Sunlight, season, snowmelt, storm, and source affect E. coli populations in an artificially ponded stream

• Published in: The Science of the total environment Vol. 390; no. 2; pp. 448 - 455
• Main Authors: Whitman, Richard L., Przybyla-Kelly, Katarzyna, Shively, Dawn A., Nevers, Meredith B., Byappanahalli, Muruleedhara N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier B.V 15-02-2008; [Amsterdam; New York]: Elsevier Science; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Air. Soil. Water. Waste. Feeding; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied sciences; Biological and medical sciences; Coliphages; Colony Count, Microbial; constructed wetlands; Continental surface waters; DNA Fingerprinting - methods; DNA, Bacterial - genetics; Environment. Living conditions; Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli - genetics; Escherichia coli - growth & development; Exact sciences and technology; feces; Freshwater; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genotype; Indicator bacteria; indicator species; Medical sciences; Microbial ecology; Natural water pollution; Pollution; pollution control; Polymerase Chain Reaction; ponds; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Rain; Rainfall; Remediation; Rivers; seasonal variation; Seasons; shade; Snow; Snowmelt; solar radiation; streams; Sunlight; Sunlight reduction; Various environments (extraatmospheric space, air, water); Water Microbiology; water pollution; Water treatment and pollution; Wetland; Indiana; Lake Michigan; Great Lakes of America; United States; North America; America; USA, Michigan; USA, Michigan L; Indicator bacteria; Rainfall; Sunlight reduction; Snowmelt; Remediation; Wetland; Microbiology; Escherichia coli; Pollution control; Environmental factor; Beaches; Health and environment; Seasonal variation; Pathogenic; Bacteria; Ecological recovery; Indicator bacteria Sunlight reduction Rainfall Snowmelt Remediation Wetland; Solar radiation; Biological contamination; Enterobacteriaceae; Atmospheric condition; Pond; Hydrometeorology; Surface water; Metabolic inactivation; Water quality; Lakes; Water pollution; Population density; Bathing water
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2007.10.014

Reducing fecal indicator bacteria, such as
Escherichia coli (
E. coli), in streams is important for many downstream areas.
E. coli concentrations within streams may be reduced by intervening ponds or wetlands through a number of physical and biological means. A section of Dunes Creek, a small coastal stream of southern Lake Michigan, was impounded and studied for 30 months from pre-through post-construction of the experimental pond.
E. coli reduction became more predictable and effective with pond age.
E. coli followed the hydrograph and increased several-fold during both rainfall and snowmelt events. Seasonally, the pond was more effective at reducing
E. coli during summer than winter. Late summer, non-solar reduction or inactivation of
E. coli in the pond was estimated at 72% and solar inactivation at 26%.
E. coli DNA fingerprinting demonstrated that the winter population was genetically more homogeneous than the summer population. Detection of FRNA coliphages suggests that there was fecal contamination during heavy rain events. An understanding of how environmental factors interact with
E. coli populations is important for assessing anticipated contaminant loading and the reduction of indicator bacteria in downstream reaches.