Health effect of urban wastewater reuse in a peri‐urban area in Morocco

Abstract

Describes a study designed to assess the health effect of the agricultural reuse of urban wastewater in a peri‐urban area of Marrakesh, by evaluating the impact of this practice on the transmission of two pathogenic protozoan infections – giardiasis and amoebiasis. The study was carried out on two child populations (608 individuals). The exposed group (321 children) came from the wastewater spreading area, while the non‐exposed group (287 children) came from a control peri‐urban area where surface water is used in irrigation. Results showed that, of the exposed group, 67 per cent of the examined persons were infected by giardiasis and/or amoebiasis, versus 26 per cent in the control zone. Concludes that the risk of infection rate attributable to reuse of waste water is about 41 per cent. This excess of parasitic infestation in the spreading zone may be related to wastewater reuse in agriculture, which creates a polluted environment.

Citation

Amahmid, O. and Bouhoum, K. (2000), "Health effect of urban wastewater reuse in a peri‐urban area in Morocco", Environmental Management and Health, Vol. 11 No. 3, pp. 263-269. https://doi.org/10.1108/09566160010372004