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<p>Fecal pollution from point and nonpoint sources contributes to the spread of waterborne pathogens and the eutrophication of aquatic ecosystems in mixed-use watersheds. Identifying the sources of fecal pollution is critical for identifying health risks to humans and livestock and for implementing long-term improvements to downstream water quality. Molecular source tracking is an essential tool for identifying sources of fecal pollution and it can be expanded to detect waterborne pathogens like <i>Giardia</i> and <i>Cryptosporidium</i> that are infectious to humans and livestock. We monitored two small, rural watersheds in Northeast Oklahoma from 2020-2023 that were suspected to have point source and nonpoint source fecal pollution issues. Our goals were to assess the prevalence of human, cow, and poultry fecal sources in the watersheds, determine how they relate to <i>Cryptosporidium</i> and <i>Giardia</i> which are infectious to both humans and cattle, and identify relationships between the fecal sources and water quality parameters like total nutrients and <i>E. coli</i>. In the Big Cabin Creek watershed, human fecal sources were the most prevalent followed by cattle. Human fecal pollution in Big Cabin was associated with a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), and we found a significant positive relationship between the human fecal marker and <i>E. coli</i>, indicating the discharge of untreated sewage. In the Horse Creek Watershed, human fecal pollution was the most prevalent and widespread followed by cattle and poultry. We suspect failed septic systems may be responsible for the widespread human fecal pollution in Horse Creek, since many occurrences were upstream of a WWTP or in separate tributaries. We found significant positive relationships between the human and avian markers with total nutrients; however, the models had low predictive power. <i>Cryptosporidium</i> and <i>Giardia</i> detections were relatively low across both watersheds, and we did not identify any significant relationships between the protozoan parasites and the fecal markers. We found several instances where <i>Giardia</i> and <i>Cryptosporidium</i> were detected while human and cattle fecal markers were absent, highlighting the importance of including pathogen markers in fecal pollution surveys.</p>

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Molecular Tracking of Fecal Indicator Bacteria and Protozoan Parasites in Mixed-Use Watersheds: Implications for Human Recreation, Livestock Stream Access, and Nutrient Management

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2025年7月15日

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  • William Mausbach,
  • Dustin Browning,
  • Ryan Shannon,
  • Stephen Nikolai,
  • Darrell Townsend

摘要

Fecal pollution from point and nonpoint sources contributes to the spread of waterborne pathogens and the eutrophication of aquatic ecosystems in mixed-use watersheds. Identifying the sources of fecal pollution is critical for identifying health risks to humans and livestock and for implementing long-term improvements to downstream water quality. Molecular source tracking is an essential tool for identifying sources of fecal pollution and it can be expanded to detect waterborne pathogens like Giardia and Cryptosporidium that are infectious to humans and livestock. We monitored two small, rural watersheds in Northeast Oklahoma from 2020-2023 that were suspected to have point source and nonpoint source fecal pollution issues. Our goals were to assess the prevalence of human, cow, and poultry fecal sources in the watersheds, determine how they relate to Cryptosporidium and Giardia which are infectious to both humans and cattle, and identify relationships between the fecal sources and water quality parameters like total nutrients and E. coli. In the Big Cabin Creek watershed, human fecal sources were the most prevalent followed by cattle. Human fecal pollution in Big Cabin was associated with a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), and we found a significant positive relationship between the human fecal marker and E. coli, indicating the discharge of untreated sewage. In the Horse Creek Watershed, human fecal pollution was the most prevalent and widespread followed by cattle and poultry. We suspect failed septic systems may be responsible for the widespread human fecal pollution in Horse Creek, since many occurrences were upstream of a WWTP or in separate tributaries. We found significant positive relationships between the human and avian markers with total nutrients; however, the models had low predictive power. Cryptosporidium and Giardia detections were relatively low across both watersheds, and we did not identify any significant relationships between the protozoan parasites and the fecal markers. We found several instances where Giardia and Cryptosporidium were detected while human and cattle fecal markers were absent, highlighting the importance of including pathogen markers in fecal pollution surveys.