Assessing the impact of inland navigation on the faecal pollution status of large rivers: A novel integrated field approach

• Published in: Water research (Oxford) Vol. 261; p. 122029
• Main Authors: Steinbacher, Sophia D., Ameen, Ahmad, Demeter, Katalin, Lun, David, Derx, Julia, Lindner, Gerhard, Sommer, Regina, Linke, Rita B., Kolm, Claudia, Zuser, Karen, Heckel, Martina, Perschl, Andrea, Blöschl, Günter, Blaschke, Alfred P., Kirschner, Alexander K.T., Farnleitner, Andreas H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01-09-2024
• Subjects: Faecal indicator bacteria; Faecal pollution from ships; Genetic microbial source tracking, large navigable rivers; Inland automatic identification system data (AIS), Pollution source profiling; Faecal pollution from ships; Inland automatic identification system data (AIS), Pollution source profiling; Faecal indicator bacteria; Genetic microbial source tracking, large navigable rivers
• ISSN: 0043-1354; 1879-2448; 1879-2448
• DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.122029

•Integrating in-field water quality analysis with automated ship tracking.•Comparing pollution source potentials by pollution source profiling.•Multifaceted understanding of faecal impact at the analysed river reach.•Supporting target-orientated and evidence-based water quality management.•World-wide applicable to any water body with ship tracking data.
The contribution of ships to the microbial faecal pollution status of water bodies is largely unknown but frequently of human health concern. No methodology for a comprehensive and target-orientated system analysis was available so far. We developed a novel approach for integrated and multistage impact evaluation. The approach includes, i) theoretical faecal pollution source profiling (PSP, i.e., size and pollution capacity estimation from municipal vs. ship sewage disposal) for impact scenario estimation and hypothesis generation, ii) high-resolution field assessment of faecal pollution levels and chemo-physical water quality at the selected river reaches, using standardized faecal indicators (cultivation-based) and genetic microbial source tracking markers (qPCR-based), and iii) integrated statistical analyses of the observed faecal pollution and the number of ships assessed by satellite-based automated ship tracking (i.e., automated identification system, AIS) at local and regional scales. The new approach was realised at a 230 km long Danube River reach in Austria, enabling detailed understanding of the complex pollution characteristics (i.e., longitudinal/cross-sectional river and upstream/downstream docking area analysis). Faecal impact of navigation was demonstrated to be remarkably low at regional and local scale (despite a high local contamination capacity), indicating predominantly correct disposal practices during the investigated period. Nonetheless, faecal emissions were sensitively traceable, attributable to the ship category (discriminated types: cruise, passenger and freight ships) and individual vessels (docking time analysis) at one docking area by the link with AIS data. The new innovative and sensitive approach is transferrable to any water body worldwide with available ship-tracking data, supporting target-orientated monitoring and evidence-based management practices.
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