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Faecal indicator organism concentrations and catchment export coefficients in the UK
D Kay1, J Crowther, C M Stapleton
1Catchment and Coastal Research Centre, River Basin Dynamics and Hydrology Research Group, IGES, University of Wales, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion SY23 3DB, UK. dvk@aber.ac.uk
Water Research
|February 26, 2008
Summary
Faecal indicator organism (FIO) concentrations and export coefficients are significantly higher during high flow and summer conditions. Land use, particularly urban areas and improved pastures, strongly influences FIO levels in UK rivers.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Microbiology
- Water Quality Management
Background:
- Accurate characterization of faecal indicator organism (FIO) concentrations and export coefficients is crucial for water quality regulation.
- Understanding the influence of land use and climatic regimes on FIO loads is essential for predictive modeling and source apportionment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize FIO concentration and export coefficient data across UK river systems.
- To analyze the impact of flow conditions (base vs. high flow) and seasonality (summer vs. winter) on FIO levels.
- To identify key land uses contributing to FIO pollution.
Main Methods:
- Compilation and analysis of FIO concentration and export coefficient data from 205 UK river/stream sampling points.
- Statistical comparison of FIO data between high flow and base flow conditions.
- Comparison of FIO data between summer and winter seasons under high-flow conditions.
- Correlation analysis between land use types and FIO concentrations/export coefficients.
Main Results:
- FIO concentrations and export coefficients showed statistically significant elevations during high flow compared to base flow.
- Summer high-flow conditions resulted in significantly higher FIO values than winter high-flow conditions.
- Wide variability in FIO levels was observed across catchments, strongly linked to land use, with urban and improved pastures being major sources.
- Contrasts in export coefficients between land use types were less pronounced than for FIO concentrations due to runoff differences.
Conclusions:
- Land use and hydrological conditions are critical drivers of FIO pollution in UK rivers.
- Urban areas and improved pastures require targeted management strategies to mitigate FIO loads.
- The reported geometric means and confidence intervals provide valuable data for modeling FIO loads in similar catchments.
