Detection of human fecal contamination by nifH gene quantification of marine waters in the coastal beaches of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international Vol. 23; no. 24; pp. 25210 - 25217
• Main Authors: Oliveira, Samara Sant’Anna, Sorgine, Marcos Henrique Ferreira, Bianco, Kayo, Pinto, Leonardo Henriques, Barreto, Camila, Albano, Rodolpho Mattos, Cardoso, Alexander Machado, Clementino, Maysa Mandetta
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01-12-2016; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aquatic ecosystems; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Bathing Beaches - statistics & numerical data; Beaches; Bioindicators; Biomarkers; Brazil; Coasts; Dissolved oxygen; E coli; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecosystems; Ecotoxicology; Enumeration; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental science; Environmental studies; Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli - isolation & purification; Fecal coliforms; Feces; Genes, Archaeal; Humans; Indicator species; Marine ecosystems; Marine pollution; Methanobrevibacter - genetics; Methanobrevibacter - isolation & purification; Methanobrevibacter smithii; Microorganisms; NifH gene; Pathogens; Physicochemical properties; Pollution; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; Research Article; Risk assessment; Salmonella; Sewage; Sewage - analysis; Statistical analysis; Stream water; Temperature requirements; Turbidity; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Microbiology; Water pollution; Water Pollution Control; Water Quality; Brazil; Rio de Janeiro Brazil; ASW, Brazil, Rio de Janeiro; Marine water quality; Human fecal pollution; qPCR; Fecal indicator; gene; nifH gene; Methanobrevibacter smithii
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-016-7737-3

The identification of fecal pollution in aquatic ecosystems is one of the requirements to assess the possible risks to human health. In this report, physicochemical parameters,
Escherichia coli
enumeration and
Methanobrevibacter smithii nifH
gene quantification were conducted at 13 marine waters in the coastal beaches of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The pH, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, temperature, and conductivity, carried out by mobile equipment, revealed varied levels due to specific conditions of the beaches. The bioindicators’ enumerations were done by defined substrate method, conventional, and real-time PCR. Six marine beach sites (46 %) presenting
E. coli
levels in compliance with Brazilian water quality guidelines (<2500 MPN/100 mL) showed
nifH
gene between 5.7 × 10
9
to 9.5 × 10
11
copies. L
−1
revealing poor correlation between the two approaches. To our knowledge, this is the first inquiry in qPCR using
nifH
gene as a biomarker of human-specific sources of sewage pollution in marine waters in Brazil. In addition, our data suggests that alternative indicator
nifH
gene could be used, in combination with other markers, for source tracking studies to measure the quality of marine ecosystems thereby contributing to improved microbial risk assessment.