Predicting the Fate and Transport of E. coli in Two Texas River Basins Using a Spatially Referenced Regression Model1

Abstract: The two main rivers of southeast Texas: Guadalupe and San Antonio have shown high temporal increase in bacteria concentration during the last decade. The SPAtially Referenced Regression On Watershed (SPARROW) attributes model, developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), has been applied to predict the fluxes and concentrations of contaminants in unmonitored streams and to identify the sources of these contaminants. This model identifies every reach as a basic network unit to distribute the sources, delivery, and attenuation factors. The model is data intensive and implements nonlinear regression to solve the parsimonious relations for describing various watershed processes. This study explored watershed and hydrological characteristics (land uses, precipitation, human and animal population, point sources, areal hydraulic load and drainage density, etc.) as the probable sources and delivery mechanisms of waterborne pathogens and their indicator (Escherichia coli [E. coli]) in the Guadalupe and San Antonio River basins. The effect of using various statistical indices for model selection on the final model’s ability to explain the various E. coli sources and transport processes was also analyzed.     

GROUPWISE MODELING STUDY OF BACTERIALLY IMPAIRED WATERSHEDS IN TEXAS: CLUSTERING ANALYSIS1

ABSTRACT: Under the Clean Water Act (CWA) program, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) listed 110 stream segments in the year 2000 with pathogenic bacteria impairment. A study was conducted to evaluate the probable sources of pollution and characterize the watersheds associated with these impaired water bodies. The primary aim of the study was to group the water bodies into clusters having similar watershed characteristics and to examine the possibility of studying them as a group by choosing models for total maximum daily load (TMDL) development based on their characteristics. This approach will help to identify possible sources and determine appropriate models and hence reduce the number of required TMDL studies. This in turn will help in reducing the effort required to restore the health of the impaired water bodies in Texas. The main characteristics considered for the classification of water bodies were land use distribution within the watershed, density of stream network, average distance of land of a particular use to the closest stream, household population, density of on‐site sewage facilities (OSSFs), bacterial loading from different types of farm animals and wildlife, and average climatic conditions. The climatic data and observed instream fecal coliform bacteria concentrations were analyzed to evaluate seasonal variability of instream water quality. The grouping of water bodies was carried out using the multivariate statistical techniques of factor analysis/principal component analysis, cluster analysis, and discriminant analysis. The multivariate statistical analysis resulted in six clusters of water bodies. The main factors that differentiated the clusters were found to be bacterial contribution from farm animals and wildlife, density of OSSFs, density of households connected to public sewers, and land use distribution.     

Effects of a tropical cyclone on the drinking-water quality of a remote Pacific island

The effect of a cyclone (Ami, January 2003) on drinking-water quality on the island of Vanua Levu, Fiji was investigated. Following the cyclone nearly three-quarters of the samples analysed did not conform to World Health Organisation (WHO) guideline values for safe drinking-water in terms of chlorine residual, total and faecal coliforms, and turbidity. Turbidity and total coliform levels significantly increased (up 56 and 62 per cent, respectively) from pre-cyclone levels, which was likely due to the large amounts of silt and debris entering water-supply sources during the cyclone. The utility found it difficult to maintain a reliable supply of treated water in the aftermath of the disaster. Communities were unaware they were drinking water that had not been adequately treated. Circumstances permitted this cyclone to be used as a case study to assess whether a simple paper-strip water-quality test (the hydrogen sulphide, H(2)S) kit could be distributed and used for community-based monitoring following such a disaster event to better protect public health. The H(2)S test results correlated well with faecal and total coliform results as found in previous studies. A small percentage of samples (about 10 per cent) tested positive for faecal and total coliforms but did not test positive in the H(2)S test. It was concluded that the H(2)S test would be well suited to wider use, especially in the absence of water-quality monitoring capabilities for outer island groups as it is inexpensive and easy to use, thus enabling communities and community health workers with minimal training to test their own water supplies without outside assistance. The importance of public education before and after natural disasters is also discussed.     

Occurrence and infection risk of waterborne pathogens in Wanzhou watershed of the Three Gorges Reservoir, China

The Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR), formed by China’s Yangtze Three Gorges Project, is the largest lake in the world, but there is too little information available about fecal contamination and waterborne pathogen impacts on this aquatic ecosystem. During two successive 1-year study periods (July 2009 to July 2011), the water quality in Wanzhou watershed of the TGR was tested with regard to the presence of fecal indicators and pathogens. According to Chinese and World Health Organization water quality standards, water quality in the mainstream was good but poor in backwater areas. Salmonella, Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC), Giardia and Cryptosporidium were detected in the watershed. Prevalence and concentrations of the pathogens in the mainstream were lower than those in backwater areas. The estimated risk of infection with Salmonella, EHEC, Cryptosporidium, and Giardia per exposure event ranged from 2.9 × 10 -7 to 1.68 × 10-5 , 7.04 × 10-10 to 2.36 × 10-7 , 5.39 × 10-6 to 1.25 × 10-4 and 0 to 1.2 × 10-3 , respectively, for occupational divers and recreational swimmers exposed to the waters. The estimated risk of infection at exposure to the 95% upper confidence limit concentrations of Salmonella, Cryptosporidium and Giardia may be up to 2.62 × 10-5 , 2.55 × 10-4 and 2.86 × 10-3 , respectively. This study provides useful information for the residents, health care workers and managers to improve the safety of surface water and reduce the risk of fecal contamination in the TGR.     

重庆市河水中粪源微生物污染特征及源解析

以重庆主要河流水体作为研究对象,使用传统培养技术评估了细菌总数、粪链球菌、肠球菌、脆弱拟杆菌、总大肠菌群及粪大肠菌群的污染水平;同时以拟杆菌作为特异性指示菌,选取人源性粪便专一指示菌引物（HF183）和猪源性粪便专一指示菌引物（Pig-2-Bac）进行源追踪.微生物培养结果表明：重庆市主要河流在春季有15.4%的研究断面未达到Ⅲ类水质,秋季有61.5%的研究断面未达到Ⅲ类水质.在春季,主城区河流主要受人类粪便污染,区县河流主要受动物粪便污染;在秋季,主城区和区县河流都主要受人类粪便污染.指示微生物指标间Pearson相关性分析结果表明粪链球菌、粪大肠菌群、肠球菌两两之间有显著相关性,肠球菌与脆弱拟杆菌有显著相关性.猪源性拟杆菌特异性生物标记Pig-2-Bac和人源拟杆菌特异性生物标记HF183对人和动物粪便污染区分成功率达100%;用这两种特异性引物对春季水样DNA进行扩增,发现13个采样点均未受到猪源粪便污染,唐家沱、朝天门、鸡冠石、合川受到人源粪便污染.     

罗源湾海水中粪大肠菌群的来源及空间分布

2002年1月到2005年12月通过多种方式对罗源湾海水中的FCB(粪大肠菌群)数量、来源及空间分布进行了调查.结果表明:湾内主要水域FCB的数量在<0.02～≥24 /mL之间,入海河流、沿岸居民的生活和农业生产活动以及海上网箱养殖是罗源湾海水中FCB的主要来源,其中湾内主要的入海河流FCB超标严重,入海河流是罗源湾内FCB污染的最主要来源.罗源湾内 FCB空间分布与盐度呈负相关(R2=0.84),空间分布表现为,西高东低、内腹海区高于湾口,近岸海区高于湾中央海区,表层高于底层,网箱养殖区高于非网箱养殖区,松山垦区由于受到河流入海的影响成为罗源湾内污染最严重的海区.     

金刚石膜电极消毒处理医院污水的试验研究

以掺硼金刚石(BDD)作电极的自制电解槽装置处理医院污水的消毒效果。在全回流处理模式下消毒处理医院废水,采用多管发酵法测定粪大肠菌群数。掺硼金刚石(BDD)作电极,在电极间距为2mm、医院污水Cl-浓度为200mg/L、pH值在7.0～8.0范围内、电流密度8mA/cm2、接触时间≥9s的条件下,对医院污水粪大肠菌群的去除率最佳,出水满足《医疗机构污水排放标准值》粪大肠菌群数均不得超过500MPN/L。掺硼金刚石(BDD)作电极的自制电解槽装置处理医院污水不需要添加化学药剂,对粪大肠菌群消毒效果好。     

水中粪大肠菌群测定的滤膜法研究

本方法主要研究滤膜法在实际监测工作中的可行性,利用实际水样对滤膜法与发酵法的监测结果进行比对,并对滤膜法的重复性和准确度进行监测研究。     

家用洗衣机微生物污染状况研究

在生活中,洗衣水往往是被人们所忽略的污染源。为了人们更加健康的生活更加健康的洗衣,本文对家用洗衣机内外筒以及洗衣水中细菌总数和大肠菌群数进行了取样测定,结果表明,各种样品的细菌总数结果很相近,并且远远超出了公共用品中其它公共用品卫生的标准,即细菌总数评价指标不大于300 cfu/25cm2;洗衣机内外筒的细菌总数结果相近。最后,本文通过分析其造成的污染状况,从而引导人们养成科学的洗衣习惯。     

固定底物酶底物法与多管发酵法和快速纸片法测定水中粪大肠菌群(耐热大肠菌群)的比较

采用酶底物法和多管发酵法及快速纸片法,比对分析了分组环境水样中的大肠菌群,采用无菌水和标准菌种ATCC 25922(大肠埃希菌)标准菌种检验3种方法的假阳性率与假阴性率,结果表明,固定底物酶底物法与多管发酵法用于水中粪大肠菌群(耐热大肠菌群)检测结果具有一致性。