scholarly journals Spatial and temporal variation of fecal indicator organisms in two creeks in Beltsville, Maryland

2016 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 167-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. D. Stocker ◽  
J. G. Rodriguez-Valentín ◽  
Y. A. Pachepsky ◽  
D. R. Shelton
Keyword(s):  
Cross Sections ◽  
Surface Waters ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Sediment Resuspension ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Variation ◽  
Storm Events ◽  
Indicator Organisms ◽  
Fecal Indicator ◽  
Sampling Locations ◽  
Small Streams

Evaluation of microbial water quality is commonly based on monitoring populations of fecal indicator organisms (FIO) such as Escherichia coli (EC) and enterococci (ENT). The occurrence of elevated FIO concentrations in surface waters after storm events is well documented and has been attributed to runoff and sediment resuspension. The reasons for FIO concentration variation under baseflow conditions are less clear. The objective of this study was to quantify the variability of EC and ENT in two small streams running through agricultural land use areas. FIO concentrations were measured at upstream and downstream locations under baseflow conditions. Concentrations were not significantly different along cross-sections of the streams. Diurnal concentration trends were observed at each of the sampling locations. Significant differences in concentrations between upstream and downstream locations were noted for both creeks during baseflow periods when no runoff or sediment resuspension occurred. A hypothetical explanation is that indicator organisms are released from sediments during baseflow conditions due to the effect of groundwater influx into streams or due to the motility of indicator organisms. If confirmed, this hypothesis may affect our understanding of the role of sediments in the microbial quality of surface waters.

scholarly journals On the potential of on-line free-surface constructed wetlands for attenuating pesticide losses from agricultural land to surface waters

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. 563 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andre Ramos ◽  
Michael J. Whelan ◽  
Ian Guymer ◽  
Raffaella Villa ◽  
Bruce Jefferson
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Free Surface ◽  
Constructed Wetlands ◽  
Surface Waters ◽  
Constructed Wetland ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Residence Times ◽  
Storm Events ◽  
Solute Exclusion ◽  
On Line

Environmental contextPesticide losses from land to surface waters have the potential to cause ecological damage. Furthermore, pesticides in surface waters present a major challenge for water companies accessing these waters for the domestic supply, in terms of complying with water quality regulations. Here, we evaluate the potential of field- and ditch-scale free-surface constructed wetland systems for reducing pesticide transfers from land to surface waters. AbstractPesticides make important contributions to agriculture but losses from land to water can present problems for environmental management, particularly in catchments where surface waters are abstracted for drinking water. ‘On-line’ constructed wetlands have been proposed as a potential means of reducing pesticide fluxes in drainage ditches and headwater streams. Here, we evaluate the potential of two free-surface constructed wetland systems to reduce pesticide concentrations in surface waters using a combination of field monitoring and dynamic fugacity modelling. We specifically focus on metaldehyde, a commonly used molluscicide that is moderately mobile and has been regularly detected at high concentrations in drinking water supply catchments in the UK over the past few years. We also present data for the herbicide metazachlor. Metaldehyde losses from the upstream catchment were significant, with peak concentrations occurring in the first storm events in early autumn, soon after application. Concentrations and loads appeared to be minimally affected by transit through the monitored wetlands over a range of flow conditions. This was probably due to short solute residence times (quantified via several tracing experiments employing rhodamine WT – a fluorescent dye) exacerbated by solute exclusion phenomena resulting from patchy vegetation. Model analyses of different scenarios suggested that, even for pesticides with short aquatic half-lives, wetland systems would need to exhibit much longer residence times (RTs) than those studied here in order to deliver any appreciable attenuation. If the ratio of wetland surface area to the area of the contributing catchment is assumed to be a surrogate for RT (i.e. not accounting for solute exclusion), then model predictions suggest that this needs to be greater than 1% to yield load reductions of 3 and 7% for metaldehyde and metazachlor respectively.

Phosphorus Leaching Under Cut Grassland

1999 ◽  
Vol 39 (12) ◽  
pp. 63-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. L. Turner ◽  
P. M. Haygarth
Keyword(s):  
Surface Waters ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Algal Growth ◽  
Soil Types ◽  
P Fractions ◽  
Inorganic P ◽  
Potential Source ◽  
Significant Mechanism ◽  
Total P

Phosphorus (P) transfer from agricultural land to surface waters can contribute to eutrophication, excess algal growth and associated water quality problems. Grasslands have a high potential for P transfer, as they receive P inputs as mineral fertiliser and concentrates cycled through livestock manures. The transfer of P can occur through surface and subsurface pathways, although the capacity of most soils to fix inorganic P has meant that subsurface P transfer by leaching mechanisms has often been perceived as negligible. We investigated this using large-scale monolith lysimeters (135 cm deep, 80 cm diameter) to monitor leachate P under four grassland soil types. Leachate was collected during the 1997–98 drainage year and analysed for a range of P fractions. Mean concentrations of total P routinely exceeded 100 μg l−1 from all soil types and, therefore, exceeded P concentrations above which eutrophication and algal growth can occur. The majority of the leachate P was in algal-available Mo-reactive (inorganic) forms, although a large proportion occurred in unreactive (organic) forms. We suggest that subsurface transfer by leaching can represent a significant mechanism for agricultural P transfer from some soils and must be given greater consideration as a potential source of diffuse P pollution to surface waters.

Enrichment of stream water with fecal indicator organisms during baseflow periods

2017 ◽  
Vol 189 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yakov Pachepsky ◽  
Matthew Stocker ◽  
Manuel Olmeda Saldaña ◽  
Daniel Shelton
Keyword(s):  
Stream Water ◽  
Indicator Organisms ◽  
Fecal Indicator

scholarly journals Application of quantitative real-time PCR compared to filtration methods for the enumeration of Escherichia coli in surface waters within Vietnam

2016 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 155-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierangeli G. Vital ◽  
Nguyen Thi Van Ha ◽  
Le Thi Hong Tuyet ◽  
Kenneth W. Widmer
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Surface Waters ◽  
Real Time Pcr ◽  
Membrane Filtration ◽  
Quantitative Real Time Pcr ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Culture Methods ◽  
Fecal Indicator ◽  
Filtration Method

Surface water samples in Vietnam were collected from the Saigon River, rural and suburban canals, and urban runoff canals in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and were processed to enumerate Escherichia coli. Quantification was done through membrane filtration and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Mean log colony-forming unit (CFU)/100 ml E. coli counts in the dry season for river/suburban canals and urban canals were log 2.8 and 3.7, respectively, using a membrane filtration method, while using Taqman quantitative real-time PCR they were log 2.4 and 2.8 for river/suburban canals and urban canals, respectively. For the wet season, data determined by the membrane filtration method in river/suburban canals and urban canals samples had mean counts of log 3.7 and 4.1, respectively. While mean log CFU/100 ml counts in the wet season using quantitative PCR were log 3 and 2, respectively. Additionally, the urban canal samples were significantly lower than those determined by conventional culture methods for the wet season. These results show that while quantitative real-time PCR can be used to determine levels of fecal indicator bacteria in surface waters, there are some limitations to its application and it may be impacted by sources of runoff based on surveyed samples.

scholarly journals Tidal Asymmetry in Ocean-Boundary Flux and In-Estuary Trapping of Suspended Sediment Following Watershed Storms: San Francisco Estuary, California, USA

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maureen A. Downing-Kunz ◽  
Paul A. Work ◽  
David H. Schoellhamer
Keyword(s):  
Suspended Sediment ◽  
San Francisco ◽  
Sediment Resuspension ◽  
San Francisco Estuary ◽  
Sediment Flux ◽  
Golden Gate ◽  
Storm Events ◽  
Suspended Sediment Flux ◽  
Field Campaigns ◽  
Ocean Boundary

AbstractSuspended-sediment flux at the ocean boundary of the San Francisco Estuary—the Golden Gate—was measured over a tidal cycle following peak watershed runoff from storms to the estuary in two successive years to investigate sediment transport through the estuary. Observations were repeated during low-runoff conditions, for a total of three field campaigns. Boat-based measurements of velocity and acoustic backscatter were used to calculate water and suspended-sediment flux at a location 1 km landward of the Golden Gate. Suspended-sediment concentration (SSC) and salinity data from up-estuary sensors were used to track watershed-sourced sediment plumes through the estuary. Estimates of suspended-sediment load from the watershed and net suspended-sediment flux for one up-estuary subembayment were used to infer in-estuary trapping of sediment. For both post-storm field campaigns, observations at the ocean boundary were conducted on the receding limb of the watershed hydrograph. At the ocean boundary, peak instantaneous suspended-sediment flux was tidally asymmetric and was greater on flood tides than on ebb tides for all three field campaigns, due to higher average SSC in the cross-section on flood tides. Shear-induced sediment resuspension was greater on flood tides and suggests the presence of an erodible pool outside the estuary. The storms in 2016 led to less export of discharge and sediment from the watershed and greater sediment trapping within one up-estuary subembayment compared to that observed in 2017. Results suggest that substantial trapping of watershed sediments occurred during both storm events, likely due to the formation of estuarine turbidity maxima (ETM) at different locations in the estuary. ETM locations were forced nearer the ocean boundary in 2017. Additional measurements and modeling are required to quantify the long-term sediment flux at the Golden Gate.

scholarly journals Identification and management of microbial contaminations in a surface drinking water source

2007 ◽  
Vol 5 (S1) ◽  
pp. 67-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Åström ◽  
T. J. R. Pettersson ◽  
T. A. Stenström
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Water Intake ◽  
Surface Waters ◽  
Microbial Contamination ◽  
Water Source ◽  
Drinking Water Source ◽  
Raw Water ◽  
Indicator Organisms ◽  
E Coli ◽  
The City

Microbial contamination of surface waters constitutes a health risk for drinking water consumers which may be lowered by closing the raw water intake. We have evaluated microbial discharge events reported in the river Göta älv, which is used for raw water supply to the city of Göteborg. Elevated levels of faecal indicator bacteria were observed during periods of closed raw water intake. High bacteria levels were, however, also occasionally detected during periods of open intake, probably as a result of microbial discharge far upstream in the river which may be difficult to predict and manage by closing the intake. Accumulated upstream precipitations, resulting in surface runoff and wastewater contaminations in the catchment, correlated positively with the levels of total coliforms, E. coli, intestinal enterococci and sulfite-reducing clostridia. Levels of faecal indicator organisms were negatively correlated to the water temperature due to enhanced survival at lower temperatures. Wastewater discharges from a municipality located just upstream of the water intake resulted in elevated E. coli concentrations downstream at the raw water intake for Göteborg. To improve the prediction of microbial contaminations within the river Göta älv, monitoring data on turbidity and upstream precipitation are of particular importance.

scholarly journals Nitrate source identification in the Baltic Sea using its isotopic ratios in combination with a Bayesian isotope mixing model

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (17) ◽  
pp. 4913-4924 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Korth ◽  
B. Deutsch ◽  
C. Frey ◽  
C. Moros ◽  
M. Voss
Keyword(s):  
Atmospheric Deposition ◽  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Surface Waters ◽  
N2 Fixation ◽  
Source Identification ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Mixing Model ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Bayesian Isotope Mixing Model ◽  
The Baltic

Abstract. Nitrate (NO3−) is the major nutrient responsible for coastal eutrophication worldwide and its production is related to intensive food production and fossil-fuel combustion. In the Baltic Sea NO3− inputs have increased 4-fold over recent decades and now remain constantly high. NO3− source identification is therefore an important consideration in environmental management strategies. In this study focusing on the Baltic Sea, we used a method to estimate the proportional contributions of NO3− from atmospheric deposition, N2 fixation, and runoff from pristine soils as well as from agricultural land. Our approach combines data on the dual isotopes of NO3− (δ15N-NO3− and δ18O-NO3−) in winter surface waters with a Bayesian isotope mixing model (Stable Isotope Analysis in R, SIAR). Based on data gathered from 47 sampling locations over the entire Baltic Sea, the majority of the NO3− in the southern Baltic was shown to derive from runoff from agricultural land (33–100%), whereas in the northern Baltic, i.e. the Gulf of Bothnia, NO3− originates from nitrification in pristine soils (34–100%). Atmospheric deposition accounts for only a small percentage of NO3− levels in the Baltic Sea, except for contributions from northern rivers, where the levels of atmospheric NO3− are higher. An additional important source in the central Baltic Sea is N2 fixation by diazotrophs, which contributes 49–65% of the overall NO3− pool at this site. The results obtained with this method are in good agreement with source estimates based upon δ15N values in sediments and a three-dimensional ecosystem model, ERGOM. We suggest that this approach can be easily modified to determine NO3− sources in other marginal seas or larger near-coastal areas where NO3− is abundant in winter surface waters when fractionation processes are minor.

The relationship between three potential pathogens and pollution indicator organisms in Nova Scotian coastal waters

1983 ◽  
Vol 29 (10) ◽  
pp. 1261-1269 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. J. Robertson ◽  
R. S. Tobin
Keyword(s):  
Membrane Filtration ◽  
Indicator Bacteria ◽  
Fecal Coliforms ◽  
Most Probable Number ◽  
Indicator Organisms ◽  
Fecal Indicator ◽  
Filtration Method ◽  
Probable Number ◽  
Pollution Indicator ◽  
Nova Scotian

Fifteen stations, in two estuaries, along the Northumberland Strait of Nova Scotia were examined between June and September 1981 for a relationship between the concentrations of commonly monitored fecal indicator bacteria and the potential pathogens Candida albicans, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Increased densities of these three organisms were usually associated with high densities of indicator bacteria. Whereas C. albicans and P. aeruginosa occur in human fecal wastes, V. parahaemolyticus is indigenous to the marine environment and positively responds to elevated nutrient levels in sewage. There is also some evidence that these bacteria survive as long or longer in marine waters than the common indicator bacteria. While membrane-filtration techniques for the enumeration of C. albicans and P. aeruginosa proved satisfactory, a V. parahaemolyticus membrane-filtration method lacked specificity and was supplemented by a most-probable-number method. In marine recreational and shellfish waters, these three organisms could complement fecal coliforms and fecal streptococci as indicators of human fecal contamination.

scholarly journals Thermotolerant Coliforms Are Not a Good Surrogate for Campylobacter spp. in Environmental Water

2009 ◽  
Vol 75 (21) ◽  
pp. 6736-6744 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen St-Pierre ◽  
Simon Lévesque ◽  
Eric Frost ◽  
Nathalie Carrier ◽  
Robert D. Arbeit ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Water ◽  
Indicator Organisms ◽  
Fecal Indicator ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Microbial Monitoring ◽  
Environmental Surface ◽  
Thermotolerant Coliforms ◽  
Eastern Townships ◽  
Campylobacter Spp

ABSTRACT This study aimed to assess the importance of quantitatively detecting Campylobacter spp. in environmental surface water. The prevalence and the quantity of Campylobacter spp., thermotolerant coliforms, and Escherichia coli in 2,471 samples collected weekly, over a 2-year period, from 13 rivers and 12 streams in the Eastern Townships, Québec, Canada, were determined. Overall, 1,071 (43%), 1,481 (60%), and 1,463 (59%) samples were positive for Campylobacter spp., thermotolerant coliforms, and E. coli, respectively. There were weak correlations between the weekly distributions of Campylobacter spp. and thermotolerant coliforms (Spearman's ρ coefficient = 0.27; P = 0.008) and between the quantitative levels of the two classes of organisms (Kendall tau-b correlation coefficient = 0.233; P < 0.0001). Well water samples from the Eastern Townships were also tested. Five (10%) of 53 samples from private surface wells were positive for Campylobacter jejuni, of which only 2 were positive for thermotolerant coliforms. These findings suggest that microbial monitoring of raw water by using only fecal indicator organisms is not sufficient for assessing the occurrence or the load of thermophilic Campylobacter spp. Insights into the role of environmental water as sources for sporadic Campylobacter infection will require genus-specific monitoring techniques.

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