• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.222-230
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• 2019

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate water quality in terms of microorganisms and identify the antibiotic resistance of Enterococci isolated from the recycling water in floor fountains at three parks and one reservoir in the Gwangju area. Methods: Water samples were analyzed for Enterococci using membrane Enterococcus indoxyl ${\beta}$ d glucoside agar (mEI) as described in USEPA Method 1600. The vancomycin-resistant Enterococci with VanA and VanB were identified by PCR. An examination of the antibiotic resistance of isolates against 14 antibiotics was performed by the disk diffusion method. Results: The drinking water quality criterion was exceeded for total colony counts in 68% of all recycling water samples. The average concentration of total califorms and fecal coliforms was 139,325 and 413 CFU/100 mL, respectively. VanA and VanB were not detected from the isolates. We found the antibiotic resistant Enterococci strains to be E. faecalis, E. faecium, E. durans, E. mundtii, E. hirae, and E. thailandicus. The isolates were resistant to Rifampin (50%), Erythromycin (25.8%), Tetracycline (10.2%), Nitrofurantoin (8.1%), Minocycline (3.1%), Erythromycin (1.2%), Penicillin (0.7%), Norfloxacin (0.5%), and Teicoplanin (0.5%) among the 14 antibiotics tested. Antibiotic resistance tests for Enterococci from the recycling water of floor fountains resulted in 30.2% showing resistance to two or more antibiotics. Conclusions: These results showed that the multi-antibiotic resistance of Enterococci, E. coli, and others should be investigated continuously in each environment field.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.143-156
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to investigate water quality through a field survey at six floor fountain sites. The floor fountain facilities were designed and operated in such a way that tap water was stored in a water tank and recycled repeatedly. The water tank was cleaned once or twice per week in the summer. The number of facility users was low during the day due to sweltering heat, but up to 40 people, mainly children, were using them around 8 pm. Since the operation time was as short as 30 minutes, it is considered necessary to extend it for at least one hour for the number of users. As a result of the water quality test of the reservoir tank prior to operation after cleaning, it was measured to be within drinking water quality standards at the six facilities. As a result of the water quality test after use, ammonia nitrogen was measured to be 1.45 mg/L at Site IV. This exceeded the drinking water quality standard of 0.5 mg/L. In the case of turbidity, two cases exceed at 7.38 and 4.52 NTU when applying 4 NTU as the water quality standard for waterscape facilities. Twenty-eight cases exceed the standard of drinking water quality. The result of microbiological tests, at five sites excepting Site I, where disinfectant was injected, was that the maximum total colony count was 180,000 CFU/mL, total coliforms was 2,100,000 CFU/100 mL, fecal coliforms was 4,600 CFU/100 mL, Escherichia coli was 170 MPN/100 mL and Enterococcus was 100 CFU/100 mL. This exceeded the water quality standards of drinking water. Children are very likely to inhale because the water spews from below and falls from above, so it is necessary to apply water quality standards for ammonia nitrogen, turbidity and microbes. Current floor fountain facilities are highly susceptible to disease caused by microbial contamination because of water cycling and reuse, so it is necessary to change the water every day, clean the water tank, and perform chlorination. Therefore, it is necessary to inject calcium hypochlorite according to the free chlorine water quality standard of swimming pools with a different water tank capacity. In addition, facilities should be improved to prevent the reuse of water by installing the water tank at a separate location.