Investigating the Effect of Four Different Washing and Disinfection Methods on Parasitic Contamination of Vegetables

Background: raw vegetables are an essential part of a healthy diet, but when consumed without proper washing, they can serve as carriers of parasitic infection. an experimental study was conducted in bushehr to investigate the parasitic contamination of raw vegetables and the effect of four different washing methods on their contamination.methods: a total of 299 fresh vegetable samples from 10 types of leafy and salad vegetables, including parsley (30), leeks (30), mint (30), basil (30), cress (30), radishes (29), purslane (30), lettuce (30), green bell peppers (30), and edible mushrooms (30), were purchased from 23 vegetable and fruit wholesale or retail stores located in different geographical areas of bushehr city during three different seasons (2017–2018). the samples were divided into two groups: one was left unwashed (method 1), and the other was washed using a traditional washing method (method 2). microscopic examination for the presence of parasites was performed on a direct wet mount. then, positive samples were further subjected to a 3-step washing method (water, detergent, water—method 3) and a 4-step standard washing method (water, detergent, disinfectant, water—method 4), respectively. parasitic contamination was investigated in the samples washed using all methods.results: of the 299 examined samples, parasites were observed in 8.4% of the unwashed samples and 3% of the traditional washing method samples, and not in samples after washing with methods 3 and 4. a significant relationship was found between parasitic contamination and washing methods. all types of vegetables tested had at least one parasitic contamination. the highest rate of parasitic contamination was found in cress (20%), and the lowest contamination was found in leeks (3.3%). the highest rates of seasonal parasitic contamination were found in autumn (12.8%).conclusion: parasitological contamination in unwashed and traditionally washed raw vegetables may pose health risks to consumers. public education on proper vegetable washing methods is recommended to raise community awareness about the health risks associated with consuming unwashed or inadequately washed contaminated raw vegetables.