Assessing the Effects of Climate Change on Waterborne Microorganisms: Implications for EU and U.S. Water Policy

• Published in: Human and ecological risk assessment 2014-05, Vol.20 (3), p.724-742
• Main Authors: Coffey, Rory, Benham, Brian, Krometis, Leigh-Anne, Wolfe, Mary Leigh, Cummins, Enda
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adaptation; Air. Soil. Water. Waste. Feeding; Bacteria; Bacteriology; Biological and medical sciences; Clean Water Act; climate; Climate change; control methods; Environment. Living conditions; European Union; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Health risk assessment; Human; Human exposure; humans; hydrologic models; indicator species; laws and regulations; Medical sciences; Microbiology; Microorganisms; modeling; Pathogenicity, virulence, toxins, bacteriocins, pyrogens, host-bacteria relations, miscellaneous strains; pathogens; Policies; Pollution control; public health; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Risk; water policy; Water quality; water treatment; waterborne diseases; waterborne microorganisms
• ISSN: 1549-7860; 1080-7039; 1549-7860
• DOI: 10.1080/10807039.2013.802583

Despite advances in water treatment, outbreaks of waterborne diseases still occur in developed regions including the United States and Europe Union (EU). Water quality impairments attributable to elevated concentrations of fecal indicator bacteria, and associated with health risk, are also very common. Research suggests that the impact of such microorganisms on public health may be intensified by the effects of climate change. At present, the major regulatory frameworks in these regions (i.e., the US Clean Water Act [CWA] and the EU Water Framework Directive [WFD]), do not explicitly address risks posed by climate change. This article reviews existing U.S. and EU water quality regulatory legislation for robustness to climate change and suggests watershed modeling approaches to inform additional pollution control measures given the likely impacts on microbial fate and transport. Comprehensive analysis of future climate and water quality scenarios may only be achievable through the use of watershed-scale models. Unless adaptation measures are generated and incorporated into water policy, the potential threat posed to humans from exposure to waterborne pathogens may be amplified. Such adaptation measures will assist in achieving the aims of the EU WFD and US CWA and minimize impacts of climate change on microbial water quality.