Quality assessment of roof-harvested rainwater in the West Bank, Palestinian Authority.

Rain harvesting is becoming more common in the Palestinian Territories as a result of drinking water scarcity. Although it might pose serious human health risk, this water is being consumed without treatment in many areas of the West Bank. The present study evaluates the physicochemical and microbial quality of harvested rainwater that is used as potable water in the West Bank. Samples from roof-harvested rainwater storage tanks (n = 42) were collected in summer (SS) 2006/winter (WS) 2007. Physicochemical parameters measured were: temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, salinity, total dissolved solids, turbidity, nitrate, copper and lead. With few exceptions, all these parameters were within WHO guideline values. All samples (100%) were found to contain coliforms and to be heavily contaminated with heterotrophic bacteria. About 67% of all samples were contaminated with fecal coliforms. Specific PCR technique confirmed the presence of five pathogenic microorganisms that can be ordered according to their prevalence as: Citrobacter (83%) > Acinetobacter (78%) > Aeromonas (52%) > Pseudomonas and Campylobacter (7%). Prevalence of microorganisms in SS was higher than in WS. Although the physicochemical quality of most harvested rainwater samples was in accordance with WHO guidelines for drinking water, stored rainwater was significantly contaminated with bacteria resulting in significant human health risk from infectious diseases.

Distribution of toxic metals in organs of local cattle, sheep, goat and poultry from the West Bank, Palestinian Authority.

Graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry was used to measure the concentrations of Cu, Cd, Pb, and Zn in muscles and internal organs (liver, kidneys, heart, and lungs) of cattle, sheep goat and poultry sampled from local markets in the West Bank, Palestinian Authority. Mean levels of metals (dry weight basis) during this study were as follows: Cd: 0.34-0.57 microg/g, Pb: 0.2-4.7 microg/g, Cr: 0.44-3.62 microg/g and Cu: 1.03-217.9 microg/g. Muscles and internal organs of each species were found to have statistically different metal levels. Generally, livers and kidneys were found to have the highest levels of metals and muscles the lowest levels. When compared to each other, the four animal groups either did not show any significant differences or no clear trends. Compared to results reported in the literature, our results were comparable to or less than most of the studies reported from clean sites in different countries.