Relationship between bacterial indicators of water pollution and fecal sterols

Dutka, B. J.; Chau, Alfred S Y; Coburn, John A

doi:10.1016/0043-1354(74)90147-x

Cited by 66 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…However, monitoring of contamination through assessing microbial (biological) indicators is limited by two factors, culturability and organism characterization (Pontius 2000;Solo-Gabriele et al 2000;Dutka et al 1974) leading to an inability to distinguish a particular source of contamination (Isobe et al 2002;Hyun et al 2002). Chemical markers such as fecal sterols can provide advantages in determining the level and extent of contamination as they have environmental stability, ease of detection and can be used to discriminate between human and nonhuman contamination (Isobe et al 2002;Hyun et al 2002;Ottoson and Stenström 2003;Noblet et al 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Determination of fecal contamination indicator sterols in an Australian water supply system

Hussain

Ford

Hill

2009

Environ Monit Assess

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This paper reports a reconnaissance survey of the concentrations of sterol compounds (as indicators of fecal contamination) in a large water supply system in southeast Australia comprising a network of rivers, channels, and drains. Levels of coprostanol and cholestanol were determined in surface water and bottom sediment using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis across 17 strategic sampling sites and over 12 months. Clear differences in the levels of fecal contamination were observed among sites. Four sites routinely contained high levels of the fecal indicator sterols indicated from surface water and sediment sample analysis. Coprostanol concentrations at each location varied from 0 ng/L at the reference site to 11,327 ng/L in a surface water sample of a drain directly downstream of a knackery. The majority of the sites contained coprostanol in the range of 500 to 800 ng/L. Since no fecal-associated sterol compounds were detected at the external reference sites, these were assumed to be free from fecal contamination. Sewage water discharge and/or substantial water runoff maybe the principal factors contributing to fecal contamination of the supply drains and channels.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Determination of fecal contamination indicator sterols in an Australian water supply system

Hussain

Ford

Hill

2009

Environ Monit Assess

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“…Hence, the sterol concentration could also be potentially used to indicate fecal contamination. Numerous studies have demonstrated a potential correlation between sterol fingerprints and FIBs [25,[49][50][51][52][53]. For example, it has been shown that coprostanol concentrations of 60 and 400 ng/L seem to correspond to the defined primary and secondary contact limits for thermo-tolerant coliforms and entercococci [49,51].…”

Section: Sterol Fingerprint As Source Of Fecal Contamination Indicatormentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of Fecal Contamination in Oklahoma Water Systems through the Use of Sterol Fingerprints

Philp

Biache

2016

Environments

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Fecal contamination is a major concern for water quality management, since the fecal materials are associated with pathogens that can cause illness wherever water is used for recreational, drinking and aquaculture purposes. In order to monitor source(s) of fecal contamination in Oklahoma water systems, sterol profiles were previously examined in rural and urban samples collected from the Illinois River Basin and the Norman Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), respectively. Two distinctive, qualitatively and quantitatively, sterol fingerprints were recognized. Despite the effective removal of organic material by the Norman WWTP, human-derived sterol fingerprints, characterized by a predominance of fecal stanols such as coprostanol, were still significant in the output from the plant. The source of fecal material in the Illinois River samples (rural) was defined as being characteristic of corn-feed chicken manure originating from surrounding feedlots through the principal component analysis (PCA) of the sterol distributions and carbon compound specific isotope analysis of selected sterols (CSIA, δ 13 C). Thiosteranes, formed during sludge treatments, were also shown to be useful tracers for monitoring sludge application in agriculture fields. The results obtained were used to provide water management authorities with qualitative insights into the source of fecal material inputs into the environment.

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“…Positive correlations between fecal indicator bacteria and coprostanol concentrations have been reported for several temperate and cold climate regions (8,11,14,24,27). Previously, we conducted an intensive survey in the Mekong Delta and in western Malaysia and demonstrated a strong correlation between fecal indicator bacteria and coprostanol concentrations in tropical regions for the first time (20).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this report, we propose the exploitation of the relationship between bacterial indicators and a chemical indicator, coprostanol (5␤-cholestan-3␤-ol), to verify the reliability of fecal indicator bacteria in tropical regions. Coprostanol is a major sterol found in human feces (24 to 89% of total steroids) (12,23) and has been proven to be a very promising indicator of fecal pollution by numerous studies of coprostanol concentrations in the waters and sediments of rivers, lakes, and estuaries (10,11,26,34). Reported halflives of coprostanol in aerobic conditions are generally Ͻ10 days at 20°C (29).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of Environmental Factors on the Relationship between Concentrations of Coprostanol and Fecal Indicator Bacteria in Tropical (Mekong Delta) and Temperate (Tokyo) Freshwaters

Isobe

Tarao

Chiếm

et al. 2004

Appl Environ Microbiol

126

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A reliable assessment of microbial indicators of fecal pollution (total coliform, Escherichia coli, and fecal streptococcus) is critical in tropical environments. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between concentrations of indicator bacteria and a chemical indicator, coprostanol (5␤-cholestan-3␤-ol), in tropical and temperate regions. Water samples were collected from the Mekong Delta, Vietnam, during wet and dry seasons, and from Tokyo, Japan, during summer, the aftermath of a typhoon, and winter. During the wet season in the Mekong Delta, higher bacterial densities were observed in rivers, probably due to the higher bacterial inputs from soil particles with runoff. In Tokyo, higher bacterial densities were usually observed during summer, followed by those in the typhoon aftermath and winter. A strong logarithmic correlation between the concentrations of E. coli and coprostanol was demonstrated in all surveys. Distinctive seasonal fluctuations were observed, as concentrations of coprostanol corresponding to 1,000 CFU of E. coli/100 ml were at their lowest during the wet season in the Mekong Delta and the typhoon aftermath in Tokyo (30 ng/liter), followed by the dry season in the Mekong Delta and the summer in Tokyo (100 ng/liter), and they were much higher during the winter in Tokyo (400 ng/liter). These results suggested that E. coli is a specific indicator of fecal contamination in both tropical and temperate regions but that the densities are affected by elevated water temperature and input from runoff of soil particles. The concurrent determination of E. coli and coprostanol concentrations could provide a possible approach to assessing the reliability of fecal pollution monitoring data.

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Relationship between bacterial indicators of water pollution and fecal sterols

Cited by 66 publications

References 7 publications

Determination of fecal contamination indicator sterols in an Australian water supply system

Determination of fecal contamination indicator sterols in an Australian water supply system

Assessment of Fecal Contamination in Oklahoma Water Systems through the Use of Sterol Fingerprints

Effect of Environmental Factors on the Relationship between Concentrations of Coprostanol and Fecal Indicator Bacteria in Tropical (Mekong Delta) and Temperate (Tokyo) Freshwaters

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