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F+ RNA coliphage typing for microbial source tracking in surface waters.

J Stewart-Pullaro¹, J W Daugomah, D E Chestnut

¹NOAA, Center for Coastal Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research, Charleston, SC, USA. jill.pullaro@noaa.gov

Journal of Applied Microbiology

|October 17, 2006

Summary

Coliphage analysis effectively detects fecal pollution in surface waters and aids in identifying human or animal sources. This method offers valuable insights for water quality assessments.

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Area of Science:

Environmental microbiology
Water quality assessment
Microbial source tracking

Background:

Surface waters in South Carolina exceeded state fecal coliform standards.
Evaluating the utility of coliphages for detecting and tracking fecal pollution is crucial for public health and environmental safety.

Purpose of the Study:

To assess the effectiveness of coliphages in detecting fecal contamination in surface waters.
To determine if coliphage typing can help distinguish between human and animal sources of fecal pollution.

Main Methods:

Coliphages were isolated using single agar layer (SAL) and enrichment presence/absence (EP/A) methods from 117 surface water samples.
F+ RNA coliphages were typed using a library-independent approach for microbial source tracking.
Somatic coliphage concentrations were compared at different incubation temperatures (37°C and 44.5°C).

Main Results:

The EP/A technique detected coliphages in more samples than the SAL method, though with less diversity.
Higher incubation temperatures (44.5°C) for somatic coliphages showed potential for increased specificity to fecal contamination.
F+ RNA coliphages, particularly group II and/or III, were identified at sites downstream of wastewater discharges, indicating human-source pollution.

Conclusions:

Coliphage analysis is a viable tool for detecting fecal contamination in surface waters.
Coliphage typing provides valuable, though not absolute, information for distinguishing human from animal fecal pollution sources.
This study offers practical guidance for incorporating coliphage detection into water quality monitoring programs.