MICROBIOLOGICAL AND PHYSICO
CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OFTHE CHI RIVER,MAHA SARAKHAMPROVINCE, THAILAND

Abstract

Water contamination, particularly microbiological contamination, has been an emerging problem that influences human health. This research aimed to assess the pathogenic contamination of the Chi River in Maha Sarakham Province, Thailand. Surface water samples were collected bi-monthly from January to December 2016from six stations along the river. Total coliform and faecal coliform bacteria, which are pathogenic index bacteria, were enumerated using the multiple-tube fermentation approach. The results
indicated that levels of total coliform and faecal coliform bacteria were in the range of less than 4x102to 9x103
MPN/100 ml. Of the 72 collected samples, 9 from a station possessed faecal coliform levels that exceeded the water quality standards according to the Thailand National Environment Standard for consumption and agricultural water. Furthermore, the physico-chemical qualities of the water samples were as follow: water temperature ranged from 21.20 to 34.17 ºC, pH ranged from 6.8 to 10.03, DO ranged from 2.51 to 9.82 mg/L, BOD ranged from 1.10 to 6.07 mg/L, NO3-N ranged from 0.30 to 1.13 mg/L, and PO4
-3-P ranged from 0.08 to 0.47 mg/L. According to the Thailand National Environment Standard for consumption and agricultural water,
21 samples from all stations, 8 samples from 2 stations and 64 samples from all stations did not comply to the criteria of pH, DO and BOD, respectively. In conclusion these findings demonstrated that the Chi River in Maha Sarakham had been contaminated and must be intensively managed and improved before human consumption.