Cattle access to small streams increases concentrations of Escherichia coli in bed sediments

Antunes, Patrícia Oliveira; ÓhUallacháin, D.; Dunne, N.; Kelly‐Quinn, Mary; O’Sullivan, M.; Bragina, Lyubov; Jennings, Eleanor

doi:10.1007/s10750-022-05091-5

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 67 publications

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“…Trends in concentrations along the creek were not significant on many sampling dates. Such trends were expected due to substantial differences in land use among the sampling sites, as the animal and human waste management in different land use settings can strongly affect FIB concentrations (Antunes et al., 2022; Frak, 2013; Haack et al., 2016; Thilakarathne et al., 2018). It appears that more samples may be needed to reveal such differences for individual sampling dates.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Temporal variation appears to be another factor that controls levels of indicator concentrations and can affect the assessment of the role of sediment in microbial water quality formation. Seasonality in FIB sediment concentrations has been noted (Soupir & Pandey, 2016; Bragina et al., 2017; Stocker et al., 2019; Antunes et al., 2022), but the finer scales of temporal variability have not been explored except for times immediately before and after high‐flow events.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Multiscale spatiotemporal variability of fecal indicator bacteria and associated particle size distributions in the sandy bottom sediments of a Pennsylvania creek

Pachepsky,

Harriger,

Panko Graff

et al. 2023

J of Env Quality

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Concentrations of the fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) Escherichia coli and enterococci are used to assess microbial impairment in irrigation and recreation water sources. Whereas the FIB concentrations’ variability at large temporal scales such as seasons, and large spatial scales encompassing different land use has been studied, the knowledge about smaller‐scale variability remains sparse. This work aimed to research the small‐scale variability of E. coli and enterococci in a montane creek with sandy bottom sediments. Sediment samples were collected weekly for a year in triplicate at sampling sites in a forested headwater, an agricultural area, and a mixed urban‐agricultural area. The average weekly change in concentrations was from two times at the forested site to five times at the urban‐agricultural site. Mean relative deviations from averages across sampling locations increased from ‐25% at the forested site to 45% at the urban‐agricultural site. This trend was also observed separately over cold and warm seasons. Over a week without precipitation, E. coli concentrations decreased on average by 20% in warm period and by45% in cold period; the enterococci concentration declined by 12% in both cold and warm periods. The sediment particle size distributions were significantly different among the three sites and between cold and warm seasons. Rankings of sediment fine mass fractions and FIB concentrations were positively correlated at two of three sampling sites in more than 70% of observation dates. The results of this work indicate the need to evaluate the uncertainty of sediment FIB concentrations before designing sediment FIB monitoring quality.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multiscale spatiotemporal variability of fecal indicator bacteria and associated particle size distributions in the sandy bottom sediments of a Pennsylvania creek

Pachepsky,

Harriger,

Panko Graff

et al. 2023

J of Env Quality

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“…The persistence of FIOs in bed sediments has been linked to other factors, such as availability of nutrients [ 17 ], sediment characteristics [ 14 , 18 ], and protection from ultraviolet radiation and predative organisms [ 19 ]. FIOs in streambed sediment can also regrow under some favourable conditions [ 20 , 21 ], thus providing a potentially long-term input into the overlying water column [ 22 ]. Association of FIOs with organic and/or mineral matter can play an important role in their delivery to streambed sediment relative to freely suspended cells because of the impact on increased settling speeds [ 23 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Persistence of E. coli in Streambed Sediment Contaminated with Faeces from Dairy Cows, Geese, and Deer: Legacy Risks to Environment and Health

Afolabi

Oliver

2023

IJERPH

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Legacy stores of faecal pollution in streambed sediments can result in delayed impacts on environmental quality and human health if resuspended into the overlying water column. Different catchment sources of faecal pollution can contribute to a legacy store of microbial pollutants, with size of stores influenced by microbial die-off and faecal accrual rates in the streambed. The aim of this study was to use a mesocosm experiment to characterise the persistence of E. coli derived from faeces of dairy cows, deer, and geese once introduced to streambed sediment under different temperature regimes. The settling rate of solid constituents of faecal material into streambed sediment once delivered into an aquatic environment was also quantified. The persistence patterns of E. coli in streambed sediment were found to vary as a function of faecal source and temperature; die-off of E. coli in sediment contaminated with goose faeces was more rapid than in sediments contaminated with dairy cow or deer faeces. Goose faeces also recorded a more rapid settling rate of faecal particles through the water column relative to dairy cow and deer faeces, suggesting a more efficient delivery of E. coli to streambed sediments associated with this faecal source. Our findings provide new evidence to improve understanding of the potential longer-term risks to both the environment and public health posed by sediments when contaminated with livestock, wildlife, and wildfowl faeces.

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“…Cattle access to streams has been linked with increases in levels of deposited sediment and habitat homogenisation (Herbst et al, 2012), hydromorphological changes (Belsky et al, 1999), degraded riparian conditions (Grudzinski et al, 2016), physico‐chemical degradation (Arnaiz et al, 2011), alterations in biological communities such as aquatic macroinvertebrates (Braccia & Voshell, 2007; Conroy, Turner, Rymszewicz, O'sullivan, et al, 2016) and increases in sediment concentrations of Escherichia coli (Antunes et al, 2023; Bragina et al, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…chemical degradation (Arnaiz et al, 2011), alterations in biological communities such as aquatic macroinvertebrates (Braccia & Voshell, 2007;Conroy, Turner, Rymszewicz, O'sullivan, et al, 2016) and increases in sediment concentrations of Escherichia coli (Antunes et al, 2023;Bragina et al, 2017).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Mitigation of impacts of cattle access on stream ecosystems: Efficacy of fencing

O'Sullivan,

Ó hUallacháin,

Antunes

et al. 2023

River Research & Apps

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Headwater streams can constitute up to 80% of river channel length and are vulnerable to anthropogenic pressures due to their high connectivity to adjacent land, large relative catchment size and low dilution capacity. In these environments, unrestricted cattle access is a potentially significant cause of water quality deterioration, resulting from increases in stream bank erosion, riparian damage and sediment deposition among others. Several studies have reported improvements in the physico‐chemical and hydromorphological conditions of streams following the elimination of cattle access; few, however, have focussed on the ecological impacts of such management practices. Here, such impacts are assessed. The study explores the short‐term effects of cattle exclusion by comparing habitat conditions, sediment deposition and instream macroinvertebrate communities upstream and downstream of cattle access points prior to, and 1 year following exclusion via fencing. The long‐term effects are also measured by reassessing a small stream catchment entirely fenced off from cattle access in 2008 under a dedicated management plan. In the short term, cattle exclusion led to a reduction in deposited sediment downstream of cattle access points and a related homogenisation of macroinvertebrate community structure between upstream and downstream of cattle access points. Increased abundances of specific indicator taxa (Ancylus fluviatilis, Glossosomatidae and Elmidae) in the fenced catchment following 9 years of exclusion highlight the long‐term ecological benefits of such mitigation practices. These findings highlight the importance of incentivised agri‐environment measures in reducing the negative impacts of cattle access to vulnerable aquatic ecosystems.

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Cattle access to small streams increases concentrations of Escherichia coli in bed sediments

Cited by 6 publications

References 67 publications

Multiscale spatiotemporal variability of fecal indicator bacteria and associated particle size distributions in the sandy bottom sediments of a Pennsylvania creek

Multiscale spatiotemporal variability of fecal indicator bacteria and associated particle size distributions in the sandy bottom sediments of a Pennsylvania creek

Persistence of E. coli in Streambed Sediment Contaminated with Faeces from Dairy Cows, Geese, and Deer: Legacy Risks to Environment and Health

Mitigation of impacts of cattle access on stream ecosystems: Efficacy of fencing

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