Assessment of physicochemical parameters and prevalence of virulent and multiple-antibiotic-resistant <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis> in treated effluent of two wastewater treatment plants and receiving aquatic <Emphasis Type="Italic">milieu</Emphasis> in Durban,South Africa

The poor operational status of some wastewater treatment plants often result in the discharge of inadequately treated effluent into receiving surface waters. This is of significant public health concern as there are many informal settlement dwellers (ISDs) that rely on these surface waters for their domestic use. This study investigated the treatment efficiency of two independent wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Durban, South Africa and determined the impact of treated effluent discharge on the physicochemical and microbial quality of the receiving water bodies over a 6-month period. Presumptive Escherichia coli isolates were identified using biochemical tests and detection of the mdh gene via PCR. Six major virulence genes namely eae, hly, fliC, stx1, stx2, and rfbE were also detected via PCR while antibiotic resistance profiles of the isolates were determined using Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion assay. The physicochemical parameters of the wastewater samples ranged variously between 9 and 313.33 mg/L, 1.52 and 76.43 NTUs, and 6.30 and 7.87 for COD, turbidity, and pH respectively, while the E. coli counts ranged between 0 and 31.2?×?10³ CFU/ml. Of the 200 selected E. coli isolates, the hly gene was found in 28 %, fliC in 20 %, stx2 in 17 %, eae in 14 %, with stx1 and rfbE in only 4 % of the isolates. Notable resistance was observed toward trimethoprim (97 %), tetracycline (56 %), and ampicillin (52.5 %). These results further highlight the poor operational status of these WWTPs and outline the need for improved water quality monitoring and enforcement of stringent guidelines.     

A moving target—incorporating knowledge of the spatial ecology of fish into the assessment and management of freshwater fish populations

Freshwater fish move vertically and horizontally through the aquatic landscape for a variety of reasons, such as to find and exploit patchy resources or to locate essential habitats (e.g., for spawning). Inherent challenges exist with the assessment of fish populations because they are moving targets. We submit that quantifying and describing the spatial ecology of fish and their habitat is an important component of freshwater fishery assessment and management. With a growing number of tools available for studying the spatial ecology of fishes (e.g., telemetry, population genetics, hydroacoustics, otolith microchemistry, stable isotope analysis), new knowledge can now be generated and incorporated into biological assessment and fishery management. For example, knowing when, where, and how to deploy assessment gears is essential to inform, refine, or calibrate assessment protocols. Such information is also useful for quantifying or avoiding bycatch of imperiled species. Knowledge of habitat connectivity and usage can identify critically important migration corridors and habitats and can be used to improve our understanding of variables that influence spatial structuring of fish populations. Similarly, demographic processes are partly driven by the behavior of fish and mediated by environmental drivers. Information on these processes is critical to the development and application of realistic population dynamics models. Collectively, biological assessment, when informed by knowledge of spatial ecology, can provide managers with the ability to understand how and when fish and their habitats may be exposed to different threats. Naturally, this knowledge helps to better evaluate or develop strategies to protect the long-term viability of fishery production. Failure to understand the spatial ecology of fishes and to incorporate spatiotemporal data can bias population assessments and forecasts and potentially lead to ineffective or counterproductive management actions.     

Spatial and temporal variability of metals in inter-tidal beach sediment of Mumbai, India

Nine metals were monitored in the beach sediment in Mumbai from May 2011 to March 2012 to evaluate the spatial and temporal distributions. The average heavy metal concentrations exhibited the following order: Fe > Mn > Cr > Co > Ni > Pb > Zn > Cu > Cd for the four sampling sites. The mean concentrations (± SD) of Fe, Mn, Cr, Co, Ni, Pb, Zn, Cu and Cd were estimated to be 31.15?±?10.02 g kg^?1, 535.04?±?76.42, 151.98?±?97.90, 92.76?±?14.18, 67.52?±?11.32, 59.57?±?15.19, 54.65?±?15.01, 32.24?±?8.07 and 18.75?±?1.76 mg kg^?1, respectively. The results indicated that the sediments were polluted with Cd, Cr, Co and Pb due to high anthropogenic influences. Spatial variation of metals revealed that most of the metals were high in Dadar beach and low in Aksa beach. Cd was the highest contaminant metal studied with a mean contamination factor of 93.75. The pollution load indices of the studied beaches ranged from 1.63 (Aksa) to 1.91 (Dadar) and indicated that the beach sediments were polluted with heavy metals. The heavy metal contents increased in relation to monsoon, and most of the heavy metals showed significantly high concentrations in November during the post-monsoon. The statistical analysis revealed significant effect of study site on all the metals studied. Further, there was a significant difference on metal accumulation on bimonthly basis in relation to weather pattern in Mumbai beaches.     

Characterizing spatial structure of sediment E. coli populations to inform sampling design

Escherichia coli can persist in streambed sediments and influence water quality monitoring programs through their resuspension into overlying waters. This study examined the spatial patterns in E. coli concentration and population structure within streambed morphological features during baseflow and following stormflow to inform sampling strategies for representative characterization of E. coli populations within a stream reach. E. coli concentrations in bed sediments were significantly different (p?=?0.002) among monitoring sites during baseflow, and significant interactive effects (p?=?0.002) occurred among monitoring sites and morphological features following stormflow. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression revealed that water velocity and effective particle size (D ₁₀) explained E. coli concentration during baseflow, whereas sediment organic carbon, water velocity and median particle diameter (D ₅₀) were important explanatory variables following stormflow. Principle Coordinate Analysis illustrated the site-scale differences in sediment E. coli populations between disconnected stream segments. Also, E. coli populations were similar among depositional features within a reach, but differed in relation to high velocity features (e.g., riffles). Canonical correspondence analysis resolved that E. coli population structure was primarily explained by spatial (26.9–31.7 %) over environmental variables (9.2–13.1 %). Spatial autocorrelation existed among monitoring sites and morphological features for both sampling events, and gradients in mean particle diameter and water velocity influenced E. coli population structure for the baseflow and stormflow sampling events, respectively. Representative characterization of streambed E. coli requires sampling of depositional and high velocity environments to accommodate strain selectivity among these features owing to sediment and water velocity heterogeneity.     

Seasonal characteristics of SO2, NO2, and CO emissions in and around the Indo-Gangetic Plain

Anthropogenic emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), and carbon monoxide (CO) exert significant influence on local and regional atmospheric chemistry. Temporal and spatial variability of these gases are investigated using surface measurements by the Central Pollution Control Board (India) during 2005–2009 over six urban locations in and around the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) and supported using the satellite measurements of these gases. The stations chosen are Jodhpur (west of IGP), Delhi (central IGP), Kolkata and Durgapur (eastern IGP), Guwahati (east of IGP), and Nagpur (south of IGP). Among the stations studied, SO₂ concentrations are found to be the highest over Kolkata megacity. Elevated levels of NO₂ occur over the IGP stations of Durgapur, Kolkata, and Delhi. Columnar NO₂ values are also found to be elevated over these regions during winter due to high surface concentrations while columnar SO₂ values show a monsoon maximum. Elevated columnar CO over Guwahati during pre-monsoon are attributed to biomass burning. Statistically significant correlations between columnar NO₂ and surface NO₂ obtained for Delhi, Kolkata, and Durgapur along with very low SO₂ to NO₂ ratios (≤0.2) indicate fossil fuel combustion from mobile sources as major contributors to the ambient air over these regions.     

Impact of rapid urbanisation and industrialisation on river sediment metal contamination

This study aimed at evidencing contaminant inputs from a rapidly growing population and the accompanying anthropogenic activities to river sediments. The Fez metropolitan area and its impacts on the Sebou's sediments (the main Moroccan river) were chosen as a case study. The Fez agglomeration is surrounded by the river Fez, receiving the wastewaters of this developing city and then flowing into the Sebou. The sediment cores from the Fez and Sebou Rivers were extracted and analysed for major elements, butyltins and toxic metals. Normalised enrichment factors and geoaccumulation index were calculated. Toxicity risk was assessed by two sets of sediment quality guideline (SQG) indices. A moderate level of contamination by butyltins was observed, with monobutyltin being the dominant species across all sites and depths. The lowest level of metal pollution was identified in the Sebou's sediments in upstream of Fez city, whilst the Fez' sediments were heavily polluted and exhibited bottom-up accumulation trends, which is a clear signature of recent inputs from the untreated wastewaters of Fez city. Consequently, the sediments of Fez and Sebou at the downstream of the confluence were found to be potentially toxic, according to the SQG levels. This finding is concerned with aquatic organisms, as well as to the riverside population, which is certainly exposed to these pollutants through the daily use of water. This study suggests that although Morocco has adopted environmental regulations aiming at restricting pollutant discharges into the natural ecosystems, such regulations are neither well respected by the main polluters nor efficiently enforced by the authorities.     

Persistence and dissipation of flubendiamide and its risk assessment on gherkin (Cucumis anguria L.)

A supervised open field trial was conducted to evaluate the dissipation pattern and risk assessment of flubendiamide in gherkin fruits following foliar application of Fame 480 SC at 60 and 120 g a.i.?ha^?1. Samples of gherkin fruits were drawn at different time intervals and quantified by HPLC-DAD. The maximum initial deposits of flubendiamide on gherkin were found to be 0.79 and 1.52 mg kg^?1, respectively, at recommended and double the recommended doses. The dissipation pattern of flubendiamide followed a first-order kinetics with half-lives of 1.87 to 2.16 days at 60 and 120 g a.i.?ha^?1, respectively. The limit of quantification of flubendiamide and desiodo flubendiamide was observed to be 0.01 mg kg^?1 for gherkin fruit and soil substrates. Theoretical maximum residue contribution (TMRC) for flubendiamide was calculated and found to be well below the maximum permissible intake (MPI) on gherkin fruits. Thus, the application of flubendiamide at the recommended dose on gherkin fruits presents no human health risks and safe to consumers.