Resuspension of sediment-associated Escherichia coli in a natural stream

• Published in: Journal of environmental quality Vol. 34; no. 2; pp. 581 - 589
• Main Authors: Jamieson, R.C, Joy, D.M, Lee, H, Kostaschuk, R, Gordon, R.J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Madison American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, Soil Science Society 01.03.2005; Crop Science Society of America; American Society of Agronomy
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; alluvium; Applied sciences; Bacteria; Biological and medical sciences; Creeks & streams; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Escherichia coli; Exact sciences and technology; feces; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Geologic Sediments - microbiology; Pollution; Pollution, environment geology; Population Dynamics; Rain; Rivers; sediment contamination; Sediments; soil hydraulic properties; soil transport processes; storms; streams; Survival; suspensions; Water Movements; water pollution; Water quality; Ontario; Grand River; Canada; North America; America; Canada, Ontario; Canada, Ontario, Grand R; Drinking water treatment; Storm; Pollutant behavior; Escherichia coli; Decomposition; Sediments; Survival; Atmospheric disturbance; Persistence; Transport process; Seed bed; Sensitivity resistance; Acids; First order; Watershed; Surface water; Metabolic inactivation; Shear stress; Bacteria; Stream; Enterobacteriaceae; Tracers
• ISSN: 0047-2425; 1537-2537
• DOI: 10.2134/jeq2005.0581

In this study, a tracer bacteria was used to investigate the resuspension and persistence of sediment-associated bacteria in a small alluvial stream. The study was conducted in Swan Creek, located within the Grand River watershed of Ontario, Canada. A 1.1-m2 section of the bed was seeded with a strain of Escherichia coli resistant to nalidixic acid (E. coli NAR). The survival, transport, and redistribution of the tracer bacteria within a 1.7-km river section downstream of the source cell was assessed for a 2-mo period following the introduction of the tracer bacteria. This study has illustrated that enteric bacteria can survive in bed sediments for up 6 wk and that inactivation of the tracer bacteria resembled typical first-order decay. Critical conditions for resuspension, as well as resuspension rates, of sediment-associated bacteria were determined for several storm events. The critical shear stress for E. coli NAR resuspension in Swan Creek ranged from 1.5 to 1.7 N m(-2), which is comparable with literature values for critical shear stresses for erosion of cohesive sediments. Bacteria resuspension was primarily limited to the rising limb of storm hydrographs implying that a finite supply of sediment-associated bacteria are available for resuspension during individual storm events. The information presented in this paper will further the development of representative microbial water quality models.