Fecal Sterol and Bile Acid Biomarkers: Runoff Concentrations in Animal Waste-Amended Pastures

Nonpoint source pollution is the leading remaining cause of water quality problems. The extent of NPS pollution is often more difficult or expensive to monitor at the point(s) of origin, as compared to monitoring of point sources. This study evaluated the hypothesis that animal manure (chicken, cow, horse, and pig) applied to pasture contribute fecal sterols and bile acids to runoff. The study also assessed the potential benefit of fecal sterols and bile acids as biomarkers in distinguishing fecal pollution and its sources. Fecal sterol and bile acid concentrations were determined in flow-weighted composite runoff samples collected from 2.4?×?6.1 m plots (n?=?3) amended with manure. Runoff was generated from simulated rainfall (152 mm.h^?1). Runoff samples from manure-amended plots showed high concentrations of fecal sterol (ranged from 13?±?1 to 1,287?±?183) and bile acid (ranged from 24?±?1 to 2,251?±?248) biomarkers. The profiles of fecal sterols and bile acids in runoff samples were similar to those of fresh manure for all selected animals. For runoff and fresh manure, chenodeoxycholic acid, deoxycholic acid, epicoprostanol, and hyodeoxycholic acid were consistent biomarkers for chicken, cow, horse, and pig, respectively, suggesting that sterols and bile acids can be used to identify sources and occurrence of fecal matter in water and sediments.     

Transport Of Fecal Bacteria From Poultry Litter and Cattle Manures Applied to Pastureland

Land applications of manure from confined animal systems and direct deposit by grazing animals are both major sources of bacteria in streams. An understanding of the overland transport mechanisms from land applied waste is needed to improve design of best management practices (BMPs) and modeling of nonpoint source (NPS) pollution. Plots were established on pasturelands receiving phosphorus-based livestock waste applications to measure the concentrations of Escherichia coli (E. coli), fecal coliform (FC), and Enterococcus present in overland flow at the edge of the field. The flow-weighted bacteria concentrations were highest in runoff samples from the plots treated with cowpies (1.37×10⁵ colony forming units (cfu)/100 ml of E. coli) followed by liquid dairy manure (1.84×10⁴ cfu/100 ml of E. coli) and turkey litter (1.29×10⁴ cfu/100 ml of E. coli). The temporal distribution of fecal bacterial concentrations appeared to be dependent upon both the animal waste treatment and the indicator species, with peak concentrations occurring either at the beginning of the runoff event or during peak flow rates. BMPs could be selected to reduce peak flows or first flush effects depending upon the litter or manure applied to the land. The commercial Biolog System was used to identify the dominant species of Enterococcus present in the cowpie source manure (Enterococcus mundtii 55%) and in the runoff collected from the transport plots treated with cowpies (Enterococcus faecalis 37%). The identification of predominant species of Enterococcus that are associated with specific sources of fecal pollution could greatly assist with identifying the origins of NPS pollution.     

浙江省安吉县西苕溪流域非点源污染负荷研究

为探究浙江省安吉县西苕溪流域非点源污染现状,运用污染输出系数法对非点源污染负荷进行估算,并应用地理信息系统（GIS）技术对非点源污染负荷的空间分布特征进行分析。结果表明,2007年浙江省安吉县西苕溪流域非点源污染COD、TN、TP、NH3-N输出总量分别为2236.12t、1007.22t、78.11t、82.90t,分别占西苕溪流域污染物总量的71.91%、70.05%、83.52%、23.64%,其中农村生活污水、农林用地和村镇工业废水是COD的主要污染源,农林用地是TN的主要污染源,农村生活垃圾、畜禽养殖和农林用地是TP的主要污染源,畜禽养殖和村镇工业废水是NH3-N的主要污染源。在空间尺度上,非点源污染负荷主要集中在西苕溪流域中下游地区,COD、TP、NH3-N输出量从上游至下游逐渐增加,但TN输出量相近。     

Freshwater Fish Mercury Concentrations in a Regionally High Mercury Deposition Area

We sampled and analyzed individually, edible dorsal muscle from largemouth bass (LMB), Micropterus salmoides (n?=?138) and yellow perch (YP), Perca flavescens (n?=?97) from 15 lakes to investigate potential local impacts of mercury emission point sources in northeastern Massachusetts (MA), USA. This area was identified in three separate modeling exercises as a mercury deposition hotspot. In 1995, 55% of mercury emissions to the environment from all MA sources came from three municipal solid waste combustors (trash incinerators) and one large regional medical waste incinerator in the study area. We determined the mercury accumulation history in sediments of a lake centrally located in the study area. Recent maximum mercury accumulation rates in the sediment of the lake of ~ 88 μg/m²/year were highly elevated on a watershed area adjusted basis compared to other lakes in the Northeast and Minnesota. Fish from the study area lakes had significantly (p?=?0.05) greater total mercury concentrations than fish from 24 more rural, non-source-impacted lakes in other regions of the state (LMB n?=?238, YP n?=?381) (LMB: 1.5–2.5 x; YP: 1.5 x). The integration of this extensive fish tissue data set, depositional modeling projections, historical record of mercury accumulation in sediments of a lake in the area, and knowledge of substantial mercury emissions to the atmosphere in the area support designation of this area as a mercury depositional and biological concentration hotspot in the late 1990s, and provides further evidence that major mercury point sources may be associated with significant local impacts on fisheries resources.     

指纹技术识别泥沙来源:进展与展望

泥沙来源信息有助于研究流域土壤侵蚀、泥沙输移与沉积特征,对于制定流域泥沙及非点源污染控制战略具有重要意义。泥沙指纹技术是识别泥沙来源的一个可靠方法被广泛应用于世界各地不同流域,最近20多年在指纹因子选择和混合模型优化等技术方法上以及不同时空尺度和源地分类等应用类型上都得到了快速发展,正在从一种研究工具逐步发展为一种管理工具。综述了国内外指纹技术识别泥沙来源在研究尺度、指纹因子筛选、源地贡献分配、不确定性分析等方面开展的研究,并对泥沙指纹技术研究当前存在的问题及今后研究趋势作了分析展望。     

Concentrations and Exports of Fecal Indicator Bacteria in Watersheds with Varying Densities of Onsite Wastewater Systems

The research goal was to determine if onsite wastewater system (OWS) density had an influence on the concentrations and watershed exports of Escherichia coli and enterococci in urbanizing watersheds. Eight watersheds with OWS densities ranging from <?0.1 to 1.88 systems ha^?1 plus a watershed served by sewer (Sewer) and a mostly forested, natural watershed (Natural) in the Piedmont of North Carolina served as the study locations. Stream samples were collected approximately monthly during baseflow conditions between January 2015 and December 2016 (n?=?21). Median concentrations of E. coli (2014 most probable number (MPN) 100 mL^?1) and enterococci (168 MPN 100 mL^?1) were elevated in streams draining watersheds with a high density of OWS (>?0.77 system ha^?1) relative to watersheds with a low (<?0.77 system ha^?1) density (E. coli: 204 MPN 100 mL^?1 and enterococci: 88 MPN 100 mL^?1) and control watersheds (Natural: E. coli: 355 MPN 100 mL^?1 and enterococci: 62 MPN 100 mL^?1; Sewer: 177 MPN 100 mL^?1 and 130 MPN 100 mL^?1). Samples collected from watersheds with a high density of OWS had E. coli and enterococci concentrations that exceeded recommended thresholds 88 and 57% of times sampled, respectively. Results show that stream E. coli and enterococci concentrations and exports are influenced by the density of OWS in urbanizing watersheds. Cost share programs to help finance OWS repairs and maintenance are suggested to help improve water quality in watersheds with OWS.     

基于GIS和USLE的非点源污染关键区识别

密云水库是北京市唯一的地表饮用水源地，近年来遭受富营养化的威胁，在点源污染逐步得到控制的情况下非点源污染已上升为其水质污染的首要因素。非点源污染在空间分布上具有显著的差异，少数景观单元输出的污染物往往占整个流域污染负荷的大部分，这些景观单元成为非点源污染关键区，对它们进行治理，可以使有限的资源发挥最大的效率。USLE作为早期简单的土壤侵蚀模型，经过不断的修正和改进依然是当今应用最为广泛的土壤侵蚀模型之一。其参数相对简单且易于获得，当采用GIS来执行时，可以用于大区域的土壤侵蚀研究。本研究基于流行的GIS软件平台，并通过栅格运算来执行USLE，最后生成密云水库流域非点源污染关键区分布图，为下一步更加详细的识别提供参考。     

流域农业非点源污染研究概况

本文对有关非点源污染的概念作了简要介绍,并从流域内非点源污染物浓度与负荷、影响因素及机理、预测与评价、模型化以及控制与管理等方面,介绍了以流域为单位的农业非点源污染研究概况。     

Evaluation of microbial indicators for the determination of bacterial groundwater contamination sources

Several different Microbial source tracking methods (MSTs) can be used to distinguish human from animal fecal contamination in water; In this study, experiments were carried out to test the effectiveness and reliability of three bacteria based approaches (the fecal coliforms to fecal streptococci ratio, antibiotic-resistant Clostridium perfringens, and human bifidobacteria) in a simulated groundwater micro-environment. The methods were evaluated in three phases: initially, the specificity of each indicator was validated on groundwater samples affected by known pollution source; then the variation of performance with time of each method was determined, and finally, the die-off coefficients for pure species of Clostridium perfringens and Bifidobacterium adolescentis were measured. The results indicate that only the determination of human bifidobacteria concentration can be considered reliable in distinguishing human from animal pollution in groundwater at the conditions applied. Nevertheless, human bifidobacteria were detectable only for two weeks after the contamination event. This study also shows that antibiotic resistant Clostridium perfringens detected using the Shahidi-Ferguson medium is not source specific, whereas it confirms that this species can be useful for timing general fecal contamination events.     

A Modeling Approach to Water Quality Management of an Agriculturally Dominated Watershed, Kansas, USA

Impairment of water quality is a major concern for streams and rivers in the central USA. Total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) establish a watershed framework and set management targets to alleviate pollution from both point and nonpoint sources. For this study, we have used a hydrologic modeling approach to holistically examine the effect of land use management, urban development, and agricultural practices on sediment and nutrient loadings in an agricultural watershed. Annualized Agricultural Nonpoint Source (AnnAGNPS) simulation indicates that while point source dischargers contribute 8% of total nitrogen (TN) and 24% of total phosphorus (TP) loadings to the Marmaton River, agricultural nonpoint sources are the leading pollution source contributing 55% of TN and 49% of TP loading. Based on TMDL analysis and model simulation, 3% of the watershed area (3,244 ha) needs to be targeted to control TN loading whereas 1% of the total area (1,319 ha) is required for TP reduction management. Managing the TN areas alone can achieve a 57% reduction in the TP load required for the TMDL, whereas managing the targeted TP areas can only provide 30% of the required TN reduction. Areas required both TN and TP management comprise 469 ha. Targeting these areas can achieve approximately 22% of the required TN reduction and 29% of the required TP reduction. Overall, 4,094 ha will require management to achieve water quality goals. This study demonstrates that a modeling approach is needed to effectively address TMDL issues and help identify targeted areas for management.     

Approaching Cumulative Effects through Air Pollution Modelling

The research presented here represents a segment of a cumulative impact assessment of resource development in northeastern British Columbia. It considers point and area source emissions of sulphur and nitrogen oxides (SO₂ and NO _x , respectively), over a 2,156-km² area. With the exception of open burning, all emissions are from Upstream Oil and Gas (UOG) sector sources (SO₂, n?=?103; NO _x , n?=?250; area, n?=?25). AERMOD View? was used to estimate the maximum potential concentration and deposition of these pollutants over 1-h, 3-h, 24-h, and annual averaging periods. Results are compared with various thresholds and limits from the policy and scientific literature to assess the potential cumulative effects of these pollutants. Of the thresholds employed, exceedances of the 1-h and 24-h NO _x concentrations and the annual SO₂ concentration are predicted. There were no predicted exceedances of annual deposition thresholds (i.e., ??Critical Loads??). Maximum predicted concentrations vary between compounds and are related to boundary layer stability, elevation, and distance from sources. Comparison with nearby monitoring data indicated that predicted concentrations were reasonable and that AERMOD provides a useful tool for approaching the potential cumulative impacts of air pollution from multiple sources. While the accuracy of Gaussian-based annual deposition estimates is questioned, model enhancements that could extend the application to more comprehensive assessments are suggested. Lastly, the implications of predicted threshold violations for forest ecosystems and local forest-dependent First Nations communities are discussed.     

Using the modified agricultural non-point source pollution model in German watersheds

The modified agricultural non-point source pollution model (AGNPSm) was used in this study to predict runoff volume, peak flow rate, and sediment yield in three different watersheds in Germany. It is a distributed parameter soil erosion model which uses simple approaches to hydrological and sediment calculations. Simulations were carried out in the Glonn G1 (1.2 km²), and Glonn G2 (1.6 km²), and the Salzboede (81.7 km²) watersheds in Germany. Runoff volume was predicted reliably in all three watersheds. Sediment yield predictions were excellent in the Glonn G1 and acceptable in the Glonn G2 watersheds. There were some uncertainties in the sediment yield calculations for the Salzboede watershed. This study shows that a less complex soil erosion model such as AGNPSm is able to produce reliable assessments of non-point source pollution for planning purposes.     

Prevalence and Antimicrobial Resistance of Enterococcal Species in Sewage Treatment Plants in Iran

We investigated for the first time the occurrence, stability and antibiotic resistance of 593 enterococci in six samples collected from three urban sewage treatment plants (STPs) located in the north, south and west part of Tehran, Iran between October 2004 and September of 2005. Isolates were typed with a biochemical fingerprinting method (the PhPlate system) and tested for their resistance to six antibiotics. The most prevalent species in all three STPs were E. faecium followed by E. hirae and E. faecalis accounting for 93% of the total isolates examined. In all, 317 (55%) isolates were susceptible to all six antibiotics tested and the remaining isolates were resistant to between 1 and 6 antibiotics. Biochemical fingerprinting with PhPlate system showed a high diversity for E. faecalis (D _i?=?0.95), E. hirae (D _i?=?0.93) and E. faecium (D _i?=?0.95) populations with an overall diversity of D _i?=?0.97 for the whole enterococcal populations found in all three STPs. Our data indicate a high degree of polyclonality among the enterococci populations of human origin. This study suggest that the municipal wastewaters might be an important source of dissemination of antibiotic-resistant enterococci in Iran.     

Antibiotic Resistance, Gene Transfer, and Water Quality Patterns Observed in Waterways near CAFO Farms and Wastewater Treatment Facilities

We examined water quality indicators (pH, temperature, turbidity, total phosphorus, and fecal coliform density) and bacterial antibiotic resistance (prevalence, conjugative transfer, and genetic linkage of resistance elements) at locations impacted by confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and compared them to nearby reference sites. Sites located upstream and downstream of two wastewater treatment facilities were also compared. Sites near CAFO farms had poor water quality (elevated total phosphorus and turbidity), while water quality remained relatively good downstream of wastewater treatment plants. High proportions of antibiotic-resistant bacteria were observed at all study sites, and frequent conjugative transfer of resistance was observed in laboratory assays. Out of a total of 830 environmental bacterial isolates, 77.1% were resistant to only ampicillin, while 21.2% were resistant to combinations of antibiotics including ampicillin (A), kanamycin (K), chlorotetracycline (C), oxytetracycline (O), and streptomycin (S). Multi-drug-resistant bacteria were significantly more common at sites impacted by CAFO farms. In conjugation assays, 83.3% of the environmental isolates transferred one or more antibiotic resistance genes to a laboratory strain of Salmonella typhimurium. A subset of multi-drug-resistant (A, C, and O) isolates was screened for specific tetracycline resistance genes and class I and II integrons. None of the screened isolates (n?=?22) were positive for integrons, while 13 isolates contained resistance genes for tet (B) and tet (C). Our results indicate that CAFO farms not only impair traditional measures of water quality but may also increase the prevalence of multi-drug-resistant bacteria in natural waters.     

集水区农业非点源污染之评估及控制对策

集水区内不当之农业活动，加速集水区土壤流失及水库水质恶化。本研究利用数值地形模型（Digital Elevation Model,DEM)、配合遥感探测（Remote Sensing,RS)与地理信息系统（Geographic Infomation Systems,GIS)等技术，撰写增益订水区非点源污染评估系统，探讨集水区农业非点源污染控制之成效。利用泥砂递移率与植生缓冲带区位检视集水区内之农业非点源污染源，划定集水区环境敏感区位，针对敏感区回收造林，可有效控制集水区农业非点源污染。     

汉江流域荆门段面源污染负荷时空分布与污染现状评价

[目的]对汉江流域荆门段面源污染负荷时空分布与污染现状进行分析和评价,为汉江水污染的治理提供科学依据。[方法]利用输出系数模型和等标负荷估算法,对汉江流域荆门段的面源污染负荷进行了空间分析和负荷估算,包括总氮(TN)、总磷(TP)、化学需氧量(COD)和氨氮(NH3-N),得出了汉江流域荆门段面源污染负荷及其空间分布状况。[结果]在所有污染源中,农村生活、畜禽养殖、降雨、土地利用和城镇径流是5个主要的面源污染源;该地区各市县总氮和总磷污染负荷与COD和氨氮污染负荷的输出量的排序均表现为:钟祥市沙洋县东宝区掇刀区;各类污染源总氮贡献率排序为:农村生活农业用地畜禽养殖降雨非农业用地;各类污染物总磷贡献率排序为:畜禽养殖农村生活农业用地非农业用地降雨。[结论]总体来说,河流富营养化主要是由于农村污染物未经处理排放或处理措施不当引起的。     

水土保持的水环境效应研究

 非点源污染已成为我国很多湖库型水源地的主要污染源,给人们的生活和健康以及经济社会的可持续发展造成严重危害。水土保持措施是防治非点源污染,保护水源水质,保障饮水安全的重要手段。笔者界定了水土保持水环境效应的概念;将非点源污染的类型划分为农业型、水土流失型、农村生活型、城市径流型和降水降尘型;首次系统地揭示水土保持的水环境效应机制;定量分析小流域综合治理与区域综合治理水土保持的水环境效应。     

Quantification of seasonal sediment and phosphorus transport dynamics in an agricultural watershed using radiometric fingerprinting techniques

Purpose

Phosphorus (P) is a limiting nutrient for most US Midwestern aquatic systems and, therefore, increases of P, through point or non-point sources (NPS) of pollution such as agriculture, causes eutrophication. Identifying specific NPS contributions (e.g., upland vs. stream channels) for sediments and P is difficult due to the distributed nature of the pollution. Therefore, studies which link the spatial and temporal aspects of sediment and P transport in these systems can help better characterize the extent of NPS pollution.

Materials and methods

Our study used fingerprinting techniques to determine sources of sediments in an agricultural watershed (the North Fork of the Pheasant Branch watershed; 12.4 km² area) in Wisconsin, USA, during the spring, summer, and fall seasons of 2009. The primary sources considered were uplands (cultivated fields), stream bank, and streambed. The model used fallout radionuclides, ¹³⁷Cs, and ²¹⁰Pb_xs, along with total P to determine primary sediment sources. A shorter-lived fallout radioisotope, ⁷Be, was used to determine the sediment age and percent new sediments in streambed and suspended sediment samples (via the ⁷Be/²¹⁰Pb_xs ratio).

Results and discussion

Upland areas were the primary source of suspended sediments in the stream channels followed by stream banks. The sediment age and percent new sediment for the streambed and suspended sediments showed that the channel contained and transported newer (or more recently tagged with ⁷Be) sediments in the spring season (9–131 days sediment age), while relatively old sediments (165–318 days) were moving through the channel system during the fall season.

Conclusions

Upland areas are the major contributors to in-stream suspended sediments in this watershed. Sediment resuspension in stream channels could play an important role during the later part of the year. Best management practices should be targeted in the upland areas to reduce the export of sediments and sediment-bound P from agricultural watersheds.     

沙河流域非点源溶解态氮负荷模拟及源解析

利用通用流域负荷模型(GWLF)对沙河流域2006—2012年的溶解态氮(DN)负荷进行了定量分析和来源解析,并基于模型分析了各污染源的季节性差异。模型在沙河流域适用性良好,月径流和DN负荷在校准期和验证期的ENS和R2都大于0.6,模型具备可靠的模拟能力。模拟结果表明,沙河流域DN年均负荷以非点源污染为主,占总污染负荷的82.7%。在所有土地利用类型中,耕地的DN负荷贡献率最大(64.5%),表明人类影响下的农业生产活动是流域非点源污染最主要的来源。同时,沙河流域DN负荷污染源组成表现出明显的季节性差异,丰水期地表径流是最主要的污染源(47.0%),而枯水期农村生活污染源(45.0%)和点源(23.1%)贡献相对显著。因此,在制定负荷削减方案时,应考虑氮污染源的季节性。     

水土保持的水环境质量效应研究进展

 随着点源污染逐步得到有效的控制,非点源污染对经济社会可持续发展的危害更加突显。根据水土流失与非点源污染的联动关系,界定了水土保持水环境质量效应的概念;将国内外与水土保持和水土流失有关的非点源污染研究归纳为3个方面:污染物运移的影响因子与机制分析、非点源污染模型的研发和非点源污染控制措施研究。对其研究进展分别进行了介绍和评述,并展望了发展趋势。