Original scientific paper

Contamination of soil and sand with parasite elements as a risk factor for human health in public parks and playgrounds in Pula, Croatia

Dagny Stojčević ; Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Velimir Sušić ; Department of Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Snježana Lučinger ; Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

The objectives of the present study were to screen soil and sand samples collected from public parks and children’s playgrounds in the city of Pula for the presence of infective stages of parasites and to determine the prevalence of helminth eggs and protozoan cysts and oocysts in two seasons. 90 samples of soil and sand were collected from a total of nine parks and surveyed on two occasions, in June and December. Throughout the study 4 genera of nematode eggs and 2 genera of protozoan cysts and oocysts were detected. The contamination
rate was different in the dry and rainy season. The most frequent finding was Toxocara sp. eggs and had the highest prevalence in both seasons. Of 90 samples 15.5% were positive for Toxocara spp. eggs in June and 23.3% in December. Our results show that Ascaris lumbricoides eggs from human faeces were detected in 4.4% samples in June and 15.5% in December. In June 45% of all parasite eggs were embryonated and in December the percentage rose to 75%. The increase in the number of positive findings in December was only found to be statistically significant (P<0.05) for A. lumbricoides eggs. There was no significant difference in the number of positive findings between soil and sand samples.

Keywords

soil contamination; parasite eggs; parks; Croatia

Hrčak ID:

62389

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/62389

Publication date:

16.12.2010.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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