Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Chapter Outline: Methods of Targeting Animal Sources of Fecal Pollution in Water (Blanch et al.)


Proposed title: Methods of Targeting Animal Sources of Fecal Pollution in Water
Chapter number: 4
Authors
Anicet R Blanch. Department of Microbiology, University of Barcelona. Diagonal 643. 08028 Barcelona (Spain), ablanch@ub.edu Phone: +34 934029012 (AB)
Elisenda Ballesté. Department of Microbiology, University of Barcelona. Diagonal 643. 08028 Barcelona (Spain), elisballeste@gmail.com Phone: +34 934039044 (EB)
Jennifer Weidhaas. Civil and Environmental Engineering, 647 Engineering Sciences Building, PO Box 6103, Morgantown, WV 26506. jennifer.weidhaas@mail.wvu.edu Phone: +1 304-293-9952 (JW)
Jorge Santodomingo. U.S. EPA, NRMRL/WSWRD/MCCB, 26 W. Martin Luther King Dr. MS 387 Cincinnati, OH  45268, Santodomingo.Jorge@epamail.epa.gov Phone: +1 5135697085 (JS)
Hodon Ryu. U.S. EPA, NRMRL/WSWRD/MCCB, 26 W. Martin Luther King Dr. MS 387 Cincinnati, OH  45268 ryu.hodon@epamail.epa.gov Phone: XXXXXXX (HR)
Notes
Chemical indicators are briefly overviewed by avoiding overlap with chapter 5.
Chapter Highlights
The determination of fecal pollution sources in waters is an essential subject in the management of catchments. Municipal sewage, slaughterhouse wastewaters, manure and different biowaste disposal, wildlife and undetermined runoff are some of the different fecal pollution sources. Although traditional microbiological water analyses using indicator microorganisms have showed to be highly useful for water-health management for more than a century, it is known that they are not providing information about the origin of fecal pollution. The distinction between anthropogenic and non-anthropogenic (animal) fecal pollution would greatly support assessment of health risks associated with the host-specificity of many pathogens. Human sewage could constitute a higher health risk to humans than wastewater of animal origin. However, there are some exceptions because of some pathogens (named zoonosis) can infect and cause clinical disease in both humans and animals. Therefore, the fecal pollution source assessment could support and determine different water management strategies, treatment measures and policies to prevent or decrease fecal inputs in water based on the principles of precaution, prevention and remediation of environmental contaminant at the source.
At the beginning, most of the proposed indicators on Microbial Source Tracking were defined and developed to target human fecal pollution sources. However, the distinction of different animal species sources was enforced to QMRA studies, to resolve complex mixtures from several distinct animal species or to identify diffuse pollution sources.
In this chapter, proposed chemical and biological MST indicators for the determination of animal fecal sources are firstly described and analyzed. The biological indicators are grouped based on the phylogenetic adscription of the proposed target (eukarya, bacteria, and virus). A comprehensive description for each proposed target is provided and the developed methodologies employed in their respective analyses are presented, referred and analyzed. Special emphasis on validation and applicability for each proposed method and animal-MST indicator is quoted.  Moreover, each proposed target is critically reviewed concerning environmental factors such prevalence, resistance to different water treatments, and environmental persistence. New molecular approaches for animal-NST targets based on metagenomics are also presented in a specific section by analyzing limitations and strengths at the present stage of the methodology. Finally, MST assay implementation on practical cases, their contribution to the assessment of maximum fecal load of water bodies and their relationship to traditional microbial indicators and waterborne pathogens is examined.
 Proposed topics
1.      Introduction (JS & AB). Short description of initial studies and factors requesting the animal fecal source markers on MST studies, and state of the art.
2.      MST targets for animal sources:
2.1.   Chemical targets (JW). Comprehensive presentation of proposed chemical markers for animal fecal sources, avoiding overlap with chapter 5.
2.2.   Biological targets (each proposed marker/target will be comprehensively described; guidelines for selecting the best procedure will be indicated explaining applications or circumstances supported by reference. Validation studies and environmental factors such prevalence, resistance to different water treatments, and environmental persistence should be also considered):
2.2.1. Eukaryotic targets:
2.2.1.1.            DNA Mitochondrial Targets (JW).
2.2.1.2.            Parasites: Cryptosporidium and Giardia (HR & JS)
2.2.2. Bacterial targets:
2.2.2.1.            Bacteroides and related genera (EB & AB). Also reported as Order Bacteroidales (Bacteroides, Prevotella, Porphyromonas and Parabacteroides).
2.2.2.2.            Bifidobacterium and related genera (EB & AB). Including the recently described genus Neoscardovia associated with porcine.
2.2.2.3.            Brevibacterium (JW)
2.2.2.4.            Rodococcus coprophilus (JW)
2.2.2.5.            Enterococcus, Streptococcus, Catellicoccus, and Helicobacter (JS & HR)
2.2.2.6.            Phenotypic library-depending methods based on microbial antibiotic resistance or carbon source utilization (JS & HR). Avoiding overlapping to chapter 3 being focused on animal target.
2.2.2.7.            Genotypic library-depending methods (rep-PCR, RAPD, AFLP, PFGE, rybotypin) (JS & HR). Avoiding overlapping to chapter 3 being focused on animal targets.
2.2.3. Viral targets:
2.2.3.1.            Bacteriophages (EB & AB). Including mainly bacteriophages of F-RNA and Bacteroides.
2.2.3.2.            Animal viruses (EB & AB).
3.      New molecular approaches and future perspectives: metagenomics (HR & JS).
4.      Implementation in routine MST analyses. Relationship to traditional FIB and pathogens (JS & JW).
5.      Discussion (AB, EB, JW, JS, HR). All co-authors should provide their respective contributions to this section. A table of methods and targets with pro/cons could be also included in this section.
 

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