Health assessment of wastewater reuse in Jordan

Abstract

Irrigation with low quality of treated wastewater in the Jordan Valley has been practiced for several decades. The present study was designed to determine the health effects of this practice on the transmission of two protozoan infections, giardiasis and amoebiasis. Results of this study showed that at the exposed group 73% of the subjects were infected by Giardia and/or Entamoeba histolytica, and only 24% in the control zone. This excess of parasitic infestation may be related to the low quality of wastewater reuse in agriculture. © 2007 Springer.