Monitoring Urban Beach Quality on a Summer Day: Determination of the Origin of Fecal Indicator Bacteria and Antimicrobial Resistance at Prophète Beach, Marseille (France)

A highly frequented beach in Marseille, France, was monitored on an hourly basis during a summer day in July 2018, to determine possible water and sand fecal pollution, in parallel with influx of beach users from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fecal indicator bacteria were enumerated, together with four host-associated fecal molecular markers selected to discriminate human, dog, horse, or gull/seagull origins of the contamination. The antimicrobial resistance of bacteria in water and sand was evaluated by quantifying (i) the class 1, 2, and 3 integron integrase genes intI, and (ii) blaTEM, blaCTX–M, and blaSHV genes encoding endemic beta-lactamase enzymes. The number of beach users entering and leaving per hour during the observation period was manually counted. Photographs of the beach and the bathing area were taken every hour and used to count the number of persons in the water and on the sand, using a photo-interpretation method. The number of beach users increased from early morning to a peak by mid-afternoon, totaling more than 1,800, a very large number of users for such a small beach (less than 1 ha). An increase in fecal contamination in the water corresponded to the increase in beach attendance and number of bathers, with maximum numbers observed in the mid-afternoon. The human-specific fecal molecular marker HF183 indicated the contamination was of human origin. In the water, the load of Intl2 and 3 genes was lower than Intl1 but these genes were detected only during peak attendance and highest fecal contamination. The dynamics of the genes encoding B-lactamases involved in B-lactams resistance notably was linked to beach attendance and human fecal contamination. Fecal indicator bacteria, integron integrase genes intI, and genes encoding B-lactamases were detected in the sand. This study shows that bathers and beach users can be significant contributors to contamination of seawater and beach sand with bacteria of fecal origin and with bacteria carrying integron-integrase genes and beta lactamase encoding genes. High influx of users to beaches is a significant factor to be considered in order to reduce contamination and manage public health risk.

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Application of high-throughput 16S rRNA sequencing to identify fecal contamination sources and to complement the detection of fecal indicator bacteria in rural groundwater

Journal of Water and Health ◽

10.2166/wh.2019.295 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 17 (3) ◽

pp. 393-403 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Paul Naphtali ◽

Mahi M. Mohiuddin ◽

Athanasios Paschos ◽

Herb E. Schellhorn

Keyword(s):

16S Rrna ◽

High Throughput ◽

Fecal Indicator Bacteria ◽

Fecal Contamination ◽

Indicator Bacteria ◽

16S Rrna Sequencing ◽

Septic Tank ◽

Fecal Indicator ◽

Contamination Sources ◽

Rrna Sequencing

Abstract Residents in rural communities across Canada collect potable water from aquifers. Fecal contaminants from sewage and agricultural runoffs can penetrate aquifers, posing a public health risk. Standard methods for detecting fecal contamination test for fecal indicator bacteria (FIB), but the presence of these do not identify sources of contamination. In contrast, DNA-based diagnostic tools can achieve this important objective. We employed quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and high-throughput DNA sequencing to trace fecal contamination sources in Wainfleet, a rural Ontario township that has been under the longest active boil water advisory in Canada due to FIB contamination in groundwater wells. Using traditional methods, we identified FIBs indicating persistent fecal pollution in well waters. We used 16S rRNA sequencing to profile groundwater microbial communities and identified Campylobacteraceae as a fecal contamination DNA marker in septic tank effluents (STEs). We also identified Turicibacter and Gallicola as a potential cow and chicken fecal contamination marker, respectively. Using human specific Bacteroidales markers, we identified leaking septic tanks as the likely primary fecal contamination source in some of Wainfleet's groundwater. Overall, the results support the use of sequencing-based methods to augment traditional water quality testing methods and help end-users assess fecal contamination levels and identify point and non-point pollution sources. This article has been made Open Access thanks to the generous support of a global network of libraries as part of the Knowledge Unlatched Select initiative.

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Abundance and distribution of fecal indicator bacteria in recreational beach sand in the southern Baltic Sea

Revista de biología marina y oceanografía ◽

10.4067/s0718-19572012000300012 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 47 (3) ◽

pp. 503-512 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Piotr Skórczewski ◽

Zbigniew Mudryk ◽

Joanna Gackowska ◽

Piotr Perlinski

Keyword(s):

Baltic Sea ◽

Fecal Indicator Bacteria ◽

Indicator Bacteria ◽

Beach Sand ◽

Fecal Indicator ◽

Southern Baltic Sea ◽

Recreational Beach ◽

Southern Baltic ◽

Abundance And Distribution

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Spatial and temporal variability of fecal indicator bacteria in an urban stream under different meteorological regimes

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.2010.261 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 61 (12) ◽

pp. 3102-3108 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Sung Min Cha ◽

Seung Won Lee ◽

Yong Eun Park ◽

Kyung Hwa Cho ◽

Seungyoon Lee ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fecal Indicator Bacteria ◽

Fecal Contamination ◽

Fecal Pollution ◽

Meteorological Conditions ◽

Indicator Bacteria ◽

Monitoring Data ◽

Solar Irradiation ◽

Urban Stream ◽

Spatial And Temporal Variability ◽

Fecal Indicator

As a representative urban stream in Korea, the Gwangju (GJ) stream suffers from chronic fecal contamination. In this study, to characterize levels of fecal pollution in the GJ stream, the monthly monitoring data for seven years (from 2001 to 2007) and the hourly monitoring data from two field experiments were examined with respect to seasonal/daily variations and spatial distribution under wet and dry weather conditions. This research revealed that concentrations of fecal indicator bacteria strongly varied depending on the prevalent meteorological conditions. That is, during the dry daytime, fecal indicator bacteria concentrations decreased due to inactivation from solar irradiation, but rapidly increased in the absence of sunlight, suggesting external source inputs. In addition, bacterial concentrations substantially increased during rainfall events, due probably to a major contribution from combined sewer overflow. The observations in this study can be useful for implementing fecal pollution management strategies and for predicting fecal contamination as a function of meteorological conditions.

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Multitiered Approach Using Quantitative PCR To Track Sources of Fecal Pollution Affecting Santa Monica Bay, California

Applied and Environmental Microbiology ◽

10.1128/aem.72.2.1604-1612.2006 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 72 (2) ◽

pp. 1604-1612 ◽

Cited By ~ 99

Author(s):

Rachel T. Noble ◽

John F. Griffith ◽

A. Denene Blackwood ◽

Jed A. Fuhrman ◽

Jason B. Gregory ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quantitative Pcr ◽

Fecal Indicator Bacteria ◽

Fecal Contamination ◽

Fecal Pollution ◽

Indicator Bacteria ◽

Fecal Indicator ◽

E Coli ◽

Santa Monica Bay ◽

Santa Monica ◽

Human Specific

ABSTRACT The ubiquity of fecal indicator bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Enterococcus spp. in urban environments makes tracking of fecal contamination extremely challenging. A multitiered approach was used to assess sources of fecal pollution in Ballona Creek, an urban watershed that drains to the Santa Monica Bay (SMB) near Los Angeles, Calif. A mass-based design at six main-stem sites and four major tributaries over a 6-h period was used (i) to assess the flux of Enterococcus spp. and E. coli by using culture-based methods (tier 1); (ii) to assess levels of Enterococcus spp. by using quantitative PCR and to detect and/or quantify additional markers of human fecal contamination, including a human-specific Bacteroides sp. marker and enterovirus, using quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (tier 2); and (iii) to assess the specific types of enterovirus genomes found via sequence analysis (tier 3). Sources of fecal indicator bacteria were ubiquitous, and concentrations were high, throughout Ballona Creek, with no single tributary dominating fecal inputs. The flux of Enterococcus spp. and E. coli averaged 109 to 1010 cells h−1 and was as high at the head of the watershed as at the mouth prior to discharge into the SMB. In addition, a signal for the human-specific Bacteroides marker was consistently detected: 86% of the samples taken over the extent during the study period tested positive. Enteroviruses were quantifiable in 14 of 36 samples (39%), with the highest concentrations at the site furthest upstream (Cochran). These results indicated the power of using multiple approaches to assess and quantify fecal contamination in freshwater conduits to high-use, high-priority recreational swimming areas.

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