum coagulants dosage was in the range of -20~-15mV in case of 5 NTU of raw water turbidity and 0~0.5mV in case of 10 NTU of that. respectively. Although the kinds and dosages of coagulants were different, zeta potential range were fixed under the conditions of the best coagulation efficiency.