Microbiological Contamination and Its Association with Physicochemical Parameters in Artisanal Gold Mining Areas of Siguiri, Guinea

Abstract Background Water quality degradation in artisanal gold mining areas is a major public health concern because of the co-occurrence of chemical and microbiological contamination. This study assessed the microbiological indicators in borehole and river water from the artisanal mining area of Doko, Siguiri, Guinea. Methods An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted on 36 water samples, including 12 borehole and 24 river samples, collected during the dry and rainy seasons in three localities. Five microbiological indicators were enumerated by colony counting on culture media and expressed as colony-forming units per source-specific volume. Comparisons were performed using Mann-Whitney tests and seasonal analyses stratified by source; associations were assessed using Spearman correlations with Benjamini-Hochberg adjustment, followed by exploratory multivariable linear models for total coliforms, fecal coliforms, and total mesophilic flora. Results River water was significantly more contaminated than borehole water for all five microbiological indicators (all p < 0.001). Total coliforms were non-compliant in 100% of river samples. Turbidity showed the strongest positive associations with microbial contamination (total coliforms: rho = 0.81; total mesophilic flora: rho = 0.75; fecal coliforms: rho = 0.66). In the main exploratory model, river water was associated with approximately 56-fold higher total coliform concentrations than borehole water. Conclusion Water sources in the Siguiri mining area showed substantial microbiological contamination, particularly river water. Turbidity may serve as a simple operational warning indicator but should not replace microbiological testing. These findings support integrated water quality monitoring, point-of-use water treatment and improved sanitation around water sources.