Genetic Microbial Source Tracking Support QMRA Modeling for a Riverine Wetland Drinking Water Resource
Derx, Julia; Demeter, Katalin; Linke, Rita; Cervero-Aragó, Sílvia; Lindner, Gerhard; Stalder, Gabrielle; Schijven, Jack; Sommer, Regina; Walochnik, Julia; Kirschner, Alexander K.T.; Komma, Jürgen; Blaschke, Alfred P.; Farnleitner, Andreas H.
(2021) Frontiers in Microbiology, volume 12, pp. 1 - 20
(Article)
Abstract
Riverine wetlands are important natural habitats and contain valuable drinking water resources. The transport of human- and animal-associated fecal pathogens into the surface water bodies poses potential risks to water safety. The aim of this study was to develop a new integrative modeling approach supported by microbial source tracking (MST)
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markers for quantifying the transport pathways of two important reference pathogens, Cryptosporidium and Giardia, from external (allochthonous) and internal (autochthonous) fecal sources in riverine wetlands considering safe drinking water production. The probabilistic-deterministic model QMRAcatch (v 1.1 python backwater) was modified and extended to account for short-time variations in flow and microbial transport at hourly time steps. As input to the model, we determined the discharge rates, volumes and inundated areas of the backwater channel based on 2-D hydrodynamic flow simulations. To test if we considered all relevant fecal pollution sources and transport pathways, we validated QMRAcatch using measured concentrations of human, ruminant, pig and bird associated MST markers as well as E. coli in a Danube wetland area from 2010 to 2015. For the model validation, we obtained MST marker decay rates in water from the literature, adjusted them within confidence limits, and simulated the MST marker concentrations in the backwater channel, resulting in mean absolute errors of < 0.7 log10 particles/L (Kruskal–Wallis p > 0.05). In the scenarios, we investigated (i) the impact of river discharges into the backwater channel (allochthonous sources), (ii) the resuspension of pathogens from animal fecal deposits in inundated areas, and (iii) the pathogen release from animal fecal deposits after rainfall (autochthonous sources). Autochthonous and allochthonous human and animal sources resulted in mean loads and concentrations of Cryptosporidium and Giardia (oo)cysts in the backwater channel of 3–13 × 109 particles/hour and 0.4–1.2 particles/L during floods and rainfall events, and in required pathogen treatment reductions to achieve safe drinking water of 5.0–6.2 log10. The integrative modeling approach supports the sustainable and proactive drinking water safety management of alluvial backwater areas.
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Keywords: Cryptosporidium, genetic microbial source tracking markers, Giardia, hydrodynamic model, microbial decay in environment, microbial fate and transport model, QMRA, Microbiology, Microbiology (medical)
ISSN: 1664-302X
Publisher: Frontiers Media S.A.
Note: Funding Information: This work was supported by the Vienna Science and Technology Fund (WWTF) (Grant Number ESR17-070), the Austrian Academy of Science (Grant Number JF_2019_15, project name ‘Swim City’), and by the Niederösterreichische Forschungs-und Bildungsgesellschaft (NFB) (Grant Number LSC 19-016 “Future Danube”). Additional support came from a research cooperation between Vienna Water and the ICC Water & Health in the frame of the Vienna Water resource systems project (ViWa 2020+). Funding Information: We thank the viadonau for providing data about the discharge and water temperature of the Danube, and the Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics of Austria (ZAMG) for providing the precipitation and air temperature data. We also thank Hannes Gabriel for support with the hydrodynamic flow simulations. Funding. This work was supported by the Vienna Science and Technology Fund (WWTF) (Grant Number ESR17-070), the Austrian Academy of Science (Grant Number JF_2019_15, project name ?Swim City?), and by the Nieder?sterreichische Forschungs- und Bildungsgesellschaft (NFB) (Grant Number LSC 19-016 ?Future Danube?). Additional support came from a research cooperation between Vienna Water and the ICC Water & Health in the frame of the Vienna Water resource systems project (ViWa 2020+). Publisher Copyright: © Copyright © 2021 Derx, Demeter, Linke, Cervero-Aragó, Lindner, Stalder, Schijven, Sommer, Walochnik, Kirschner, Komma, Blaschke and Farnleitner.
(Peer reviewed)
