Have genetic targets for faecal pollution diagnostics and source tracking revolutionised water quality analysis yet?

The impacts on faecal pollution analysis using nucleic acid-based methods, such as PCR and sequencing, in health-related water quality research were assessed by rigorous literature analysis. A wide range of application areas and study designs has been identified since the first application more than 30 years ago (>1,100 publications). Given the consistency of methods and assessment types, we suggest defining this emerging part of science as a new discipline: genetic faecal pollution diagnostics (GFPD) in health-related microbial water quality analysis. Undoubtedly, GFPD has already revolutionised faecal pollution detection and microbial source tracking, the current core applications. GFPD is also expanding to many other research areas, including infection and health risk assessment, evaluation of microbial water treatment, and support of wastewater surveillance. In addition, storage of DNA extracts allows for biobanking, which opens up new perspectives. The tools of GFPD can be combined with cultivation-based standardised faecal indicator enumeration, pathogen detection, and various environmental data types, in an integrated data analysis approach. This comprehensive meta-analysis provides the scientific status quo of this field, including trend analyses and literature statistics, outlining identified application areas, and discussing the benefits and challenges of nucleic acid-based analysis in GFPD

Global Distribution of Human-Associated Fecal Genetic Markers in Reference Samples from Six Continents

Numerous bacterial genetic markers are available for the molecular detection of human sources of fecal pollution in environmental waters. However, widespread application is hindered by a lack of knowledge regarding geographical stability, limiting implementation to a small number of well-characterized regions. This study investigates the geographic distribution of five human-associated genetic markers (HF183/BFDrev, HF183/BacR287, BacHum-UCD, BacH, and Lachno2) in municipal wastewaters (raw and treated) from 29 urban and rural wastewater treatment plants (750-4»400»000 population equivalents) from 13 countries spanning six continents. In addition, genetic markers were tested against 280 human and nonhuman fecal samples from domesticated, agricultural and wild animal sources. Findings revealed that all genetic markers are present in consistently high concentrations in raw (median log10 7.2-8.0 marker equivalents (ME) 100 mL-1) and biologically treated wastewater samples (median log10 4.6-6.0 ME 100 mL-1) regardless of location and population. The false positive rates of the various markers in nonhuman fecal samples ranged from 5% to 47%. Results suggest that several genetic markers have considerable potential for measuring human-associated contamination in polluted environmental waters. This will be helpful in water quality monitoring, pollution modeling and health risk assessment (as demonstrated by QMRAcatch) to guide target-oriented water safety management across the globe.Fil: Mayer, René E.. Vienna University of Technology; Austria. Interuniversity Cooperation Centre for Water and Health; AustriaFil: Reischer, Georg. Vienna University of Technology; AustriaFil: Ixenmaier, Simone K.. Vienna University of Technology; Austria. Interuniversity Cooperation Centre for Water and Health; AustriaFil: Derx, Julia. Vienna University of Technology; AustriaFil: Blaschke, Alfred Paul. Vienna University of Technology; AustriaFil: Ebdon, James E.. University of Brighton; Reino UnidoFil: Linke, Rita. Vienna University of Technology; Austria. Interuniversity Cooperation Centre Water And Health; AustriaFil: Egle, Lukas. Vienna University of Technology; AustriaFil: Ahmed, Warish. Csiro Land And Water; AustraliaFil: Blanch, Anicet R.. Universidad de Barcelona; EspañaFil: Byamukama, Denis. Makerere University; UgandaFil: Savill, Marion. Affordable Water Limited;Fil: Mushi, Douglas. Sokoine University Of Agriculture; TanzaniaFil: Cristobal, Hector Antonio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Investigaciones para la Industria Química. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Investigaciones para la Industria Química; ArgentinaFil: Edge, Thomas A.. Canada Centre for Inland Waters. Environment and Climate Change Canada; CanadáFil: Schade, Margit A.. Bavarian Environment Agency; AlemaniaFil: Aslan, Asli. Georgia Southern University; Estados UnidosFil: Brooks, Yolanda M.. Michigan State University; Estados UnidosFil: Sommer, Regina. Interuniversity Cooperation Centre Water And Health; Austria. Medizinische Universitat Wien; AustriaFil: Masago, Yoshifumi. Tohoku University; JapónFil: Sato, Maria I.. Cia. Ambiental do Estado de Sao Paulo. Departamento de Análises Ambientais; BrasilFil: Taylor, Huw D.. University of Brighton; Reino UnidoFil: Rose, Joan B.. Michigan State University; Estados UnidosFil: Wuertz, Stefan. Nanyang Technological University. Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering and School of Civil and Environmental Engineering; SingapurFil: Shanks, Orin. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Estados UnidosFil: Piringer, Harald. Vrvis Research Center; AustriaFil: Mach, Robert L.. Vienna University of Technology; AustriaFil: Savio, Domenico. Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences; AustriaFil: Zessner, Matthias. Vienna University of Technology; AustriaFil: Farnleitner, Andreas. Vienna University of Technology; Austria. Interuniversity Cooperation Centre Water And Health; Austria. Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences; Austri

Auswirkungen des Pilotversuchs BDA auf die Grundwasserverhältnisse

The final publication is available at Springer via https://doi.org/10.1007/s00506-016-0307-6.In dieser Arbeit wurde untersucht, welchen Einfluss die Summe der baulichen Maßnahmen im Bereich der Pilotversuchsstrecke Bad Deutsch Altenburg auf die Grundwasserverhältnisse haben. Als methodische Vorgangsweise wurde eine Vergleichsdarstellung der Bedingungen der Austauschprozesse zwischen Grund- und Flusswasser vor und nach den Baumaßnahmen gewählt. Die bisherigen Analysen der Grundwasserverhältnisse vor und nach den Baumaßnahmen im Pilotversuch BDA zeigen keine wesentliche Beeinflussung der Grundwasserverhältnisse. Dies ist weitgehend auf die effluenten Verhältnisse zwischen Grund- und Oberflächenwasser in diesem Streckenabschnitt der Donau zurückzuführen. Eine Übertragung dieser Ergebnisse auf andere Streckenabschnitte der Donau mit anderen Rahmenbedingungen ist nur bedingt möglich. Es zeigt sich, dass eine Aufrechterhaltung der Interaktion des Grundwassers mit der Donau und deren Seitenarme eine wesentliche Bedeutung für die Erhaltung der Grundwasserverhältnisse haben. Deshalb sind zur Erhaltung der Grundwasserverhältnisse weitere Maßnahmen gegen ein Absinken der Oberflächenwasserstände aus wasserwirtschaftlicher Sicht erforderlich.This study investigates the impact of the sum of the structural measures on groundwater conditions in the context of the pilot test stretch in Bad Deutsch-Altenburg (BDA). The methodological approach was a comparison of the conditions for the exchange processes between groundwater and river water pre and post the selected structural work. The analyses of the groundwater conditions pre and post the structural work in the BDA pilot test show no substantial impact on the groundwater conditions so far. This is largely due to the effluent conditions between groundwater and surface water along this stretch of the Danube. The transfer of these results to other sections of the Danube with other boundary conditions is only partly possible. It appears that the continuous interaction of groundwater with the waters of the Danube and its branches is of significant importance for the conservation of the groundwater conditions. Therefore, from a water-management point of view, further measures against a decline in surface-water levels are essential for conserving the groundwater conditions

Priorities for developing a modelling and scenario analysis framework for waterborne pathogen concentrations in rivers worldwide and consequent burden of disease

Diarrhoea caused by waterborne pathogens still has a large burden of disease. We introduce a modelling and scenario analysis framework that enables better understanding of sources of and possible future changes in the disease burden due to environmental change and management implementation. The state-of-the-art research that can contribute to the development of the framework at the large scale is analysed, together with research gaps and opportunities for future research. Priorities have been identified and these include implementation of Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment and application of the models in scenario analyses. The credibility of the model outputs should be central in the analysis, for example by developing stochastic models. Implementation of the framework contributes towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals

Assessing biological stability in a porous groundwater aquifer of a riverbank filtration system: combining traditional cultivation-based and emerging cultivation-independent in situ and predictive methods

Riverbank filtration systems are important drinking water resources. Aquifers of riverbank filtration systems are subjected to considerable dynamics concerning the quantity and quality of the infiltrating water. The microbiological quality is mainly jeopardized by faecal contamination of the main river. Besides, water quality can be impacted by growth of natural water-borne bacteria due to the input of nutrients resulting in the proliferation of opportunistic pathogens, impairment of odour and taste or bio-corrosion. The occurrence of such phenomena indicates a biological instability. For highly dynamic riverbank filtration systems, it is thus of high relevance to assess the biological stability of the groundwater resource. In the present study, we applied a holistic, two-tiered concept of in situ and predictive methods to assess the biostability of the aquifer in a bank filtration system of the Danube River. We applied traditional cultivation-based and selected cultivation-independent methods—including cultivation on yeast extract and R2A agar, determination of total cell counts via fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry, leucine incorporation and 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing—at critical control points along the infiltration path from the river to the abstraction well. The concentration of organic nutrients and the hydrological variability were the main controlling factors driving the biological stability of the groundwater body. Wells situated at greater distance displayed significantly lower dissolved organic carbon concentrations and a dampened hydrological influence in comparison to the well situated next to the river. Apparent discrepancies between the methods used indicated a different indicator function of the cultivation-based and cultivation-independent approaches. For complex systems, we thus recommend this new holistic concept for assessing biostability by combining in situ as well as predictive parameters and using cultivation-based and cultivation-independent methods.Flussuferfiltrationssysteme sind wichtige Trinkwasserressourcen. Die Aquifere von Uferfiltrationssystemen sind einer erheblichen Dynamik in Bezug auf die Menge und Qualität des infiltrierenden Wassers unterworfen. Die mikrobiologische Qualität wird hauptsächlich durch die fäkale Verunreinigung des Hauptflusses gefährdet. Darüber hinaus kann die Wasserqualität durch das Wachstum natürlicher wasserbürtiger Bakterien aufgrund von Nährstoffeinträgen beeinträchtigt werden, was zur Vermehrung opportunistischer Krankheitserreger, zur Beeinträchtigung von Geruch und Geschmack oder zur Biokorrosion führen kann. Das Auftreten solcher Phänomene deutet auf eine biologische Instabilität hin. Für hochdynamische Uferfiltrationssysteme ist es daher von großer Bedeutung, die biologische Stabilität der Grundwasserressource zu bewerten. In der vorliegenden Studie wurde ein ganzheitliches, zweistufiges Konzept aus In-situ- und Vorhersage-Methoden angewandt, um die biologische Stabilität des Aquifers in einem Uferfiltrationssystem der Donau zu bewerten. Wir wendeten traditionelle kultivierungsbasierte und ausgewählte kultivierungsunabhängige Methoden – einschließlich Kultivierung auf Hefeextrakt und R2A-Agar, Bestimmung der Gesamtzellzahl mittels Fluoreszenzmikroskopie und Durchflusszytometrie, Leucin-Inkorporation und 16S rRNA-Genamplikon-Sequenzierung – an kritischen Kontrollpunkten entlang des Infiltrationspfads vom Fluss zum Entnahmebrunnen an. Die Konzentration der organischen Nährstoffe und die hydrologische Variabilität waren die wichtigsten Einflussfaktoren für die biologische Stabilität des Grundwasserkörpers. Brunnen in größerer Entfernung wiesen deutlich niedrigere Konzentrationen an gelöstem organischem Kohlenstoff und einen gedämpften hydrologischen Einfluss im Vergleich zum Brunnen in Flussnähe auf. Offensichtliche Diskrepanzen zwischen den verwendeten Methoden deuten auf eine unterschiedliche Indikatorfunktion der kultivierungsbasierten und kultivierungsunabhängigen Ansätze hin. Für komplexe Systeme empfehlen wir daher dieses neue ganzheitliche Konzept zur Bewertung der Biostabilität durch die Kombination von In-situ- und Vorhersage-Parametern und die Verwendung kultivierungsbasierter und kultivierungsunabhängiger Methoden.49050011FTI—Forschungs‑, Technologie- und Innovationsprogramm NiederösterreichWiener Wasser (MA 31

Using hydrodynamic and hydraulic modelling to study microbiological water quality issues at a backwater area of the Danube to support decision-making

The alluvial backwater areas of the Danube are valuable ecological habitats containing important drinking water resources. Due to the river regulation and the construction of power plants, the river water levels and natural dynamics of the backwater areas continuously decline, threatening their typical characteristics. The aim of this study was to evaluate how an increased connectivity of the backwater branch located in a nature-protected riverine floodplain (enabled by diverting river water into the backwater system via a weir) affects the microbiological quality of groundwater resources. The defined quality criterion was that the diversion measures must not lead to an increased detection frequency of faecal indicators in groundwater. The microbiological water quality of the Danube, its backwater branch and the groundwater was analysed from 2010 to 2013. E. coli was selected as bacterial indicator for recent faecal pollution. C. perfringens (spores) was analysed as indicator for persistent faecal pollution and potentially occurring pathogenic protozoa. We simulated the microbial transport from the Danube and the backwater river into groundwater using a 3‑D unsaturated-saturated groundwater model coupled with 2‑D hydrodynamic flow simulations. Scenarios for no diversion measures were compared with scenarios for an additional discharge of 3, 20 and 80 m3/s from the Danube River into the backwater branch. While the additional discharge of 20 and 80 m3/s of Danube water into the floodplain strongly improved the ecological status according to ecological habitat models, the hydraulic transport simulations showed that this would result in a deterioration of the microbiological quality of groundwater resources. The presented approach shows how hydraulic transport modelling and microbiological analyses can be combined to support decision-making.Die Flussauen der Donau sind wertvolle ökologische Lebensräume und enthalten wichtige Trinkwasserressourcen. Durch Flussregulierungen und den Betrieb von Kraftwerken nehmen der Wasserstand und die natürliche Dynamik in den angrenzenden Auengebieten kontinuierlich ab, was die natürliche Charakteristik dieser Landschaftstypen gefährdet. Das Ziel dieser Studie war es zu untersuchen, wie eine verbesserte Anbindung eines Auengebiets durch Einleitung von Donauwasser über ein Wehr die mikrobiologische Qualität der Grundwasserressourcen beeinflusst. Das Qualitätskriterium war so definiert, dass die Anbindungsmaßnahmen nicht zu einem häufigeren Nachweis von Fäkalindikatoren im Grundwasser führen dürfen. Die mikrobiologische Wasserqualität der Donau und des Seitenarms im Untersuchungsgebiet wurde von 2010 bis 2013 analysiert. E. coli wurde als bakterieller Indikator für rezente fäkale Verunreinigung gewählt. C. perfringens (Sporen) wurden als Indikatoren für persistente fäkale Verunreinigung und potenziell vorkommende pathogene Protozoen gewählt. Wir simulierten den mikrobiellen Transport von der Donau und dem Altarm im Auengebiet ins Grundwasser. Dazu verwendeten wir ein 3‑D ungesättigt-gesättigtes Grundwassermodell, gekoppelt mit einem 2‑D hydrodynamischen Strömungsmodell. Wir verglichen Modellszenarien ohne Anbindungsmaßnahmen mit welchen mit zusätzlichen Einleitungen von 3, 20 und 80 m3/s von der Donau in den Seitenarm. Während ökologische Habitatmodelle zeigten, dass eine zusätzliche Einleitung von 20 und 80 m3/s Donauwasser in die Au den ökologischen Zustand stark verbesserte, zeigten die hydraulischen Transportsimulationen, dass diese zu einer Verschlechterung der mikrobiologischen Qualität der Grundwasserressourcen führen würde. Der vorgestellte methodische Ansatz zeigt, wie hydraulische Transportmodellierung und mikrobiologische Analysen kombiniert werden können, um die Entscheidungsfindung bei der Planung zu unterstützen.Fonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung (FWF)4824898(New) Danube—Lower Lobau Network Projec

Genetic Microbial Source Tracking Support QMRA Modeling for a Riverine Wetland Drinking Water Resource

Riverine wetlands are important natural habitats and contain valuable drinking water resources. The transport of human- and animal-associated fecal pathogens into the surface water bodies poses potential risks to water safety. The aim of this study was to develop a new integrative modeling approach supported by microbial source tracking (MST) markers for quantifying the transport pathways of two important reference pathogens, Cryptosporidium and Giardia, from external (allochthonous) and internal (autochthonous) fecal sources in riverine wetlands considering safe drinking water production. The probabilistic-deterministic model QMRAcatch (v 1.1 python backwater) was modified and extended to account for short-time variations in flow and microbial transport at hourly time steps. As input to the model, we determined the discharge rates, volumes and inundated areas of the backwater channel based on 2-D hydrodynamic flow simulations. To test if we considered all relevant fecal pollution sources and transport pathways, we validated QMRAcatch using measured concentrations of human, ruminant, pig and bird associated MST markers as well as E. coli in a Danube wetland area from 2010 to 2015. For the model validation, we obtained MST marker decay rates in water from the literature, adjusted them within confidence limits, and simulated the MST marker concentrations in the backwater channel, resulting in mean absolute errors of 0.05). In the scenarios, we investigated (i) the impact of river discharges into the backwater channel (allochthonous sources), (ii) the resuspension of pathogens from animal fecal deposits in inundated areas, and (iii) the pathogen release from animal fecal deposits after rainfall (autochthonous sources). Autochthonous and allochthonous human and animal sources resulted in mean loads and concentrations of Cryptosporidium and Giardia (oo)cysts in the backwater channel of 3–13 × 109 particles/hour and 0.4–1.2 particles/L during floods and rainfall events, and in required pathogen treatment reductions to achieve safe drinking water of 5.0–6.2 log10. The integrative modeling approach supports the sustainable and proactive drinking water safety management of alluvial backwater areas