Bacteriological and Physicochemical Assessment of Water Quality of the Public Swimming Pools in Klang Valley Malaysia

Background: Water is essential for life and it is used for various activities such as drinking, bathing, and recreational purposes and also one of the modes of the transmission of the disease. Objective: The objective of this study to assess the present of bacteriological and the standard of physicochemical quality of swimming pools’ water in Lembah Klang, Malaysia. Methodology: Seven water sample collected from outdoor and indoor swimming pools (hotel, apartment and public swimming pool) in Lembah Klang, Malaysia. The water samples were collected in sterile bottles (30 ml). Physicochemical parameters were determined using water quality testing kit pH & chlorine apparatuses. The water sample than had cultured and incubated. The presence of bacteria was counted by total bacterial count method. Result: The ranges of mean values of the various chlorine level parameters of the selected water samples investigated for the apartment, hotel and municipal were, 0.56±1.01, 0.77±0.95 and 1.19±0.91. All the physicochemical parameters except conductivity values were within the permissible limits of the World Health Organization (WHO) standards 2006 and American National Standard for Water Quality in Public Pools and Spas (ANSI/APSP) 2015. The mean standard plate count of water samples from the selected apartment, hotel, and municipal’s swimming pools were, 28407.14±28469.05, 8192.86±10556.36 and 3257.14±6250.17which above the WHO Guideline limit, thus signifying contamination. Conclusion: The study recommends improvement in personal hygiene of swimmers, adequate cleansing of the pools and enforcement of standards by the government.


Introduction
All the way through history from regeneration to regeneration, swimming has been popular in practically in the humanities and nations. As the sciences and technology evolved, thoughts about the risks of disease transmission associated with swimming in the pond, ocean or swimming pool, in recent history. Moreover, different public health scientists unthinkingly assumed that there could be a relation between the unit of fecal contamination as well as contamination from bathers and the risk of acquiring certain illnesses during swimming activities, this relation was not effectively demonstrated until the 1950s which research had done by Moore B in article name Sewage contamination of coastal bathing waters in England and Wales.
However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recently reported that there have been numerous epidemics of disease as a result from using public swimming pools, precisely the existence of the Protozoan Cryptosporidium. This has been occurring because many public pools had not correctly cleaned (Brad Kelechava, et al., 2015) [1]. The endorsed to the pollution of the swimming pool in the study area by fecal substance and other rm waste materials. This benefaction has recognized as pretention for some public health risks to users, due to the contamination of swimming pool water. Bacterial contamination toward the swimming pool water can result in pathogenic bacteria, causing infections to swimmers. Nevertheless these contaminants can be obtainable into swimming pool water from swimmers, from the pool lters or occasionally from defects in pool engineering (George Osei-Adjei, et al., 2014). [2] Notwithstanding, recreational waters may contaminate by direct excretion by bathers (vomits, urine, etc.), transport on the body or growth within the lter bed (Hoseinzadeh E, et al., 2013) [3].
In many cases, waterborne infectious causing diarrhea and the most common bacteria with a total of three thousand cases reported every year in the United States alone (Yoder et al., 2012a(Yoder et al., , 2012b [4,5]. According to the Malaysia Health Ministry, the prevalence in 2013 of waterborne, typhoid, cholera, hepatitis A and dysentery were 47.79, 0.73, 0.58, 0.41 and 0.28 per 100,000 of the population correspondingly reported in 2013 (Dr. Milton Lum, 2015) [21]. The Infections caused by swallowing the contaminated water by bacteria and fungi reported in most recent years, from swimmers (Brewster et al., 1994;Kiyohara et al., 2006) [6,7]. The risk of infection and disease linked to the contaminated of the swimming pool water, consequently some due to the fecal related by the bather or contaminated source of water or may be due to the directly contaminated animals (birds, frogs or mouse) (WHO, 2006) [6,7]. In addition, fecal matter contributes to the water when a person has an accidental fecal release (diarrhea stool) or when individual fecal material on swimmers' bodies washed into the pool (CDC, 2001a) [10].
Conversely, some other causes are due to non-fecal human shedding such as vomiting, skin disease, mucus or saliva in the swimming pools give the potential to transmit the microorganisms (pathogens). Moreover, fungi and virus may also lead to skin infection which comes to the infected water. The main pathogens mostly bacteria can also be the shield from the user and transmitted I water ( The study had conducted in Klang Valley, Malaysia between Junes until August 2016. The research is a cross-sectional study. This study does not have time dimension it depends on the differences existing on behalf of change the following intervention and the sample are select based on existing differences on behalf of random allocation. The cross-sectional design measure through alternatively a process of change.

Study area
The Study piloted in Klang Valley, Malaysia mostly the sample collected at the Apartments, hotels and public swimming pool around the Klang Valley area. Thus, Klang Valley is attractive and developing country and also the center of Malaysia. It the most popular area of leaving, tourism and underwritten through a faster development compared to other cities in Malaysia. The area of Klang Valley is 2900 KM and located in the center of Selangor State, It located at the West Coast of Malaysia with a widespread range of at land than the East Coast of Malaysia with a population of almost 7.53 million peoples in 2015 (Jabatan Perangkaan Malaysia, 2015) [12]. The temperatures remain constant. The maximums temperature is in between 32oC and 33°C and not exceed more than 38.5°C, while minimums temperature is in between 23.4oC and 24.6°C and have never fallen below 14.4°C. Klang Valley had received a minimum amount of 2,600 mm rain in a year and in June to July are relatively dry but mostly it will exceed 131 millimeters per month.

Sample size calculation
This samples size will determine the objective of the research which to determine the bacteriological count In of the Public Swimming Pools in Klang Valley, Malaysia. By using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24.0. This software calculates the sample size needed for the sample.

Data analysis
The research using a Pearson correlation coe cient test. The data collection will be systematically arranged, and the resulting data tabulated and entered using speci c program used to develop the analysis which is using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24.0 and Microsoft Excel 2010.

Physicochemical analysis of the water samples
Chlorine and pH determined by using the rainbow model 78 all in one test kit for the pool or spa. The temperature measured at the poolside by using a standard 100 o C thermometer.

Bacteriological analysis of the water samples
Bacteriological indicators, plate count agar serial dilution method used to determent the amount of the bacteria and it was incubated at 37°C for 24 hours for all colony counting (WHO, 2006; APHA, 1998) [8,13] All microbial analysis was done by following strict aseptic techniques of microbiology procedures. All the data collected and analyze by using SPSS and Microsoft Excel 2010. To ne the mean and stander deviation of the bacteria.

Prevalence of chlorine level and bacteriological status
The study in chlorine level in apartment shown that there are about 85% water sample in apartment, low in chlorine level and 15% water sample in apartment, high chlorine level. The standard plate count was 100% contaminated for the apartment. For hotel, the chlorine level is much similar to the apartment, there are 85% water sample in hotel low in chlorine and 15% water sample in a hotel high in chlorine. Moreover, the standard plate count for hotel shows, about 28 % water sample high in bacteria count and 71 % water sample, low in bacteria count. Conversely, difference result show in a municipal water sample. Were there about 57% of water sample in municipal show low in chlorine level and 43% of the water sample is high in chlorine level. The standard plate count for municipal shows that 85% of the water sample is low in bacteria and about 15 % water sample shows a high count in bacteria.

Discussion
In accordance with the WHO and ANSI/ APSP guidelines provided, swimming facilities must display regulations to identifying the correct activities to implement in the pool environment.
Seven samples random taken from apartment, hotels, and municipals swimming pool in Klang Valley, Selangor. The table and graft are the result occurrence of chlorine level and bacteriological status, analyzed. The chlorine level from the apartment's swimming pool shown about 85% water samples had low in chlorine level and other high in chlorine level. The standard plate count for seven apartment's swimming pool provide a result, high in bacteria with a result of 100%.
Seven random swimming pool water sample had taken form hotels, the chlorine level is much similar with the apartment. Which there were 85% water samples show, low in chlorine and another 15% high in chlorine. The standard plate count for hotel swimming pool water shows about 28 % sample in the hotel have high bacteria count and 71 % low in bacteria count.
There is a different result shown for the municipal's swimming pool water sample. Were there about 57% of water sample in municipal show low in chlorine level and other 43% have high in chlorine level. The standard plate count for municipal's swimming pool shows about 85% of the water sample are low in bacteria and others 15% having a high bacteria counts.
Notwithstanding, the standard level of chlorine in the swimming pool that had been standardized by WHO and ANSI/ APSP at 1.5 up to 4 PPU and the standard plate count should below 200 CFU/ml. The result indicates that the municipal have good management of the swimming pool compared to hotel and apartment, this shows that the management of the apartment and hotel did not follow the recommended and guideline that had provided accordingly. The comparison, means of chlorine level quality in three different groups of the apartment, hotel and municipal swimming pool show, the apartment are the lower at 22% than the hotel and municipal by 34% and 44% respectively. This is due to some improper maintenance by apartment and hotel management. The level of chlorine should be monitoring every day to keep the swimming pool water low in photogenic bacteria and fungi. Using a low concentration of chlorine will affect the reading of the chlorine level and will increase the bacteria growth. This study support by Yoder et al., (2005) [16], said that improper maintenance of public and semi-public facilities frequently fails to protect the public against chlorine-sensitive pathogens, in addition, this statement supported by Al Khatib et al., (2003) [17], said that Analysis of the presence of free chlorine level for disinfection revealed that all samples contained free chlorine which is much less than the required level. Chorine used as disinfectant in all of the swimming pools and must be present continually and in su cient concentrations in order to protect against survival of newly introduced pathogens, but the reasons might be using less amount and concentration of chlorine which may be incomparable to the volume of water, presence of high level of organic matter, microbial load, higher temperature (chlorine easily evaporate) and remains unavailable. By the latest article written by Kokebe Yedeme et al, (2017) [11], mention the physicochemical factors such as chlorine are very important key and controlled to ensure effective decontamination, to avoid damage to the pooled material and ensure user ease. If the water pH is alkaline, chlorine antiseptic enactment decrease, it will provide the growth of fungal. Generally, physicochemical parameters of the water have a strong in uence on the e ciency of the disinfection process. Factors like pH, the turbidity of the water, the concentration of chlorine and contact time, in uence the e ciency of disinfection with chlorine.
Compare the mean of standard plate count in three different groups of the apartment, hotel, and municipal swimming pool show, the Standard plate count of the apartment is the highest at 71% compared with Hotel and municipal by 23% and 8% respectively. The bacteria in apartment is high due to contagion from the animal and bather and also low chlorine residual sanitization this supported study by Indabawa l.l, et al (2015) [14], said that the high bacterial count at the other sites prior to use by bathers and animal could probably come from contaminated water source or ineffective treatment of the swimming pools. All the pools had increment in bacterial load after use by bathers and animal, This is in conformity with the work of the workers who reported that bathers tend to shed bacteria from fecal and non-fecal sources, that increases the organic matter in the pool water, there will also be a lot of bacteria present working to decompose this matter. It also supported by Prescott et al, [15] said that it also isolated these species of fungi from public swimming pools in Egypt and Iran. Fusarium knew for ocular infections in humans and animal.  [19] also had the same support, that there is a correlation association between swimming pools adulteration and the time of water sample collection. In this result, Maida et al (2008) [20], claimed that the quality of water depends on chloride concentration and the number of swimmers appearing the pool.

Conclusion
In conclusion, bathers due to high bacteriological counts, resistant of those isolated microorganisms to chlorine commonly used for the treatment of the swimming pools and also to commonly available antibiotics. Swimming pool water recycled over more or less speci ed periods and various chemicals used to conserve water quality. Whilst there are numerous publications describing microbiological hazards in swimming pools. The results obtained in this study showed that swimming pools can constitute serious problems for society. Therefore, there is a need for the management of swimming pools to take proper care of their pools. This study is limited to a few samples because many of the municipal hotel and apartment managers refused to give us permission to collect samples from their swimming pools. However, the study manages to reveal the ineffectiveness of pool water disinfection in Klang Valley due to the fact that pathogenic bacteria isolated from the three categories of swimming pools. It concluded that the sanitary status of the selected pools was below international standards. Lastly, the study recommends improvement in personal hygiene of the swimmers, adequate disinfection of the pools and enforcement of national/international guidelines by the government.