Parasite load of raw wastewater from the city of Biskra’s discharge outfalls - Z’mor and Biskra valleys (Algeria)

Abstract

Algeria, like other arid and semi-arid African countries, is confronted by problems related to rapid population growth and water stress (water short-age). This stress fosters raw wastewater reuse in market gardening and hor-ticulture. The advantages of this wastewater consist of their nutrients whose organic materials contribute to soils enrichment with humus, as well as their availability in large quantities. However, raw wastewater reuse entails a po-tential risk of environmental and water resources pollution. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the parasite load of raw wastewater from the city of Biskra’s discharge outfalls (Biskra valley and Z'mor valley), while consider-ing the demographic and socio-economic profile of populations connected to these outfalls. Our results revealed a variety of parasites in the form of hel-minths eggs at the following average concentrations: Ascaris sp. (33.66 eggs/L,), Trichuris sp. (22 eggs/L), Enterobius vermicularis (19.58 eggs/L), Ancy-lostoma sp. (17.41 eggs/L), Nematodirus sp. 17.83 (eggs/L), Hymenolepis nana (21.66 eggs/L), Moniezia expansa (16.5 eggs/L), Taenia sp. (18.5 eggs/L), Fasciola hepatica (0.58 eggs/L) and Strongyloides spp (17.11 eggs/L). The parasitic helminths eggs distribution varies according to the size of urban areas and the socio-economic level of populations connected to each outfall. This study also highlighted the qualitative and quantitative seasonal varia-tions of helminths eggs in wastewater from Biskra’s two outfalls.