2007 Annual Report - Central Queensland University

12.07.2015 Views
2007 Centre for Plant & Water Science Annual ReportMICROFUNGI IN ROCKHAMPTON MUNICIPAL WATER SUPPLYVery little work has been carried out on the mycology of domestic water supplies. There are nolegislated standards for fungi in water and the few international reports that have beenpublished have all used different protocols, lengths of study periods and various water sources.This is a seminal study of the mycology of a sub-tropical city’s water supply post-treatment.Fungi are known to cause off-odours and smells and some are opportunistic human pathogens.A standard protocol has been devised using a standardised medium supplemented withstreptomycin onto which is placed a 0.45 µm filter through which a known amount of samplewater has been passed. This filter-medium combination is then incubated in the dark at 25°Cand colony counts made at regular times. Samples have been regularly taken from ninestandpipes and six storage reservoirs throughout the city over a period of about 15 months. Afurther four sampling sites are located at the local treatment plant. This plant draws water fromthe Fitzroy River which is then flocculated using poly-aluminium chloride, settled, sand filteredand then chlorinated to a level known to suppress bacterial growth.Microfungi have been found in all parts of the supply system with the exception of that sampletaken immediately post-chlorination. A large data bank has been assembled for each of the 19sites and this contains not only the mycobiological data but also data relating to the physicochemicalparameters of the sampling sites. In total, 63 genera of microfungi have beenrecovered from the distribution system and the 5 most commonly encountered, as a % ofsamples, are Cladosporium (52%), Penicillium (17%), Aspergillus (7%), Fusarium (3%) andTrichoderma (3%). These are common saprotrophic fungi usually associated with decayingvegetation. There is evidence that with increasing oxidation-reduction potential and with freeand total chlorine that the number of microfungi recovered falls. Increasing turbidity increasesthe number of microfungi recovered but an increase in temperature increases the bacterial andyeast counts but not that of filamentous fungi.Cultural and SEM studies on biofilm formation on PVC and concrete coupons placed in thewater supply have revealed a paucity of microbiological matter. This is thought to be due to theoligotrophic nature of the water supply. Thus, the source of microfungi is probably not frombiofilms due to lack of nutrients. Seminal studies on PAC flocs has shown that they remove notonly colloidal inorganic matter but also organic particles, bacteria, fungal propagules andhyphae, cyanoprokaryotes and other microscopic aquatic organisms.Microfungal contamination from the reservoirs has also been thoroughly checked by a varietyof means and there is very little, if any, microfungal growth within the reservoirs. Thus, thesource of these microfungi is thought to be from the air from which they are deposited into thetreatment plant intake water with subsequent contamination while in the reservoirs which arenot air-tight. Run-off water is also a likely source.The maximum level of chlorination which meets national guidelines with regards bacterialsuppression is 0.6 mg/L. It is now thought that filamentous fungi are damaged but not killed bythe chlorine and that they can repair chlorine damage. Intensive lab-based studies are nowexamining the effect of chlorine levels and exposure times on fungal spore survival.PROJECT STAFF Principal Investigators:Supervisor:Noel SammonDr Keith HarrowerFUNDINGRockhampton City CouncilCentral Queensland University49

2007 Centre for Plant & Water Science Annual ReportWORKSHOP ON INTERNATIONAL SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT INHORTICULTURE COMMODITIES AND MULTIVARIATE DATA ANALYSISSUMMARYHorticulture Research Division (HRD), Nepal Agriculture Research Council (NARC),Kathmandu, Nepal and Centre for Plant and Water Science (CPWS), Central QueenslandUniversity (CQU), Rockhampton jointly organized a five-day training workshop onInternational Supply Chains for Horticultural Produce, with focus on Quality Assessment andthe use of Multivariate Statistical Analysis. The training was scheduled 17 to 21 July 2007 atNARC training complex in Khumaltar.This programme was partially supported by The ATSE Crawford Fund, Australia and CAMOSoftware India Pvt. Ltd, Bangalore, India.The broad objectives of the training workshop were: to deepen understanding of ‘produce quality’, particularly with reference to horticulturalproduce; to develop practical skills in assessing such attributes; and to understand thetheory of advanced technologies being developed for assessment of such attributes, to develop an understanding of the dominant supply chains for international marketingof horticultural produce, and their required specifications/quality control, includingoverview of QC structures such as the Codex Alimentarius, EurepGap.and USDAproduct specification guidelines.The training was focused on: Supply chain management of perishable commodities with particular focus on fruit andvegetables. Training also included some successful stories of Australian horticultureindustries in mango, citrus and grapes, and the consequent changes to productionpractice, transport (cool chain) and marketing. Examples of quality control/regulatory systems in use for fresh fruit, eg Australia andNew Zealand product specification guideline, EurepGap, USDA supply chain standardand product supply chain in Thailand. A rapid marketing appraisal survey was designed to understand the present marketingsystem, government regulatory and policy framework for marketing fresh fruit andvegetables in Kathmandu city. Training also covered the standard quality control assessment procedures. Training highlighted advanced, non-invasive quality control procedures: e.g., NIRS,NMR, acoustic, X-ray. Topics in sampling technique and sample preparation. Use of chemo-metric techniques using multivariate analysis, for example using “TheUnscrambler” package. Introduction to a specific (multivariate) statistical analysis tool, for use in R&Dprograms.Training coordinator and presenter Mr Phul Subedi, delivered and highlighted the importanceof the training in the context of Nepal as it was just started as a member country to the WTO.In the training a total of 14 young scientists working countrywide in Agricultural ResearchStation (horticulture) participated.50

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