Microbiological and Physicochemical Quality of Groundwater and Risk Factors for Its Pollution in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
Traoré, Oumar ; Kpoda, Dissinviel Stéphane ; Dembélé, René ; Saba, Courage Kosi Setsoafia ; Cairns, Johannes LU
; Barro, Nicolas
and Haukka, Kaisa
(2023)
In Water (Switzerland)
15(21).
p.1-14
- Abstract
Ouagadougou is a city with three million inhabitants and an increasing demand for water of sufficient quality. New boreholes are drilled to match demand, but their protection from anthropogenic contamination is insufficient. To assess the quality of urban groundwater in Ouagadougou for the first time, a total of 32 borehole water samples were collected and assessed for bacteriological and physicochemical features using established methods. Health risk inspections and hazard assessments were undertaken at sampling sites to identify potential hazards and contributing factors. Statistical analysis was used to identify associations between risk factors and water pollution. The study revealed poor quality of groundwater in Ouagadougou with... (More)
Ouagadougou is a city with three million inhabitants and an increasing demand for water of sufficient quality. New boreholes are drilled to match demand, but their protection from anthropogenic contamination is insufficient. To assess the quality of urban groundwater in Ouagadougou for the first time, a total of 32 borehole water samples were collected and assessed for bacteriological and physicochemical features using established methods. Health risk inspections and hazard assessments were undertaken at sampling sites to identify potential hazards and contributing factors. Statistical analysis was used to identify associations between risk factors and water pollution. The study revealed poor quality of groundwater in Ouagadougou with major nonconformities related to total coliforms, Escherichia coli, and turbidity. Water samples from 19 boreholes (59%) were contaminated with coliforms, and 11 (34%) with E. coli. Additionally, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterococcus, and anaerobic sulphite-reducing bacterial spores were detected. Deviations from physicochemical quality requirements were observed for water turbidity, pH, nitrate, fluorine, and iron. Risk analysis showed the major high-risk practices to be sludge spreading or having a garbage heap, a latrine, a septic tank, or dirty water near a borehole. Based on these results, for public health protection, authorities must take strict measures to prohibit such practices around these important sources of drinking water in Ouagadougou.
(Less)
- author
- Traoré, Oumar
; Kpoda, Dissinviel Stéphane
; Dembélé, René
; Saba, Courage Kosi Setsoafia
; Cairns, Johannes
LU
; Barro, Nicolas
and Haukka, Kaisa
- publishing date
- 2023-11
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- keywords
- Africa, boreholes, groundwater, microbiological quality, physicochemical quality, risk factors
- in
- Water (Switzerland)
- volume
- 15
- issue
- 21
- article number
- 3734
- pages
- 1 - 14
- publisher
- MDPI AG
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85176600185
- ISSN
- 2073-4441
- DOI
- 10.3390/w15213734
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- no
- additional info
- Publisher Copyright: © 2023 by the authors.
- id
- 283f2481-d46b-41e8-9983-80759f0d6928
- date added to LUP
- 2026-03-05 09:29:18
- date last changed
- 2026-03-05 11:46:40
@article{283f2481-d46b-41e8-9983-80759f0d6928,
abstract = {{<p>Ouagadougou is a city with three million inhabitants and an increasing demand for water of sufficient quality. New boreholes are drilled to match demand, but their protection from anthropogenic contamination is insufficient. To assess the quality of urban groundwater in Ouagadougou for the first time, a total of 32 borehole water samples were collected and assessed for bacteriological and physicochemical features using established methods. Health risk inspections and hazard assessments were undertaken at sampling sites to identify potential hazards and contributing factors. Statistical analysis was used to identify associations between risk factors and water pollution. The study revealed poor quality of groundwater in Ouagadougou with major nonconformities related to total coliforms, Escherichia coli, and turbidity. Water samples from 19 boreholes (59%) were contaminated with coliforms, and 11 (34%) with E. coli. Additionally, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterococcus, and anaerobic sulphite-reducing bacterial spores were detected. Deviations from physicochemical quality requirements were observed for water turbidity, pH, nitrate, fluorine, and iron. Risk analysis showed the major high-risk practices to be sludge spreading or having a garbage heap, a latrine, a septic tank, or dirty water near a borehole. Based on these results, for public health protection, authorities must take strict measures to prohibit such practices around these important sources of drinking water in Ouagadougou.</p>}},
author = {{Traoré, Oumar and Kpoda, Dissinviel Stéphane and Dembélé, René and Saba, Courage Kosi Setsoafia and Cairns, Johannes and Barro, Nicolas and Haukka, Kaisa}},
issn = {{2073-4441}},
keywords = {{Africa; boreholes; groundwater; microbiological quality; physicochemical quality; risk factors}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{21}},
pages = {{1--14}},
publisher = {{MDPI AG}},
series = {{Water (Switzerland)}},
title = {{Microbiological and Physicochemical Quality of Groundwater and Risk Factors for Its Pollution in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/w15213734}},
doi = {{10.3390/w15213734}},
volume = {{15}},
year = {{2023}},
}