ABSTRACT
Background: Free-living amoebae [FLAs] in drinking water exerts an indirect public health hazards as they may harbor pathogenic microorganisms that can escape drinking water treatment processes and reach to end user. The aim of this study was to observe the existence of free-living amoebae through drinking water treatment plants in Great Cairo governorate, Egypt. Water samples were collected from 3 drinking water treatment plants [DWTPs] and filtered through nitrocellulose membranes, then placed on non-nutrient agar with Escherichia coli for cultivation of free-living amoebae
Results: The obtained amoebae were morphologically identified and confirmed to genus level. The results revealed that the occurrence of free-living amoebae in intakes and finished water of the examined DWTPs reached 95% and 31%, respectively. The removal percentage of free-living amoebae through different treatment processes reached its highest rate in Rod Elfarag DWTP [100%], followed by Embaba DWTP [63.64%], and reached to [41.67%] in Shubra El-Kheima DWTPs. Almost all the morphologically identified [FLA] strains proved to be related to genus Acanthamoeba, Naegleria
Conclusion: the presence of free-living amoebae in drinking water exerts an indirect public health hazards as they may harbor pathogenic microorganisms that can escape drinking water treatment processes and reach to end user