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Diarrhea risks by exposure to livestock waste in Vietnam using quantitative microbial risk assessment

  • Original Article
  • Published:
International Journal of Public Health

Abstract

Objectives

The aim of this paper was to assess the diarrhea risks caused by various pathogens among those exposed to biogas wastewater through different activities.

Methods

Application of quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) of biogas wastewater was conducted in Hanam Province, Vietnam. A total of 451 representatives from households that use biogas were interviewed about their practices of handling biogas plant and reuse of biogas effluent for irrigation. In addition, 150 samples of biogas wastewater were analyzed for Escherichia coli, Cryptosporidium parvum, and Giardia lamblia. Risk characterization was calculated using Monte Carlo simulation.

Results

The annual diarrhea risk caused by exposure to biogas effluent through irrigation activities ranged from 17.4 to 21.1% (E. coli O157:H7), 1.0 to 2.3% (G. lamblia), and 0.2 to 0.5% (C. parvum), while those caused through unblocking drains connected to biogas effluent tanks were 22.0% (E. coli), 0.7% (G. lamblia), and 0.5% (C. parvum).

Conclusions

Further measures are needed to reduce the risk by either improving the microbial quality of biogas effluent or by ensuring the use of personal protective measures when exposed to biogas wastewater.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the numerous individuals, communities, and organizations for providing valuable information and assistance to accomplish this study. Especially, we thank Ms Nguyen Thi Hong for her great contribution to this study. We thank the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology for analyzing the wastewater samples. This study was supported by the Canadian International Development Research Center (IDRC) through the project of Ecohealth Field Building Leadership Initiative (FBLI, Grant No. 106556). TL was supported by an Eawag Partnership Program (EPP). HNV has been supported by the CGIAR Program Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH) led by IFPRI and by the Chrono-environment laboratory of the Universite de Franche-Comte through a visiting professorship. This study received ethical clearance from the Institutional Review Board of Hanoi School of Public Health No. 051/2004/YTCC-HD3, Code: 014-051/DD-YTCC.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Public Health and Ecosystem Research, Hanoi School of Public Health, Hanoi, Vietnam

    Thu Le-Thi, Phuc Pham-Duc, Toan Luu-Quoc, Huong Nguyen-Mai, Tu Vu-Van & Hung Nguyen-Viet

  2. Department of Water and Sanitation in Developing Countries, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland

    Christian Zurbrügg

  3. International Livestock Research Institute, Van Phuc Diplomatic Compound, 298 Kim Ma Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi, Vietnam

    Hung Nguyen-Viet

Authors
  1. Thu Le-Thi
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  2. Phuc Pham-Duc
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  3. Christian Zurbrügg
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  4. Toan Luu-Quoc
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  5. Huong Nguyen-Mai
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  6. Tu Vu-Van
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  7. Hung Nguyen-Viet
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hung Nguyen-Viet.

Additional information

This article is part of the supplement “Health and social determinants of health in Vietnam: local evidence and international implications”.

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Le-Thi, T., Pham-Duc, P., Zurbrügg, C. et al. Diarrhea risks by exposure to livestock waste in Vietnam using quantitative microbial risk assessment. Int J Public Health 62 (Suppl 1), 83–91 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-016-0917-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-016-0917-6

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