Occurrence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Drinking Water from Water Vending Machine (WVM)
| dc.contributor.author | Nur Sabrina Binti Habib | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-09-03T02:47:55Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2024 | |
| dc.description | The rise in popularity of water vending machine (WVM) due to urban modernization has given a rise to concerns regarding the quality and safety of the drinking water. Several data have shown the potential risk WVM could harbor. However, there is a lack of such data on its risk in Sarawak. Some studies have found that there is a potential risk of WVM being contaminated with the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In this research, the level of P. aeruginosa prevalence in WVM is studied. Over the course of 2 months from January 2021 to February 2021, sampling was done once a month from WVM located in Kota Samarahan and Kuching. A total of one hundred drinking water samples (n=100) were taken from Kota Samarahan (n=50) and Kuching (n=50). The physical condition, surrounding location, date of maintenance and whether the WVM had a licensed were observed. The drinking water were analyzed for pH, total dissolved solids (TDS) and temperature. Enumeration and isolation of P. aeruginosa was done using single dilution method for most probable number (MPN). Identification was done with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the ETA gene, Antibiotic susceptibility test (AST) done according to the M45 guideline. Biofilm forming capacity of P. aeruginosa was studied in vitro. The results concluded that 26% of WVM from Kota Samarahan and 36% from Kuching were positive for the presence of ETA positive P. aeruginosa and it was observed that many of the WVM were not in acceptable condition including the absence of dispensing area cover, low hygiene condition, unsanitary or unsuitable locations and a lack or absence of maintenance done to the WVM. The AST conducted showed that P. aeruginosa was most susceptible to Meropenem (64%) and it was most resistant to ciprofloxacin (28%). The biofilm forming capacities were mostly observed to be moderate iv strength with 5 moderate strength and only 1 non-adhering based on P. aeruginosa biofilm-forming capacity in vitro. It is recommended that a stricter monitoring of WVM is needed to ensure the safety of the public. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://scholarhub.unimas.my/handle/123456789/1977 | |
| dc.language.iso | English | |
| dc.publisher | UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA SARAWAK | |
| dc.relation.ispartofseries | Faculty of Resource Science and Technology | |
| dc.subject | Pseudomonas aeruginosa, water vending machine (WVM), most probable number (MPN), ETA gene, biofilm | |
| dc.title | Occurrence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Drinking Water from Water Vending Machine (WVM) | |
| dc.type | Masters |