Sunlight Inactivation of Human Polymerase Chain Reaction Markers and Cultured Fecal Indicators in River and Saline Waters

Decay rates for sunlight inactivation of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) markers for total Bacteroidales, human-specific Bacteroidales, Escherichia coli, and Bifidobacterium adolescentis relative to cultured E. coli were investigated. The experiment used 100-L chambers of fresh water and seawater (p...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Water environment research 2013-08, Vol.85 (8), p.743-750
Main Authors: Gilpin, Brent J., Devane, Megan, Robson, Beth, Nourozi, Fariba, Scholes, Paula, Lin, Susan, Wood, David R., Sinton, Lester W.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Applied sciences
Bacteroidales
Bacteroidetes - genetics
Bacteroidetes - radiation effects
Bifidobacterium - genetics
Bifidobacterium - radiation effects
Bifidobacterium adolescentis
Continental surface waters
DNA damage
Drinking water and swimming-pool water. Desalination
E coli
Escherichia coli
Escherichia coli - genetics
Escherichia coli - radiation effects
Exact sciences and technology
Feces - microbiology
Fresh water
Freshwater
General purification processes
Genetic Markers
Humans
Natural water pollution
PCR markers
Pollution
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Product category rules
River water
Rivers - microbiology
Sea water
Seawater
Seawater - microbiology
Seawaters, estuaries
Signals
Sun
Sunlight
sunlight inactivation
Wastewaters
Water Microbiology
Water temperature
Water treatment and pollution
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Summary:Decay rates for sunlight inactivation of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) markers for total Bacteroidales, human-specific Bacteroidales, Escherichia coli, and Bifidobacterium adolescentis relative to cultured E. coli were investigated. The experiment used 100-L chambers of fresh water and seawater (paired with dark controls) seeded with human sewage and exposed to natural sunlight over three summer days. Culturable E. coli levels in sunlight-exposed chambers decreased by at least 3 logs on day 1, and by day 3 a total reduction of 4.5 to 5.5 logs was achieved in fresh water and seawater, respectively. In contrast, PCR detection of the four gene targets in sunlight-exposed chambers reduced by no more than 2 logs over the duration of the study (k t < 0.071 log e units h⁻¹). Under these experimental conditions, PCR markers are considerably more conservative than culturable E. coli and can persist for extended periods of time following inactivation of E. coli.
ISSN:1061-4303
1554-7531
DOI:10.2175/106143012X13560205144290