Escherichia coli and Enterococci Bacteria in Lake Michigan Beach Sand

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nabila Nafsin ◽  
Brett Bevers ◽  
Rebecca Schruender ◽  
Qian Liao ◽  
Jin Li
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Lake Michigan ◽  
Beach Sand

scholarly journals Foreshore Sand as a Source of Escherichia coli in Nearshore Water of a Lake Michigan Beach

2003 ◽  
Vol 69 (9) ◽  
pp. 5555-5562 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard L. Whitman ◽  
Meredith B. Nevers
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Lake Water ◽  
Lake Michigan ◽  
Beach Sand ◽  
Intensive Study ◽  
Concentration Gradients ◽  
Lake Water Quality ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Demographic Patterns ◽  
Hydrometeorological Conditions

ABSTRACT Swimming advisories due to excessive Escherichia coli concentrations are common at 63rd Street Beach, Chicago, Ill. An intensive study was undertaken to characterize the source and fate of E. coli in beach water and sand at the beach. From April through September 2000, water and sand samples were collected daily or twice daily at two depths on three consecutive days per week (water samples, n = 1,747; sand samples, n = 858); hydrometeorological conditions and bird and bather distributions were also recorded. E. coli concentrations in sand and water were significantly correlated, with the highest concentration being found in foreshore sand, followed by those in submerged sediment and water of increasing depth. Gull contributions to E. coli densities in sand and water were most apparent on the day following gull activity in a given area. E. coli recolonized newly placed foreshore sand within 2 weeks. Analysis of variance, correlation, cluster analyses, concentration gradients, temporal-spatial distribution, demographic patterns, and DNA fingerprinting suggest that E. coli may be able to sustain population density in temperate beach sand during summer months without external inputs. This research presents evidence that foreshore beach sand (i) plays a major role in bacterial lake water quality, (ii) is an important non-point source of E. coli to lake water rather than a net sink, (iii) may be environmentally, and perhaps hygienically, problematic, and (iv) is possibly capable of supporting an autochthonous, high density of indicator bacteria for sustained periods, independent of lake, human, or animal input.

scholarly journals Occurrence of Escherichia coli and Enterococci in Cladophora (Chlorophyta) in Nearshore Water and Beach Sand of Lake Michigan

2003 ◽  
Vol 69 (8) ◽  
pp. 4714-4719 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard L. Whitman ◽  
Dawn A. Shively ◽  
Heather Pawlik ◽  
Meredith B. Nevers ◽  
Muruleedhara N. Byappanahalli
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Lake Michigan ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Point Sources ◽  
Indicator Bacteria ◽  
Beach Sand ◽  
Cladophora Glomerata ◽  
Strongly Correlated ◽  
Fecal Indicator ◽  
E Coli

ABSTRACT Each summer, the nuisance green alga Cladophora (mostly Cladophora glomerata) amasses along Lake Michigan beaches, creating nearshore anoxia and unsightly, malodorous mats that can attract problem animals and detract from visitor enjoyment. Traditionally, elevated counts of Escherichia coli are presumed to indicate the presence of sewage, mostly derived from nearby point sources. The relationship between fecal indicator bacteria and Cladophora remains essentially unstudied. This investigation describes the local and regional density of Escherichia coli and enterococci in Cladophora mats along beaches in the four states (Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan) bordering Lake Michigan. Samples of Cladophora strands collected from 10 beaches (n = 41) were assayed for concentrations of E. coli and enterococci during the summer of 2002. Both E. coli and enterococci were ubiquitous (up to 97% occurrence), with overall log mean densities (± standard errors) of 5.3 (± 4.8) and 4.8 (± 4.5) per g (dry weight). E. coli and enterococci were strongly correlated in southern Lake Michigan beaches (P < 0.001, R 2 = 0.73, n = 17) but not in northern beaches (P = 0.892, n = 16). Both E. coli and enterococci survived for over 6 months in sun-dried Cladophora mats stored at 4°C; the residual bacteria in the dried alga readily grew upon rehydration. These findings suggest that Cladophora amassing along the beaches of Lake Michigan may be an important environmental source of indicator bacteria and call into question the reliability of E. coli and enterococci as indicators of water quality for freshwater recreational beaches.

scholarly journals Examination of the Watershed-Wide Distribution of Escherichia coli along Southern Lake Michigan: an Integrated Approach

2006 ◽  
Vol 72 (11) ◽  
pp. 7301-7310 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard L. Whitman ◽  
Meredith B. Nevers ◽  
Muruleedhara N. Byappanahalli
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Lake Michigan ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Wide Distribution ◽  
Beach Sand ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Coastal Watershed ◽  
E Coli ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Beach Water

ABSTRACT Recent research has highlighted the occurrence of Escherichia coli in natural habitats not directly influenced by sewage inputs. Most studies on E. coli in recreational water typically focus on discernible sources (e.g., effluent discharge and runoff) and fall short of integrating riparian, nearshore, onshore, and outfall sources. An integrated “beachshed” approach that links E. coli inputs and interactions would be helpful to understand the difference between background loading and sewage pollution; to develop more accurate predictive models; and to understand the differences between potential, net, and apparent culturable E. coli. The objective of this study was to examine the interrelatedness of E. coli occurrence from various coastal watershed components along southern Lake Michigan. The study shows that once established in forest soil, E. coli can persist throughout the year, potentially acting as a continuous non-point source of E. coli to nearby streams. Year-round background stream loading of E. coli can influence beach water quality. E. coli is present in highly variable counts in beach sand to depths just below the water table and to distances at least 5 m inland from the shore, providing a large potential area of input to beach water. In summary, E. coli in the fluvial-lacustrine system may be stored in forest soils, sediments surrounding springs, bank seeps, stream margins and pools, foreshore sand, and surface groundwater. While rainfall events may increase E. coli counts in the foreshore sand and lake water, concentrations quickly decline to prerain concentrations. Onshore winds cause an increase in E. coli in shallow nearshore water, likely resulting from resuspension of E. coli-laden beach sand. When examining indicator bacteria source, flux, and context, the entire “beachshed” as a dynamic interacting system should be considered.

scholarly journals Selective survival of Escherichia coli phylotypes in freshwater beach sand

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalie A. Rumball ◽  
HannahRose C. Mayer ◽  
Sandra L. McLellan
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Lake Michigan ◽  
Fecal Pollution ◽  
Pollution Monitoring ◽  
Beach Sand ◽  
Environmental Drivers ◽  
Nutrient Inputs ◽  
Term Survival ◽  
E Coli

Escherichia coli is used as an indicator of fecal pollution at beaches despite evidence of long-term survival in sand. This work investigated the basis for survival of E. coli through field microcosm experiments and phylotypic characterization of more than >1400 E. coli isolated from sand, sewage, and gulls, enabling identification of long-surviving populations and environmental drivers of their persistence. Microcosms containing populations of E. coli from each source (n=176) were buried in the backshore of Lake Michigan for 45 & 96 days under several different nutrient treatments, including unaltered native sand, sterile autoclaved sand and baked nutrient depleted sand. Availability of carbon and nitrogen and competition with the indigenous community were major factors that influenced E. coli survival. E. coli Clermont phylotypes B1 and A were the most dominant phylotypes surviving seasonally (>6 weeks), regardless of source and nutrient treatment, whereas cryptic clade and D/E phylotypes survived over winter (>300 days). Autoclaved sand, presumably supplying nutrients through increased availability, promoted growth and the presence of the indigenous microbial community reduced this effect. Screening of 849 sand E. coli from four freshwater beaches demonstrated that B1, but also D/E, were the most common phylotypes recovered. Analysis by qPCR for the Gull2, Lachno3 and HB human markers demonstrated only 25% of the samples had evidence of gull waste and none of the samples had evidence of human waste. These findings suggest prevalence of E. coli in the sand could be attributed more to long term surviving populations than to new fecal pollution. IMPORTANCE Fecal pollution monitoring still relies upon the enumeration of E. coli, despite the fact that this organism can survive for prolonged periods and has been shown to be easily transported from sand into surrounding waters through waves and runoff, thus no longer represents recent fecal pollution events. Here, we experimentally demonstrate that regardless of host source, certain genetically distinct subgroups, or phylotypes, survive longer than others under conditions typical of Great Lakes beach sites. We found nutrients were a major driver of survival and could actually promote growth, and the presence of native microorganisms modulated these effects. These insights into the dynamics and drivers of survival will improve the interpretation of E. coli measurements at beaches and inform strategies that could focus on reducing nutrient inputs to beaches or maintaining a robust natural microbiome in beach sand.

scholarly journals Non-point source pollution: Determination of replication versus persistence of Escherichia coli in surface water and sediments with correlation of levels to readily measurable environmental parameters

2004 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 103-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie Kinzelman ◽  
Sandra L. McLellan ◽  
Annette D. Daniels ◽  
Susan Cashin ◽  
Ajaib Singh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Water Quality ◽  
Point Source ◽  
Wave Height ◽  
Surface Waters ◽  
Lake Michigan ◽  
Recreational Water ◽  
Point Source Pollution ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Non Point Source Pollution

Racine, Wisconsin, located on Lake Michigan, experiences frequent recreational water quality advisories in the absence of any identifiable point source of pollution. This research examines the environmental distribution of Escherichia coli in conjunction with the assessment of additional parameters (rainfall, turbidity, wave height, wind direction, wind speed and algal presence) in order to determine the most probable factors that influence E. coli levels in surface waters. Densities of E. coli were highest in core samples taken from foreshore sands, often exceeding an order of magnitude greater than those collected from submerged sands and water. Simple regression and multivariate analyses conducted on supplementary environmental data indicate that the previous day's E. coli concentration in conjunction with wave height is significantly predictive for present-time E. coli concentration. Genetic fingerprinting using repetitive element anchored PCR and cellular fatty acid analysis were employed to assess the presence of clonal isolates which indicate replication from a common parent cell. There were relatively few occurrences of clonal patterns in isolates collected from water, foreshore and submerged sands, suggesting that accumulation of E. coli, rather than environmental replication, was occurring in this system. Non-point source pollution, namely transport of accumulated E. coli from foreshore sands to surface waters via wave action, was found to be a major contributor to poor recreational water quality at the Lake Michigan beaches involved in this study.

Geographic Relatedness and Predictability of Escherichia coli along a Peninsular Beach Complex of Lake Michigan

2009 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 2357-2364 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meredith B. Nevers ◽  
Dawn A. Shively ◽  
Gregory T. Kleinheinz ◽  
Colleen M. McDermott ◽  
William Schuster ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Lake Michigan

scholarly journals Solar and Temporal Effects on Escherichia coli Concentration at a Lake Michigan Swimming Beach

2004 ◽  
Vol 70 (7) ◽  
pp. 4276-4285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard L. Whitman ◽  
Meredith B. Nevers ◽  
Ginger C. Korinek ◽  
Muruleedhara N. Byappanahalli
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Uv Radiation ◽  
Wave Height ◽  
Lake Level ◽  
Lake Michigan ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Day Length ◽  
E Coli ◽  
In Situ Experiments

ABSTRACT Studies on solar inactivation of Escherichia coli in freshwater and in situ have been limited. At 63rd St. Beach, Chicago, Ill., factors influencing the daily periodicity of culturable E. coli, particularly insolation, were examined. Water samples for E. coli analysis were collected twice daily between April and September 2000 three times a week along five transects in two depths of water. Hydrometeorological conditions were continuously logged: UV radiation, total insolation, wind speed and direction, wave height, and relative lake level. On 10 days, transects were sampled hourly from 0700 to 1500 h. The effect of sunlight on E. coli inactivation was evaluated with dark and transparent in situ mesocosms and ambient lake water. For the study, the number of E. coli samples collected (n) was 2,676. During sunny days, E. coli counts decreased exponentially with day length and exposure to insolation, but on cloudy days, E. coli inactivation was diminished; the E. coli decay rate was strongly influenced by initial concentration. In situ experiments confirmed that insolation primarily inactivated E. coli; UV radiation only marginally affected E. coli concentration. The relationship between insolation and E. coli density is complicated by relative lake level, wave height, and turbidity, all of which are often products of wind vector. Continuous importation and nighttime replenishment of E. coli were evident. These findings (i) suggest that solar inactivation is an important mechanism for natural reduction of indicator bacteria in large freshwater bodies and (ii) have implications for management strategies of nontidal waters and the use of E. coli as an indicator organism.

Stratigraphy of the Sixteen Mile Creek lagoon, and its implications for Lake Ontario water levels

1988 ◽  
Vol 25 (8) ◽  
pp. 1175-1183 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. E. Flint ◽  
R. W. Dalrymple ◽  
J. J. Flint
Keyword(s):  
Water Level ◽  
Lake Michigan ◽  
Drainage Basin ◽  
Average Rate ◽  
Lake Ontario ◽  
Open Water ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
Beach Sand ◽  
Water Level Fluctuations ◽  
Lake Outlet

The sequence of units (from the base up) in the Sixteen Mile Creek lagoon (Lake Ontario) mimics the longitudinal sequence of surficial environments: pink silt—overbank (flood plain – dry marsh); bottom sand—stream channel and beach; orange silt—marsh; gyttja—wet marsh and very shallow (deltaic) lagoon; and brown and grey clay—open-water lagoon. This entire sequence accumulated over the last 4200 years under slowly deepening, transgressive conditions caused by the isostatic rise of the lake outlet. Land clearing by European settlers dramatically increased the supply of clastic sediment and terminated the deposition of the organic-rich silty clays (gyttja) that make up most of the lagoon fill.Because the gyttja and beach sand are interpreted to have accumulated in water depths of less than 0.5 m, the elevation–time plot of 14C dates from these units can be used to reconstruct a very closely constrained lake-level curve. The data indicate that water levels have risen at an average rate of 0.25 cm/a over the last 3300 years as a result of differential, isostatic rebound. Superimposed on this trend are water-level oscillations with amplitudes on the order of 1 m and periods of several hundred years. These oscillations are synchronous and in phase with water-level fluctuations in Lake Michigan, and with a variety of other climatic variations in North America and Europe. We propose, therefore, that the water-level oscillations are a result of long-term, climatically produced variations in precipitation in the Great Lakes drainage basin.

Microbial removal rate efficiencies measured for coral sand  

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lee F. Burbery ◽  
Bronwyn Humphries ◽  
Louise Weaver ◽  
Jan Gregor
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Removal Rate ◽  
Beach Sand ◽  
Septic Tank ◽  
Column Experiments ◽  
Flow Conditions ◽  
Ms2 Bacteriophage ◽  
Coral Sand ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Microbial Removal

&lt;p&gt;Coral sand forms the surficial geology on many coral cay and low-lying atolls, such as are located throughout the Pacific region. Shallow groundwater hosted within such sand is the main source of freshwater for many island communities. It is critically at risk from the impacts of climate-change and anthropogenic stresses. A United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal is to improve water access and sanitation issues in such environs. Working towards that goal, we have conducted a set of laboratory column experiments to obtain some initial measures of microbial removal efficiencies for coral sand substrate from the Pacific atoll of South Tarawa, Kiribati. &amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In one experiment we attempted to mimic physio-chemical conditions at the Bonriki Freshwater Reserve that supplies most of the water on South Tarawa. Three small plastic columns were packed with very poorly sorted gravelly coral sand sampled from the reserve. The effective transport of Escherichia coli J6-2 and MS2 bacteriophage through the packed columns was evaluated under saturated flow conditions.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In a second experiment we conducted infiltration tests on naturally well-sorted coral sand, sourced from Bikenibeu beach, South Tarawa. We perceive such sand has potential to be used in the construction of effluent drainage fields from septic tank systems in use on South Tarawa, where currently there are no established design criteria. The sand was packed to a depth of 400 mm in triplicate glass column apparatus. It was conditioned by dosing with septic tank effluent twice per day for 27 days (8 mm head each event). Effluent spiked with bacterial and viral indicator organisms: Escherichia coli J6-2, Enterococci faecalis and MS2 bacteriophage, as well as the viral pathogens: adenovirus, echovirus, norovirus and rotavirus was then dripped on to the columns, as a 35 mm application. Any resulting drainage from the base of the columns was collected and analysed, and the depth profile of the tracer organisms was examined in the sand columns by destructive sampling.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The very poorly sorted coral substrate from Bonriki Reserve proved very effective at attenuating Escherichia coli J6-2 under saturated flow conditions. We estimated a spatial removal rate of 0.05 &amp;#177; 0.02 log&lt;sub&gt;10&lt;/sub&gt; cm&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt; for this bacterial tracer. No removal rate could be quantified for the viral indicator. Although overall, our observations suggest the coral sand was significantly less effective at attenuating MS2 bacteriophage than it was at attenuating Escherichia coli J6-2.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In the unsaturated column experiments made on beach sand conditioned with effluent, all the microorganisms examined demonstrated &gt;4-log removal values. Contrary to our finding from the saturated sand column experiment made with material from Bonriki Reserve, the conditioned coral beach sand filters demonstrated higher affinity for MS2 bacteriophage (also viruses) than they did Escherichia coli J6-2, or Enterococci faecalis.&lt;/p&gt;

Monitoring of E. coli and Enterococci in Lake Michigan Beach Sand

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jin Li ◽  
Brett Bevers ◽  
Nabila Nafsin ◽  
Qian Liao
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Lake Michigan ◽  
Indicator Bacteria ◽  
Beach Sand ◽  
Most Probable Number ◽  
Probable Number ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Sampling Duration ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Mean Concentration

&lt;p&gt;Excessive fecal indicator bacteria concentration leads to swimming advisories that are very common to freshwater beaches. To evaluate the concentration and interaction of indicator bacteria in beach sand and water and to examine the factors that affect bacteria concentration, a study was undertaken at Bradford beach, Milwaukee county on the shore of Lake Michigan. In this research, results from monitoring of E. coli and Enterococci in sand and water from Lake Michigan beach were presented. Bacteria counts were obtained using the IDEXX Most Probable Number (MPN) method. An attempt was made to establish a direct ratio of bacteria counts between the two most common eluents used to detach bacteria from sand, i.e., deionized water (DI) and phosphate buffered saline (PBS). The beach sand bacteria count was analyzed using the EPA CANARY event detection software to identify the onset of periods of anomalous water quality. Analysis of beach sand from this study show that for E. coli, it may be possible to establish a relationship between the results generated using two eluents. Results from the model indicates that sand can be a better potential reservoir for indicator bacteria survival than water as a source. The results also show that CANARY may be useful as an early warning system for monitoring beach contamination and may help to identify any abnormal condition very quickly. Also, in this study, the factors that contributed to the high concentration of bacteria resulting in abnormal water quality events are examined which are the impact of Algae in beach water sample and the rainfall effect during the overall month of sampling duration. CANARY software can best indicate the impact of the presence of Algae on bacteria concentration. The analysis of rainfall effect on bacteria concentration was done using statistical software by determining the significance (p-value) between the seasonal mean concentration of E. coli and the mean concentration of E. coli during the sampling duration and from the analyses it is evaluated that rainfall does affect the bacteria concentration. Moreover, the correlation coefficient indicates greater impact of rainfall event on bacteria concentration relative to the presence of Algae level. Regression analysis was also done to estimate the best model that describes the relation between E. coli and water temperature resulting in weak negative linear relationship between the variables.&lt;/p&gt;

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