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Occurrence and seasonal variations of Giardia in wastewater and river water from Al-Jinderiyah region in Latakia, Syria

ABSTRACT This study investigates the occurrence and concentration of Giardia cysts in wastewater and river water samples in Al-Jinderiyah region, Latakia, Syria. A total of 120 samples were collected between October 2016 and October 2017 from influent and effluent of Al-Jinderiyah Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) and from three contaminated river water sites. Samples were concentrated and subjected to microscopic examination. The results show that the concentrations of cysts ranged from 0 to 297 cysts/L in wastewater samples. The overall removal efficiency of cysts in the activated sludge WWTP was 84.35%. The concentrations of cysts ranged from 0 to 128.52 cysts/L in river water samples. The highest concentration in river water was recorded near the raw wastewater discharge point. Seasonal variations of Giardia cysts concentration were significant, and the highest concentrations were recorded in the rainy season. The results suggest that Giardia may pose a public health risk in the studied region. Abbreviations WWTP = Waste Water Treatment Plant; S1, S2, S3, S4 and S5 = sampling sites in the studied area