A5017606898- Fecal contamination and water quality
- Groundwater flow and contamination studies
- Environmental Justice and Health Disparities
- Soil and Water Nutrient Dynamics
- Wastewater Treatment and Reuse
- Water Treatment and Disinfection
- Mycobacterium research and diagnosis
- Urban Stormwater Management Solutions
- Viral gastroenteritis research and epidemiology
- Gut microbiota and health
- SARS-CoV-2 detection and testing
- Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
- Archaeology and ancient environmental studies
- Biosensors and Analytical Detection
- Child Nutrition and Water Access
- Forensic and Genetic Research
- Molecular Biology Techniques and Applications
- Salmonella and Campylobacter epidemiology
- Environmental DNA in Biodiversity Studies
- Advanced biosensing and bioanalysis techniques
- Mine drainage and remediation techniques
- Vibrio bacteria research studies
- Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies
- Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens research
- Soil and Unsaturated Flow
Environmental Protection Agency
2016-2025
Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare
2021
University of Helsinki
2021
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
2009-2015
Oregon State University
1999-2006
The fecal microbiome of cattle plays a critical role not only in animal health and productivity but also food safety, pathogen shedding, the performance pollution detection methods. Unfortunately, most published molecular surveys fail to provide adequate detail about variability community structures bacteria within across populations. Using massively parallel pyrosequencing hypervariable region rRNA coding region, we profiled microbial communities from six different feeding operations where...
Environmental waters are monitored for fecal pollution to protect public health and water resources. Traditionally, general fecal-indicator bacteria used; however, they cannot distinguish human waste from other animal sources. Recently, a novel bacteriophage, crAssphage, was discovered by metagenomic data mining reported be abundant in closely associated with waste. To confirm bioinformatic predictions, 384 primer sets were designed along the length of crAssphage genome. Based on initial...
ABSTRACT Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) assays that target the human-associated HF183 bacterial cluster within members of genus Bacteroides are among most widely used methods for characterization human fecal pollution in ambient surface waters. In this study, we show a current TaqMan qPCR assay (HF183/BFDrev) routinely forms nonspecific amplification products and introduce modified (HF183/BacR287) alleviates problem. The performance each was compared head-to-head experiments investigating...
ABSTRACT Accurate assessment of health risks associated with bovine (cattle) fecal pollution requires a reliable host-specific genetic marker and rapid quantification method. We report the development quantitative PCR assays for detection two recently described feces-specific markers method enumeration these using Markov chain Monte Carlo approach. Both exhibited range from 25 to 2 × 10 6 copies target DNA, coefficient variation <2.1%. One can be multiplexed an internal amplification...
ABSTRACT Assessment of health risk and fecal bacterial loads associated with human pollution requires reliable host-specific analytical methods a rapid quantification approach. We report the development quantitative PCR assays for two recently described human-specific genetic markers targeting Bacteroidales -like cell surface-associated genes. Each assay exhibited range from 10 to 1 × 6 copies target DNA. For each assay, internal amplification controls were developed detect presence or...
ABSTRACT Microbial sewage communities consist of a combination human fecal microorganisms and nonfecal microorganisms, which may be residents urban sewer infrastructure or flowthrough originating from gray water rainwater inputs. Together, these different microorganism sources form an identifiable community structure that serve as signature for discharges candidates alternative indicators specific pollution. However, the variability this across geographic space remains uncharacterized. We...
We used quantitative microbial risk assessment to simulate the of gastrointestinal (GI) illness associated with swimming in waters containing different concentrations human-associated fecal markers from raw sewage, HF183 and HumM2. The volume/volume ratio sewage ambient water was determined by comparing marker recreational 54 geographic locations across United States. Concentrations reference GI pathogens volumes ingested swimmers, dose–response functions, fractions infected that become ill...
Summary Faecal pollution contains a rich and diverse community of bacteria derived from animals humans, many which might serve as alternatives to the traditional enterococci E scherichia coli faecal indicators. We used massively parallel sequencing ( MPS ) 16 S rRNA gene characterize microbial communities wastewater treatment plant WWTP influent sewage 12 cities geographically distributed across USA . examined members C lostridiales , included families lostridiaceae L achnospiraceae R...
Numerous bacterial genetic markers are available for the molecular detection of human sources fecal pollution in environmental waters. However, widespread application is hindered by a lack knowledge regarding geographical stability, limiting implementation to small number well-characterized regions. This study investigates geographic distribution five human-associated (HF183/BFDrev, HF183/BacR287, BacHum-UCD, BacH, and Lachno2) municipal wastewaters (raw treated) from 29 urban rural...
There are numerous PCR-based assays available to characterize human fecal pollution in ambient waters. Each assay employs distinct oligonucleotides and many target different genes microorganisms leading potential variations performance. Performance comparisons utilizing feces raw sewage samples needed determine which best suited for expensive time-consuming field validation, fate, transport, epidemiology studies. We report the assessment of five end-point PCR 10 real-time quantitative (qPCR)...
This study examined persistence and decay of bacterial pathogens, fecal indicator bacteria (FIB), emerging real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) genetic markers for rapid detection pollution in manure-amended agricultural soils. Known concentrations transformed green fluorescent protein-expressing Escherichia coli O157:H7/pZs red Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium/pDs were added to laboratory-scale soil microcosms with moisture contents 60% or 80% field capacity incubated at temperatures...
Summary Genetic markers from Bacteroides and other faecal bacteria are being tested for inclusion in regulations to quantify aquatic contamination estimate public health risk. For the method be used quantitatively across environments, persistence decay of must understood. We measured concentrations contaminant molecular targeting Enterococcus spp. marine freshwater microcosms spiked with human sewage exposed either sunlight or dark treatments. Bayesian statistics a delayed Chick–Watson model...
Gulls are often cited as important contributors of fecal contamination to surface waters, and some recreational beaches have used gull control measures improve microbial water quality. In this study, gulls were chased from a Lake Michigan beach using specially trained dogs, quality improvements quantified. Fecal indicator bacteria potentially pathogenic measured before during culture methods quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Harassment by dogs was an effective method control:...
There are numerous PCR-based assays available to characterize bovine fecal pollution in ambient waters. The determination of which approaches most suitable for field applications can be difficult because each assay targets a different gene, many cases from microorganisms, leading variation performance. We describe performance evaluation seven end-point PCR and real-time quantitative (qPCR) reported associated with either ruminant or feces. Each was tested against reference collection DNA...
We evaluated whether provision and promotion of improved sanitation hardware (toilets child feces management tools) reduced rotavirus human fecal contamination drinking water, hands, soil among rural Bangladeshi compounds enrolled in a cluster-randomized trial. also measured host-associated genetic markers ruminant avian feces. found evidence widespread the compound environment; non-human marker occurrence scaled with animal ownership. Strategies for controlling waste should be considered...
ABSTRACT The sanitary quality of recreational waters that may be impacted by sewage is assessed enumerating fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) ( Escherichia coli and enterococci); these organisms are found in the gastrointestinal tracts humans many other animals, hence their presence provides no information about pollution source. Microbial source tracking (MST) methods can discriminate between different sources, providing critical to water managers, but relatively little known factors...
ABSTRACT There is growing interest in the application of human-associated fecal source identification quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) technologies for water quality management. The transition from a research tool to standardized protocol requires high degree confidence data across laboratories. Data typically determined through series specifications that ensure good experimental practice and absence bias results due DNA isolation amplification interferences. However, there currently lack...