Isolation, Identification of the Water-borne Protozoan Parasites
355
Table 8. Cryptosporidium oocysts and Giardia cysts enumeration in soil samples in
Chafetz-Chaim (September, 1998)
Soil Sample
Soil moisture
Giardia
Cryptosporidium
(cm depth)
% by weight
(cysts g.l)
(oocysts g.l)
Chafetz-Chaim: cabbage
Drip surface effluent
11.1
39
116
(0 cm)
Drip surface effluent
13.5
0
28
(30 cm)
Drip subsurface effluent
13.0
0
60
(0 cm)
Drip subsurface effluent
14.6
44
44
(30 cm)
The obtained results are part of a major project on dripping irrigation (surface
and subsurface) of different crops (vineyard, almond trees and cabbage) with
oxidation pond effluent. There are two major observations from the obtained
results: (1) both protozoan parasites can migrate up to a depth of 90 cm; (2) there
is no special pattern of migration, as can be seen from the variety of depths that
both parasites were isolated from.
3.3 Isolation and Enumeration of Cryptosporidium Oocysts and
Giardia Cysts from Vegetables Irrigated with Different Effluent
Qualities
The last part of the present study was to detect Giardia cysts and Cryptosporidium
oocysts on vegetable crops that reach Haifa Public Health Laboratory (Ministry of
Health, Israel). Part of the crops reach the laboratory coming from the Palestinian
Authority areas (Fig. 1) and part from the Galilee agricultural areas (Israel) (Fig.
2) for routine microbiological testing of coliforms and faecal coliforms.
According to our information, some of the Palestinian farmers irrigate their
crops with raw sewage while the Israeli farmers use different qualities of effluents
and also drinking water. As can be seen from Fig. 1, the poor quality of water
used for irrigation heavily contaminate crops with protozoan parasites. A special
case was found with zucchini that was the most predominant crop harbouring
Cryptosporidium oocysts. This vegetable has a hairy and sticky outer husk that
encourages oocyst sticking. In the case of the use of improved water quality for
irrigation the contamination with protozoan parasites was much lower, yet it did
not reach zero level (Fig. 2).
355
Table 8. Cryptosporidium oocysts and Giardia cysts enumeration in soil samples in
Chafetz-Chaim (September, 1998)
Soil Sample
Soil moisture
Giardia
Cryptosporidium
(cm depth)
% by weight
(cysts g.l)
(oocysts g.l)
Chafetz-Chaim: cabbage
Drip surface effluent
11.1
39
116
(0 cm)
Drip surface effluent
13.5
0
28
(30 cm)
Drip subsurface effluent
13.0
0
60
(0 cm)
Drip subsurface effluent
14.6
44
44
(30 cm)
The obtained results are part of a major project on dripping irrigation (surface
and subsurface) of different crops (vineyard, almond trees and cabbage) with
oxidation pond effluent. There are two major observations from the obtained
results: (1) both protozoan parasites can migrate up to a depth of 90 cm; (2) there
is no special pattern of migration, as can be seen from the variety of depths that
both parasites were isolated from.
3.3 Isolation and Enumeration of Cryptosporidium Oocysts and
Giardia Cysts from Vegetables Irrigated with Different Effluent
Qualities
The last part of the present study was to detect Giardia cysts and Cryptosporidium
oocysts on vegetable crops that reach Haifa Public Health Laboratory (Ministry of
Health, Israel). Part of the crops reach the laboratory coming from the Palestinian
Authority areas (Fig. 1) and part from the Galilee agricultural areas (Israel) (Fig.
2) for routine microbiological testing of coliforms and faecal coliforms.
According to our information, some of the Palestinian farmers irrigate their
crops with raw sewage while the Israeli farmers use different qualities of effluents
and also drinking water. As can be seen from Fig. 1, the poor quality of water
used for irrigation heavily contaminate crops with protozoan parasites. A special
case was found with zucchini that was the most predominant crop harbouring
Cryptosporidium oocysts. This vegetable has a hairy and sticky outer husk that
encourages oocyst sticking. In the case of the use of improved water quality for
irrigation the contamination with protozoan parasites was much lower, yet it did
not reach zero level (Fig. 2).