Evaluation of the quality of wet and dry sand in Velipoja beach (Albania) through microbiological parameters

• Pages: 76-81

Vol. 10 No. 3

November, 2024

Academic Journal of Business, Administration

Law and Social Sciences

76

E-ISSN 2410-8693

ISSN 2410-3918

Evaluation of the quality of wet and dry sand in Velipoja beach (Albania)

through microbiological parameters

Hajrije Dibra

Water Study Center for Shkodra Region, Faculty of Natural Sciences,

University of Shkodra, Albania,

DOI: hps://doi.org/10.2478/ajbals-2024-0022

Abstract

Microorganisms are natural inhabitants of beach sands. The levels of pathogenic

microorganisms in beach sands can increase through direct deposition from human activities,

wastewater discharges, and animals. In this study, the presence of pathogenic microorganisms

and faecal pollution (E. coli and E. faecalis) was evaluated in the sandy beach of Velipoja, which

was monitored during the period April - September 2024 (once a month) in 5 sampling stations

with a total of 90 samples (dry sand, wet sand and seawater ) were collected and analysed for

microbiological parameters. All stations were evaluated using the beach sand classication

under the Blue Flag program. Escherichia coli concentration during sampling period ranged

from 0 to 52 CFU/g. The maximum value of Escherichia coli was registered in August. This

high pollution is a consequence of a surface water discharge channel. Enterococci faecalis

concentration during sampling period ranged from 2 to 80 CFU/g. The maximum value of

80 CFU/g was observed at station 4. Based on the results obtained, Velipoja beach does not

represent any risk to human health.

Keywords: sandy beaches, pathogenic microorganisms, infectious disease, faecal pollution,

marine ecosystems

1. Introduction

Beach sand can harbour a variety of microorganisms, including bacteria (E. coli,

enterococci), viruses, fungi, and protozoa. According to international literature, many

microorganisms that have been isolated from beach sand, may act as reservoirs or

vectors of infection, as well as a source of water contamination (Whitman et al.,

2014; Solo-Gabriele et al., 2016; Weiskerger et al., 2019). A number of species of

Research Article

© 2024 Hajrije Dibra

This is an open access article licensed under the Creative Commons

Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)