PATHOGENIC FUNGAL CONTAMINATION OF MUNICIPAL DUMPING YARD, KOTTAYAM AND RELATED HEALTH EFFECTS
Journal Title: Journal of Evolution of Medical and Dental Sciences - Year 2017, Vol 6, Issue 86
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fungi are ubiquitous soil saprophytes often involved in various human ailments. Fungal diseases are emerging worldwide. However, the mycological health risks associated with dumping yard is not much investigated, especially from developing countries where such sites are very common. Aims and Objectives- The major objective of the study was to analyse the possible mycological threat posed by the municipal dumping yard. The study also aims to assess the health status of interacting community in relation to the dumping yard. MATERIALS AND METHODS A descriptive study was conducted from April to June 2015 in Kottayam Municipal dumping yard at Vadavathoor. Two set of soil samples, a total of 50 from the dumping yard were collected, before and after burning of the dumping yard. One set of samples from leachate and neighbouring open wells were collected after burning of the dumping yard. Samples were collected in sterile containers and transported immediately to the laboratory. The samples were cultured on to suitable fungal culture medium and the growths of the fungus were identified by the microscopic and macroscopic features. RESULTS The isolated fungal pathogens from the soil shows that 49% isolates belonged to the Aspergillus genus; and the remaining 51% was almost equally shared by four other different species Geotrichum, Humicola, Microsporum, Rhizopus. Similar fungi isolated from the leachate in the dumping yard fetched six species with a higher prevalence of Aspergillus fumigates and Aspergillus nidulans. The mycological evaluation of the drinking water resources near to the dumping yard (< 100 metre) showed presence of twelve fungal pathogens with exceptionally high frequency of occurrence for Aspergillus fumigatus. The socioeconomic and health survey of the neighbouring community showed that 38.1% of the respondents have skin infections and 1.8% of them have cancer. CONCLUSION The study showed significantly high level of contamination of soil and water due to fungal pathogens. This might be a reason for skin infections among the neighbouring community people.
Authors and Affiliations
Vipinunni Vipinunni, Sabarianand Sabarianand, Bernaitis L, Preesly M. S, Revathi P. Shenoy
Keywords
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