Escherichia Coli Survival in Mantled Karst Springs and Streams, Northwest Arkansas Ozarks, Usa

Abstract

Recent studies indicate fecal coliform bacterial concentrations, including Escherichia coli (E. coli), characteristically vary by several orders of magnitude, depending on the hydrology of storm recharge and discharge. E. coli concentrations in spring water increase rapidly during the rising limb of a storm hydrograph, peak prior to or coincident with the peak of the storm pulse, and decline rapidly, well before the recession of the storm hydrograph. This suggests E. coli are associated with resuspension of sediment during the onset of turbulent flow, and indicates viable bacteria reside within the spring and stream sediments. E. coli inoculated chambers were placed in spring and stream environments within the mantled karst of northwest Arkansas to assess long term (> 75 days) E. coli viability. During the 75-day study, a 4log die-off of E. coli was observed for chambers placed in the Illinois River, and a 5-log die-off for chambers placed in Copperhead Spring. Extrapolation of the regression line for each environment indicates E. coli concentration would reach 1 most probable number (MPN)/100 g sediment at Copperhead Spring in about 105 days, and about 135 days in the Illinois River, based on a starting inoculation of 2.5 x 107 MPN E. coli/100 g of sediment. These in situ observations indicate it is possible for E. coli to survive in these environments for at least four months with no fresh external inputs. (KEY TERMS: water quality; nonpoint source pollution; Ozarks; mantled karst aquifers; fecal coliform bacterial survival; Escherichia coli.)

Correlation of Quantitative PCR for a Poultry-Specific Brevibacterium Marker Gene with Bacterial and Chemical Indicators of Water Pollution in a Watershed Impacted by Land Application of Poultry Litter

“…This possibility is supported by detection of the marker in groundwater and spring samples from the IRW. Contamination of groundwater in this region by landapplied materials is possible, as the mantled karst in the IRW region is a highly fractured, dissolutionally modified limestone, and thus surface influences can greatly influence groundwater quality (8). Others have found that E. coli could likely survive in this karst substratum for up to 4 months with no fresh inputs from surface sources (8).…”

“…Contamination of groundwater in this region by landapplied materials is possible, as the mantled karst in the IRW region is a highly fractured, dissolutionally modified limestone, and thus surface influences can greatly influence groundwater quality (8). Others have found that E. coli could likely survive in this karst substratum for up to 4 months with no fresh inputs from surface sources (8). Furthermore, leachate collected from 32.5-cm intact soil blocks amended with poultry manure equivalent to applied at 10 Mg ha Ϫ1 contained up to 30 million fecal coliforms 100 ml Ϫ1 (29), indicating the potential for enteric bacteria to penetrate the soil and enter groundwater.…”

Rapid accretion of dissolved organic carbon in the springs of Florida: the most organic-poor natural waters

“…However, DOC is certainly a highly dynamic pool, as it is subject to a number of removal processes (e.g., bacterial metabolism, photochemical degradation and flocculation, e.g. del Giorgio and Davis, 2003) and inputs (e.g., atmospheric deposition and autochthonous inputs, especially through the release of dissolved primary production from algae and macrophytes; cf. Bertilsson and Jones, 2003).…”

Variation of an indicator ofEscherichia colipersistence from surface waters of mixed-use watersheds, and relationship with environmental factors

“…In freshwater, E. coli was found to persist up to 260 days in sterile river water (Flint, 1987), and between 270 days to more than 450 days in filtersterilized groundwater with varying nutrient composition (Cook and Bolster, 2007). E. coli cells in isolation chambers placed directly into streams and springs persisted in situ for up to four months (Davis et al, 2005).…”