{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,4]],"date-time":"2026-05-04T23:13:56Z","timestamp":1777936436921,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":31,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,1]],"date-time":"2026-04-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1775001600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,1]],"date-time":"2026-04-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1775001600000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Environ\ufffdHealth\ufffdInsights"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,4]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>\n                    Urban rivers in rapidly urbanizing low-income countries frequently receive untreated wastewater, converting downstream irrigation systems into persistent exposure interfaces within a wastewater-agriculture-health nexus. This study quantified Escherichia coli and total coliform concentrations in irrigation water from 16 sites along the Akaki and Dongora Rivers in Gelan, Ethiopia, over 7\u2009weeks (n\u2009=\u2009112) using membrane filtration on CHROMagar\u2122 ECC to assess spatiotemporal fecal contamination loads. Indicator bacteria were detected at all locations, with concentrations routinely surpassing internationally accepted limits for irrigation water by several orders of magnitude. The Escherichia coli concentrations ranged from 1.10\u2009\u00d7\u200910\n                    <jats:sup>5<\/jats:sup>\n                    to 2.82\u2009\u00d7\u200910\n                    <jats:sup>6<\/jats:sup>\n                    \u2009CFU\/100\u2009mL and total coliforms from 1.13\u2009\u00d7\u200910\n                    <jats:sup>5<\/jats:sup>\n                    to 2.95\u2009\u00d7\u200910\n                    <jats:sup>7<\/jats:sup>\n                    \u2009CFU\/100\u2009mL, with Akaki River loads substantially higher than the Dongora River (\n                    <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">P<\/jats:italic>\n                    \u2009&lt;\u2009.05), suggesting spatial variance from distinct contamination sources. Conceptually, exceedances position the irrigation corridor in a high-risk exposure domain, where regular agricultural activities may enhance occupational and foodborne transmission. While indicator bacteria do not directly quantify pathogen risk, their magnitude indicates elevated public health vulnerability. The site-specific evidence emphasizes the need for risk for health-based monitoring, including continuous microbial surveillance, and farm-level exposure reduction strategies to safeguard livelihood and downstream environmental health.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/11786302261443018","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,27]],"date-time":"2026-04-27T10:46:46Z","timestamp":1777286806000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Indicator Bacteria-Based Assessment of Microbial Contamination with Wastewater-Agriculture-Health Nexus: Implication for Irrigation Water Safety in Gelan, Ethiopia"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"20","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-9947-3100","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Iyasu","family":"Gudisa","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biology, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Madda Walabu University, Bale Robe, Ethiopia"},{"name":"Africa Center of Excellence for Water Management, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Bezatu","family":"Mengistie","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Water, Environment and Climate Research, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6431-7363","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Adey Feleke","family":"Desta","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Microbial Cellular and Molecular Biology, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8012-821X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Haile","family":"Alemayehu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Aklilu Lemma Institute of Health Research, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0495-4488","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sirak Robele","family":"Gari","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Water, Environment and Climate Research, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia"},{"name":"Cima\/Arnet- Centre for Marine and Environmental Research\/Aquatic Research Network, Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,27]]},"reference":[{"issue":"1","key":"e_1_3_3_2_2","first-page":"121","article-title":"Untreated wastewater reasons and causes: a review of most affected areas and cities","volume":"23","author":"Tariq A","year":"2023","unstructured":"Tariq A, Mushtaq A. 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