Effect of chlorination of drinking-water on water quality and childhood diarrhoea in a village in Pakistan.

TY - JOUR

T1 - Effect of chlorination of drinking-water on water quality and childhood diarrhoea in a village in Pakistan.

AU - Jensen, Peter K

AU - Ensink, Jeroen H J

AU - Jayasinghe, Gayathri

AU - van der Hoek, Wim

AU - Cairncross, Sandy

AU - Dalsgaard, Anders

N1 - Keywords: Calcium Compounds; Child, Preschool; Diarrhea; Humans; Intervention Studies; Pakistan; Water Microbiology; Water Purification

PY - 2003

Y1 - 2003

N2 - To evaluate the importance of public-domain transmission of pathogens in drinking-water, an intervention study was carried out by chlorinating the public water-supply system in a village in Pakistan. The water quality improved and reached a geometric mean of 3 Escherichia coli per 100 mL at the last standpipe of the water-supply system. Drinking-water source used and the occurrence of diarrhoea were monitored on a weekly basis over a six-month period among 144 children aged less than five years in the village. In this group, the children using chlorinated water from the water-supply scheme had a higher risk of diarrhoea than children using groundwater sources, controlled for confounding by season and availability of a toilet and a water-storage facility. The incidence of diarrhoea in the village (7.3 episodes per 10(3) person-days) was not statistically different from that in a neighbouring village where most children used water from a non-chlorinated water-supply system with very poor water quality. In this study area, under non-epidemic conditions, the reduction of faecal bacteria in the public drinking-water supply by chlorination does not seem to be a priority intervention to reduce childhood diarrhoea. However, the study was of limited size and cannot provide conclusive evidence.

AB - To evaluate the importance of public-domain transmission of pathogens in drinking-water, an intervention study was carried out by chlorinating the public water-supply system in a village in Pakistan. The water quality improved and reached a geometric mean of 3 Escherichia coli per 100 mL at the last standpipe of the water-supply system. Drinking-water source used and the occurrence of diarrhoea were monitored on a weekly basis over a six-month period among 144 children aged less than five years in the village. In this group, the children using chlorinated water from the water-supply scheme had a higher risk of diarrhoea than children using groundwater sources, controlled for confounding by season and availability of a toilet and a water-storage facility. The incidence of diarrhoea in the village (7.3 episodes per 10(3) person-days) was not statistically different from that in a neighbouring village where most children used water from a non-chlorinated water-supply system with very poor water quality. In this study area, under non-epidemic conditions, the reduction of faecal bacteria in the public drinking-water supply by chlorination does not seem to be a priority intervention to reduce childhood diarrhoea. However, the study was of limited size and cannot provide conclusive evidence.

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 12751671

SN - 1606-0997

VL - 21

SP - 26

EP - 31

JO - Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition

JF - Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition

IS - 1

ER -