RESUMEN
Globally, the deterioration of drinking water quality is a major public health problem that contributes to the spread of disease and causes death. Therefore, it is important to have regular quality control monitoring. This study aimed to assess the level of physicochemical and bacteriological quality of household drinking water and its contributing factors in flood-prone settlements of South Gondar Zone, Ethiopia. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in flood-prone settings of Northwest Ethiopia from January 17 to March 30, 2021. Structured questionnaires were used to gather the sociodemographic, environmental, and behavioral data. A total of 675 drinking water samples were collected from water storage containers of selected households. Logistic regression models were used for both univariate and multivariable studies. The survey included a total of 675 households. The mean values of pH (5.9 ± 1.03), turbidity (6.7 ± 2.21 NTU), and free residual chlorine (0.02 ± 0.01 mg/l) did not meet the WHO recommended limits for drinking water. The prevalence of fecal contamination of drinking water in the study area was 62.2% with [95% CI (53-60%)]. Family size [AOR = 2.205, 95% CI (1.375-3.536), absence of latrine [AOR = 3.449, 95% CI (1.349-8.823)], and lack of a separate container to draw water from its storage [AOR = 0.454, 95% CI (0.249-0.827)] were significant predictors for fecal contamination of household drinking water. In conclusion, the water quality in terms of pH, turbidity, residual chlorine, and bacteriological parameters was poor and not suitable for consumption. High prevalence of fecal contamination of water was found, and it was significantly associated with family size, the absence of a latrine, and the lack of a separate cap to take water from the storage. Therefore, continuous chlorination and monitoring its concentration, educating the community on how to use stored water, educating the advantage of having a latrine, and promoting point-of-use treatments such as filtration and boiling are needed.
RESUMEN
Different land use practices have a substantial influence on soil quality. An inappropriate land use system in Ethiopia leads to extensive deforestation which aggravates the loss of soil fertility. Even though there are various studies conducted on the effect of land use type on soil physicochemical properties, it is inadequate in the northern highlands of Ethiopia, in particular in the Dabat district. Thus, this study aimed to assess the effect of land use type and soil depth on selected soil physicochemical properties in the Shihatig watershed, Northwest Ethiopia. A total of 24 undisturbed core and disturbed composite soil samples were collected from the four land use types (natural forest, grazing, cultivated, and Eucalyptus lands) and two depths (0-20 cm and 20-40 cm) with three replications. The physicochemical properties of the soil were determined using standard operating procedures. The two-way analysis of variances was conducted using SAS software, Version 9.4. The result showed that the texture and soil organic carbon were affected by land use type, soil depth, and the interaction of the two factors; while bulk density, soil moisture content, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, cation exchange capacity, and level of Mg2+ were significantly affected by both land use and soil depth, whereas pH and electrical conductivity were affected by only the land use type. The highest clay, pH, electrical conductivity, total nitrogen, cation exchange capacity, and exchangeable cations (Ca2+ and Mg2+) were recorded in the natural forest land, while the lowest values of the same parameters were found under cultivated land. The mean values of most of the soil properties were low in the cultivated and Eucalyptus lands. Therefore, adopting sustainable cropping systems such as crop rotation and the addition of organic manure, and minimizing planting the Eucalyptus tree is vital to improve the existing soil quality and enhance crop productivity.
