Library-dependent and library-independent microbial source tracking to identify spatial variation in faecal contamination sources along a Lake Ontario beach (Ontario, Canada)

2010 ◽  
Vol 62 (3) ◽  
pp. 719-727 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. A. Edge ◽  
S. Hill ◽  
P. Seto ◽  
J. Marsalek
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Variation ◽  
Municipal Wastewater ◽  
Lake Ontario ◽  
Microbial Source Tracking ◽  
Pollution Sources ◽  
Source Tracking ◽  
Faecal Contamination ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Faecal Pollution ◽  
Humber River

Multiple microbial source tracking methods were applied to investigate spatial variation in faecal pollution sources impacting a 1.7 km freshwater beach on Lake Ontario (Canada). The highest E. coli concentrations measured in the study area were from interstitial sand pore water at Sunnyside Beach, reaching 2.6 × 106 CFU/100 ml. These E. coli concentrations exceeded those in the nearby Humber River and Black Creek, which are impacted by combined sewer overflows containing municipal wastewater and by stormwater conveying washoff from the urban area. Library-independent Bacteroidales HF183 analyses identified the more frequent occurrence of municipal wastewater contamination in the Humber River and at a Sunnyside Beach location closest to the mouth of the river. Library-dependent E. coli antibiotic resistance and rep-PCR DNA fingerprinting analyses identified the more frequent occurrence of bird faecal contamination at Sunnyside Beach locations away from the river mouth. These microbial source tracking results raise caution about managing beaches with multiple sources of contamination as a single entity without considering spatial variability in faecal pollution sources and the need for more localized beach management practices.

Occurrence of antibiotic resistance inEscherichia colifrom surface waters and fecal pollution sources near Hamilton, Ontario

2005 ◽  
Vol 51 (6) ◽  
pp. 501-505 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas A Edge ◽  
Stephen Hill
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Surface Waters ◽  
Municipal Wastewater ◽  
Average Rate ◽  
Fecal Pollution ◽  
Pollution Sources ◽  
Source Tracking ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Bird Feces

Antibiotic resistance was examined in 462 Escherichia coli isolates from surface waters and fecal pollution sources around Hamilton, Ontario. Escherichia coli were resistant to the highest concentrations of each of the 14 antibiotics studied, although the prevalence of high resistance was mostly low. Two of 12 E. coli isolates from sewage in a CSO tank had multiple resistance to ampicillin, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, and tetracycline above their clinical breakpoints. Antibiotic resistance was less prevalent in E. coli from bird feces than from municipal wastewater sources. A discriminant function calculated from antibiotic resistance data provided an average rate of correct classification of 68% for discriminating E. coli from bird and wastewater fecal pollution sources. The preliminary microbial source tracking results suggest that, at times, bird feces might be a more prominent contributor of E. coli to Bayfront Park beach waters than municipal wastewater sources.Key words: antibiotic resistance, Escherichia coli, surface water, fecal pollution.

Experience with the antibiotic resistance analysis and DNA fingerprinting in tracking faecal pollution at two lake beaches

2007 ◽  
Vol 56 (11) ◽  
pp. 51-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
T.A. Edge ◽  
S. Hill ◽  
G. Stinson ◽  
P. Seto ◽  
J. Marsalek
Keyword(s):  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Dna Fingerprinting ◽  
Microbial Source Tracking ◽  
Source Tracking ◽  
Faecal Contamination ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Resistance Analysis ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance Analysis ◽  
Environmental Challenge ◽  
Made In

Posting or closing of swimming beaches because of faecal contamination is a widespread problem reported in many locations. In a risk-based approach to this problem, the risk to swimmers' health is assessed by field monitoring of indicator bacteria and the associated risks are managed by source controls and other remedial measures. In risk assessment, great advances have been made in recent years with the introduction of microbial source tracking (MST) techniques. Two such techniques, antibiotic resistance analysis and DNA fingerprinting, were applied in a study of causes of faecal contamination at two lake beaches in Toronto, Ontario. Both methods identified bird faeces as the dominant sources of E. coli. Coping with this type of pollution presents a major environmental challenge.

scholarly journals Comparative microbial source tracking methods for identification of fecal contamination sources at Sunnyside Beach in the Toronto region area of concern

2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 839-850 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zachery R. Staley ◽  
Thomas A. Edge
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽  
Fecal Contamination ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Microbial Source Tracking ◽  
Source Tracking ◽  
Pcr Marker ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Remediation Strategies ◽  
Humber River ◽  
Area Of Concern

Several beaches within the Toronto region area of concern have persistent issues with fecal contamination, causing a beach beneficial use impairment (BUI). In this study, Escherichia coli, including ampicillin-resistant strains, were enumerated via culturable and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) methods. Microbial source tracking (MST) markers (for general Bacteroidales, human, ruminant/cow, gull, and dog) were detected and enumerated via PCR and qPCR to identify sources of fecal contamination at Sunnyside Beach and in the Humber River. Human, cow, and dog markers had good host-specificity, while gull markers sometimes amplified a few other bird species. The ruminant endpoint PCR marker amplified a variety of other animal species rendering it less useful. Both human and gull fecal contamination were prevalent in the Humber River, while Sunnyside Beach was predominantly impacted by gull fecal contamination. Human sewage impacts were more prevalent in the lower Humber River, particularly in Black Creek. However, to reduce Sunnyside beach postings, reducing bird fecal contamination in the river and at the beach would be necessary. When there are high levels of E. coli throughout a beachshed, an MST toolbox approach can add value to discriminate source(s) of E. coli contamination and guide decisions relating to public health risk and remediation strategies.

scholarly journals A consensus: microbial source tracking (MST) in water

2009 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen Stratton ◽  
Warish Ahmed ◽  
Mohammad Katouli
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Microbial Source Tracking ◽  
Source Tracking ◽  
Faecal Contamination ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Water Testing ◽  
Quality Regulation ◽  
Key Indicator ◽  
Thermotolerant Coliforms ◽  
Faecal Indicators

Traditionally, water quality regulation and protection of public health has relied on culture-based methods that quantify faecal indicators such as the coliforms. Since Escherichia coli represents over 97% of the thermotolerant coliforms, it has been used extensively as a key indicator of faecal contamination in water testing industry. However the presence of E. coli or other coliforms (and more recently enterococci) does not provide any information regarding the source of contamination and therefore is not always an effective indicator of actual risk to humans. While human/animal faecal contamination of water can pose a serious health risk to public, the risk can be managed more efficiently and effectively if the source is known. In this respect, microbial source tracking (MST) can be used as an efficient tool by water managers to improve management of public health.

Flood and rainfall mobilisation of E. coli and faecal source tracking markers from decomposing cowpats 

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan Devane ◽  
Brent Gilpin ◽  
Jennifer Webster-Brown ◽  
Louise Weaver ◽  
Pierre Dupont ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Overland Flow ◽  
Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽  
Linear Regression Analysis ◽  
Water Quality Monitoring ◽  
Quality Monitoring ◽  
Source Tracking ◽  
Faecal Contamination ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Faecal Indicators

<p>The intensification of dairy farming on the agricultural landscape in New Zealand has raised concerns about pollution sources from dairy faecal runoff into waterways. The transport of faecal pollution from farms into waterways is facilitated by overland flow, which can result from rain and flood events, poorly designed irrigation practices and the washing down of milking sheds.</p><p>An important step for mitigation of pollution is the identification of the source(s) of faecal contamination. When elevated levels of faecal indicator bacteria (FIB) such as <em>Escherichia coli </em>are identified in a waterway, faecal source tracking (FST) tools such as microbial source tracking (MST) using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and faecal steroids (for example, cholesterol) provide information about the sources of faecal contamination. The understanding of the fate (degradation/persistence) and transport of these FST markers in the environment is recognised as an important requirement for the interpretation of water quality monitoring in aquatic environments.</p><p>This study investigated the effects of faecal decomposition on bovine faecal indicators (<em>E. coli </em>and FST markers: bovine-associated qPCR markers and ten faecal steroids) by monitoring the effect of flood and rainfall events on simulated cowpats over a five and a half month period under field conditions. Two separate spring/summer trials were conducted to evaluate: Trial 1) the mobilisation under simulated flood conditions of the faecal indicators from irrigated versus non-irrigated cowpats, Trial 2) the mobilisation of faecal indicators from non-irrigated cowpat flood runoff versus runoff after simulated rainfall onto non-irrigated cowpats.</p><p>The microbial community changes within the decomposing cowpat (as illustrated by amplicon-based metagenomic analysis) were expected to impact on the survival/persistence of the bacterial targets of the MST markers, and also alter the ratio between faecal sterols and their biodegradation products, the stanols. It was hypothesised, therefore, that there would be:</p><ul><li>Changes over time in the concentration of<em> E. coli </em>and the bovine-associated MST markers mobilised into the cowpat runoff</li> <li>Alterations in the FST ratio signature of the ten measured faecal steroids, resulting in a change from a bovine faecal steroid signature in fresh cowpat runoff to other animal faecal signatures in the runoff from decomposing cowpats</li> <li>A difference in the mobilisation decline rates of all FST and microbial markers within a treatment regime and between treatments.</li> </ul><p>Linear regression analysis was undertaken to establish mobilisation decline rates for each of the analytes in the mobilisable phase from the cowpat runoff treatments, with calculation of the time taken in days for reduction in 90% of the concentration (T<sub>90</sub>), and statistical comparison of the regression coefficients (slopes) of all analytes. The results will include a discussion of the impacts of the study’s observations on the interpretation of faecal indicator assessments for water quality monitoring in waterways influenced by sources of faecal contamination.</p>

The use of antibiotic resistance profiling as a means of tracing sources of fecal contamination in source waters

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 209-215
Author(s):  
M. S. Mthembu ◽  
P. T. Biyela ◽  
T. G. Djarova ◽  
A. K. Basson
Keyword(s):  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Municipal Wastewater ◽  
Fecal Contamination ◽  
Source Tracking ◽  
Human Consumption ◽  
Biochemical Tests ◽  
Isolation And Identification ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Intestinal Pathogens ◽  
Source Waters

Fecal contamination of source waters and its associated intestinal pathogens continues to pose risks to public health although the extent and effect of microbial contamination of source waters gets very little attention in designing treatment plants in most developing countries. Coliform counts give an indication of the overall bacterial contamination of water and thus its safety for human consumption. However, their presence fails to provide information about the source of fecal contamination which is vital to managing fecal contamination problems in surface waters. This study explored the use of multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) indexing as means of differentiating E. coli isolates from different sources. A total of 322 E. coli isolates were obtained from municipal wastewater and from fecal samples from domestic and wild animals. Conventional culture methods and standard chemical and biochemical tests were used for isolation and identification of E. coli. Isolates were assayed against 10 antibiotics using the micro-dilution technique. The results obtained generated antibiotic resistance profiles which were used to statistically group the isolates into different subsets. Correct source classification was obtained for 60% of human-derived and 95% non-human-derived E. coli respectively. These results indicate the validity of the usefulness of MAR indexing as a method of bacterial source tracking.

scholarly journals Assessment of source tracking methods for application in spring water

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 473-488 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melanie Wicki ◽  
Adrian Auckenthaler ◽  
Richard Felleisen ◽  
Fatma Karabulut ◽  
Isabel Niederhauser ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Surface Water ◽  
Scientific Literature ◽  
Microbial Source Tracking ◽  
Spring Water ◽  
Source Tracking ◽  
Animal Waste ◽  
Faecal Contamination ◽  
Potential Source ◽  
Host Strains

For discriminating between human and animal faecal contamination in water, microbial source tracking (MST) approaches using different indicators have been employed. In the current study, a range of 10 such MST indicators described in the scientific literature were comparatively assessed. Bacteriophages infecting host strains of Bacteroides (GA-17, GB-124 and ARABA 84) as well as sorbitol-fermenting bifidobacteria proved useful for indicating human faecal contamination while Rhodococcus coprophilus was associated with animal-derived faecal contamination. These potential source indicators were present in samples of faecal origin, i.e. either in human wastewater or animal waste, from many different regions in Switzerland and therefore showed a geographic stability. In addition, the MST indicators were abundant in surface water and were even sensitive enough to detect faecal contamination in spring water from two study areas in Switzerland. This is the first study that has compared and successfully applied MST methods in spring water.

scholarly journals Identifying Host Sources of Fecal Pollution: Diversity of Escherichia coli in Confined Dairy and Swine Production Systems

2005 ◽  
Vol 71 (10) ◽  
pp. 5992-5998 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zexun Lu ◽  
David Lapen ◽  
Andrew Scott ◽  
Angela Dang ◽  
Edward Topp
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Dairy Farm ◽  
Sampling Strategy ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Microbial Source Tracking ◽  
Fecal Pollution ◽  
Source Tracking ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Repetitive Extragenic Palindromic Pcr ◽  
Repetitive Extragenic Palindromic

ABSTRACT Repetitive extragenic palindromic PCR fingerprinting of Escherichia coli is one microbial source tracking approach for identifying the host source origin of fecal pollution in aquatic systems. The construction of robust known-source libraries is expensive and requires an informed sampling strategy. In many types of farming systems, waste is stored for several months before being released into the environment. In this study we analyzed, by means of repetitive extragenic palindromic PCR using the enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus primers and comparative analysis using the Bionumerics software, collections of E. coli obtained from a dairy farm and from a swine farm, both of which stored their waste as a slurry in holding tanks. In all fecal samples, obtained from either barns or holding tanks, the diversity of the E. coli populations was underrepresented by collections of 500 isolates. In both the dairy and the swine farms, the diversity of the E. coli community was greater in the manure holding tank than in the barn, when they were sampled on the same date. In both farms, a comparison of stored manure samples collected several months apart suggested that the community composition changed substantially in terms of the detected number, absolute identity, and relative abundance of genotypes. Comparison of E. coli populations obtained from 10 different locations in either holding tank suggested that spatial variability in the E. coli community should be accounted for when sampling. Overall, the diversity in E. coli populations in manure slurry storage facilities is significant and likely is problematic with respect to library construction for microbial source tracking applications.

Identification of source of faecal pollution of Tirumanimuttar River, Tamilnadu, India using microbial source tracking

2011 ◽  
Vol 184 (10) ◽  
pp. 6001-6012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kasi Murugan ◽  
Perumal Prabhakaran ◽  
Saleh Al-Sohaibani ◽  
Kuppusamy Sekar
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Source Tracking ◽  
Source Tracking ◽  
Faecal Pollution

Application of mussels as biosamplers for characterization of faecal pollution in coastal recreational waters

2010 ◽  
Vol 62 (3) ◽  
pp. 586-593 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Roslev ◽  
A. S. Bukh ◽  
L. Iversen ◽  
H. Sønderbo ◽  
N. Iversen
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Markers ◽  
Blue Mussel ◽  
Unknown Origin ◽  
Microbial Source Tracking ◽  
Source Tracking ◽  
Recreational Waters ◽  
Human Waste ◽  
Faecal Pollution ◽  
Faecal Bacteria ◽  
Seawater Samples

Sources of faecal pollution in coastal recreational waters may be identified by analysing different host associated microorganisms or molecular markers. However, the microbial targets are often present at low numbers in moderately impacted waters, and often exhibit significant temporal and spatial variability in waters with fluctuating faecal loads. This patchy occurrence can limit successful detection of relevant targets in microbial source tracking studies. In this study, we explored the possibility for using the blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) as a biosampler for accumulation of faecal bacteria relevant for microbial source tracking. Non-contaminated blue mussels were transferred to three coastal recreational waters affected by faecal pollution of unknown origin. Molecular markers associated with animal and human waste were targeted by PCR and compared in seawater and mussel samples. The results demonstrated that transplanted mussels in simple enclosures accumulated and retained elevated levels of molecular markers associated with different types of faecal pollution. The targets included a novel putative human associated E. coli subgroup B2 VIII clone, and animal and human associated markers in enterococci (esp, M19, M66, M90, and M91). Human (sewage) associated markers including esp and M66 were sometimes not detectable in seawater samples despite known wastewater contamination, whereas the markers were detectable in mussels. We suggest that transplanted mussels should be considered as potential biosamplers in studies focusing on identifying source of faecal pollution in low or moderately impacted recreational waters. Bioaccumulation of molecular markers in mussels for several days may represent the water quality better than traditional grab samples from the water column.

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