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CC BY V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Sediment Composition Influences Spatial Variation in the Abundance of Human Pathogen Indicator Bacteria within an Estuarine Environment
PloS one, Vol.9(11), e112951
2014
PMCID: PMC4232572
PMID: 25397595
Abstract
Faecal contamination of estuarine and coastal waters can pose a risk to human health, particularly in areas used for shellfish production or recreation. Routine microbiological water quality testing highlights areas of faecal indicator bacteria (FIB) contamination within the water column, but fails to consider the abundance of FIB in sediments, which under certain hydrodynamic conditions can become resuspended. Sediments can enhance the survival of FIB in estuarine environments, but the influence of sediment composition on the ecology and abundance of FIB is poorly understood. To determine the relationship between sediment composition (grain size and organic matter) and the abundance of pathogen indicator bacteria (PIB), sediments were collected from four transverse transects of the Conwy estuary, UK. The abundance of culturable Escherichia coli, total coliforms, enterococci, Campylobacter, Salmonella and Vibrio spp. in sediments was determined in relation to sediment grain size, organic matter content, salinity, depth and temperature. Sediments that contained higher proportions of silt and/or clay and associated organic matter content showed significant positive correlations with the abundance of PIB. Furthermore, the abundance of each bacterial group was positively correlated with the presence of all other groups enumerated. Campylobacter spp. were not isolated from estuarine sediments. Comparisons of the number of culturable E. coli, total coliforms and Vibrio spp. in sediments and the water column revealed that their abundance was 281, 433 and 58-fold greater in sediments (colony forming units (CFU)/100 g) when compared with the water column (CFU/100 ml), respectively. These data provide important insights into sediment compositions that promote the abundance of PIB in estuarine environments, with important implications for the modelling and prediction of public health risk based on sediment resuspension and transport.
Details
- Title
- Sediment Composition Influences Spatial Variation in the Abundance of Human Pathogen Indicator Bacteria within an Estuarine Environment
- Authors/Creators
- Tracy L. Perkins - Bangor UniversityKatie Clements - Bangor UniversityJaco H. Baas - Bangor UniversityColin F. Jago - Bangor UniversityDavey L. Jones - Bangor UniversityShelagh K. Malham - Bangor UniversityJames E. McDonald - Bangor University
- Publication Details
- PloS one, Vol.9(11), e112951
- Publisher
- Public Library of Science
- Number of pages
- 9
- Grant note
- European Social Fund (ESF) through the European Union's Convergence program Knowledge Economy Skills Scholarship (KESS) NE/J011908/1 / Natural Environment Research Council consortium grant under the Macronutrient Cycles Research Programme NE/J011908/1 / Natural Environment Research Council; UK Research & Innovation (UKRI); Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) NE/J011908/1 / NERC; UK Research & Innovation (UKRI); Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
- Identifiers
- 991005560438507891
- Copyright
- © 2014 Perkins et al.
- Murdoch Affiliation
- Centre for Sustainable Farming Systems
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article
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- Web Of Science research areas
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