Background and Objective: Fungi are widely distributed in nature and they are usually present in attomospher but other sources such as WATER play an important role in their ecology. This study was done to evaluate mycoflora assessment in drinking TAP WATER in Sari, North of Iran. The TAP WATER collected form Sari WATER distribution system for fungi.Materials and Methods: In this descriptive study, a volume of 100 ml of TAP drinking WATER samples (n=60) were collected in sterile bottles. All WATER samples passed through sterile 0.45 micrometer filters. The filters were placed directly on Malt extract agar and incubated at 27oC for 3-7 days. Routine mycological techniques were applied to identify the grown fungi.Results: Out of 468 grown fungal colonies, eight different fungal genera were identified. The total mean cfu per 100 ml for the positive samples were 8.4. Aspergillus (37.4%) and Penicillium (27.3%) were the most common isolated fungi. Rhizopus (0.6%) had the lowest frequency. Among Aspergillus species, A. flavus had the highest frequency.Conclusion: Our result showed that various fungi were present in the TAP drinking WATER. We propose fungi should be considered as part of the microbiological analysis parameters in drinking TAP WATER.

Background and aims: As a result of poor quality of public WATER supply in many countries, people have recently turned to bottled WATER consumption, the fluoride content of which is not generally consistent among different brands. This study sought to measure the fluoride concentration of public WATER supply in comparison with commercial brands of mineral bottled WATER available in Tehran, Iran.Materials and methods: Eight different brands of locally produced bottled mineral WATER and samples of TAP WATER were evaluated for fluoride content. All samples were collected in five equal containers in two summer and winter seasons. The fluoride content in part per million (ppm) was determined using a fluoride Ion Selective Electrode. The data were analyzed using two-way ANOVA. For comparison of the fluoride content between three different brands of bottled WATER, one-way ANOVA was employed. Sample t-test was used to compare the label and laboratory values of bottled WATER.Results: The highest concentration of fluoride in a bottled WATER brand was found to be 0.409 ppm with a pH of 6.67 in summer. There was a significant difference between the mean fluoride level of TAP WATER (0.229±0.079 ppm) and bottled WATER (0.111±0.122 ppm) (P<0.001). The measured fluoride concentrations of bottled WATER were significantly lower than those printed on the labels (P<0.001).Conclusion: Our findings revealed that the mean fluoride level of both bottled and TAP WATER samples evaluated is considerably lower than accepted standards.

Background: It is considered that if radon gas is inhaled and ingested, it is the primary health risks for lung and stomach cancers. This paper presents the measurement results of radon activity concentrations both residential TAP WATER and dam WATER for Kastamonu city Centre-Turkey. Materials and Methods: The radon activity concentrations of WATER samples collected from 60 TAP WATERs at four locations and 12 dam WATER of study area were determined. Radon concentrations were measured using the professional radon monitor AlphaGUARD PQ2000 PRO (Genitron Instruments).Results: The mean value for all residential TAP WATER samples and dam WATER samples were ascertained as 0.050 Bq l-1 and 0.741 Bq l-1, respectively. The annual effective doses were calculated for the inhalation of radon released to air when WATER is used and the ingestion of drinking WATER. The mean values for inhalation and ingestion were found to be 0.1266 mSv y-1 and 0.0105 mSv y-1, respectively. For the radon exposure from ingestion, the annual effective doses were calculated for infants, children, and adults, separately.Conclusion: When the results compared with the internationally recommended safe limits, the TAP WATERs of Kastamonu city Centre is safe for drinking purposes in terms of radon activity concentrations.

Background: Although the pathogenesis of Helicobacter pylori is well-defined, the origin and transmission of the bacterium have remained largely unknown. The WATER transmission hypothesis suggested that WATER acts as a carrier in oral-fecal transmission, especially in high-prevalence areas. We aimed to evaluate the possible contamination of TAP WATER with infective H. pylori in Kermanshah, Iran from Sep-Oct 2020. Methods: TAP WATER samples were collected from varieties of probable high-alert regions and the viability of H. pylori were achieved using culture and real-time PCR techniques (ureA gene expression). Results: Out of 50 TAP WATER samples, 3 were positive for H. pylori before enrichment and 6 were positive after enrichment by RT qPCR, while H. pylori colonies of two samples were observed on brucella agar plates. Conclusion: The results of positive samples demonstrated the probable presence of viable H. pylori in TAP WATER samples, showing that TAP WATER distribution systems could be a potential route for H. pylori transmission.

Background and purpose: One of the most prominent concerns for the WATER consumers is pathogenic microorganism contamination. Wells and underground WATER resources are the main resources of drinking WATER in Sari city, Iran. The main objectives of the research project were to explore the distribution and frequency of mycoflora in wells and underground WATER resources of the city and their contamination effects on humans.Materials and methods: Three reservoirs and 18 wells or underground WATER resources were analyzed. WATER samples were then filtered and analyzed according to the World Health Organization guidelines. Each filter and 0.2 ml of suspension inoculated on SDA+CG media. For fungal growth, plates were incubated at 27’C for 7-10 days. The fungi were identified by standard mycological techniques.Results: Fungal colonies were isolated from all samples. From total of 160 fungal colonies isolated from wells WATER, 14 species of fungi were distinguished. Rhodotorula (54.4%), Monilinia (13.7%), Alternaria (6.9%) were the most commonly isolated. Drechslera, Rhizopus, and Exserohilum (0.6%) had the lowest frequency. There was no significant difference between fungal elements isolated from three major reservoirs (P>0.05).Conclusion: This study revealed that resources of drinking WATER from an area have to monitored and if its fungal CFU be greater than a certain value, medical and health preventive measures should be taken before the WATER is used by human. In this context, public and private awareness should also be provided through the media, broadcasting, teachers and scholars.