Authors : Odjuku Tiafack et; Mani Essomba Pauline Manuella

Volume/Issue : Volume 9 - 2024, Issue 11 - November

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/232chpt9

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/2uh755r9

DOI : https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14717012

Abstract : In urban areas, particularly in precarious neighborhoods, the health of populations depends on the quality of water and their living environment. In cities, especially in precarious neighborhoods in developing countries where access to water resources remains difficult, the water consumed is not always of good quality because of its contamination by various wastes. This situation exposes city dwellers to waterborne diseases such as typhoid, cholera, skin diseases, diarrhea, etc. The objective of this article is therefore to show the health risks incurred by city dwellers who consume water from decentralized supply points (wells and springs) previously polluted in the precarious neighborhoods of Melen and Elig-Effa. The documentary research made it possible to collect a certain amount of qualitative data on the subject. The water supply methods used by populations, the use of water resources, the management of wastewater and waste, and the logic of the various stakeholders were understood through field observations, semi-directed interviews, and questionnaire surveys. Physicochemical and bacteriological analyses were carried out in five types of water supply structures. It follows that the populations of the studied neighborhoods are supplied mainly from wells and springs coexisting with latrines, household waste and waste water likely to pollute them. The waters sampled have a conductivity with values of 185.2μS/cm for the summary well of Melen II, 272μS/Cm for the summarily arranged well of Melen III, 600 for the arranged well of Melen V, 192 for the summary well of Elig-Effa II, 281.5 for the summarily arranged well of Elig-Effa III, 601 for the arranged well of Elig- Effa V, 199 for the unarranged spring of Melen I and 488 for the arranged spring of Elig-Effa I. These values are well above the normal threshold of water conductivity recommended by the WHO (250μS/cm). Temperature values between 26° and 27.5° do not comply with the potability standards set by France, Cameroon and the WHO (below 25°). The results also indicated the presence of nitrate without danger for the populations in the waters of wells and springs studied because their levels are well below the standards recommended by France (ÿ50 mg/l), by the WHO (<44 mg/l) and by Cameroon (ÿ50mg/l). The results of the bacteriological analyses show a significant concentration of coliforms and fecal streptococci. The concentrations of fecal coliforms are higher in the waters of the summary well of Elig-Effa II (301 CFU/100 ml maximum) than those of the Melen II summary well (238 CFU/100 ml maximum), the roughly prepared well of Melen III (151 CFU/ 100 ml maximum), the unprepared spring of Melen I (207 UFC/100 ml maximum), the roughly prepared well of Elig-Effa III (112 UFC/100 ml maximum), etc. These waters also show a high concentration of faecal streptococci. In the waters of the wells and springs studied, the values of which are between 4 CFU/100 ml maximum and 15 CFU/100 ml maximum. In view of these results, it appears that the The water on the site is unfit for consumption and likely to harm human health.

Keywords : Access to Water, Health Risks, Melen And Elig- Effa Districts, Yaoundé.

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