Access to safe drinking water is limited in many isolated areas, such as the Amazon where Indigenous peoples frequently reside. Identifying safe forms of drinking water accepted by the communities could have positive health benefits for Indigenous peoples. Many Amazon Indigenous peoples traditionally prepare and consume a fermented beverage called masato, which is frequently the only form of water consumption. Despite its widespread consumption and evidence of the health benefits of fermentation, masato remains poorly investigated. We partnered with a Shawi Indigenous community in the Peruvian Amazon to conduct participatory photography to research masato preparation, and to characterize key cultural features and to assess the presence of total and fecal coliform bacteria by using a membrane filter technique. Pictures show that masato preparation is a key part of cultural practices and that there are clear gender roles in the preparation process. We found that 100% of communal water sources (26/26) were contaminated with coliform bacteria; by contrast, fewer, 18% of masato samples (2/11), were positive for coliform. This exploratory study suggests that fermented beverages like masato merit further investigation as they represent an Indigenous method to improve water quality in Amazonian communities where water safety cannot be assured.

在许多偏远地区，获得安全饮用水是有限的，例如原住民经常居住的亚马逊地区。确定社区接受的安全饮用水形式可以为土著人民带来积极的健康益处。许多亚马逊原住民传统上准备和饮用一种名为masato的发酵饮料，这通常是唯一的用水形式。尽管它被广泛食用并且发酵对健康有益的证据，但masato 的研究仍然很少。我们与秘鲁亚马逊地区的 Shawi 土著社区合作，进行参与式摄影以研究masato制备，并表征关键的培养特征，并通过使用膜过滤技术评估总大肠菌群和粪便大肠菌群的存在。图片显示，masato准备是文化实践的关键部分，并且在准备过程中存在明确的性别角色。我们发现 100% 的公共水源 (26/26) 被大肠菌污染；相比之下，只有 18% 的 masato 样品 (2/11) 大肠菌群呈阳性。这项探索性研究表明，像 masato 这样的发酵饮料值得进一步研究，因为它们代表了一种在无法保证水安全的亚马逊社区改善水质的土著方法。