Monitoring and predicting the fecal indicator bacteria concentrations from agricultural, mixed land use and urban stormwater runoff

• Published in: The Science of the total environment 2016-04, Vol.550, p.1171-1181
• Main Authors: Paule-Mercado, M.A., Ventura, J.S., Memon, S.A., Jahng, D., Kang, J.-H., Lee, C.-H.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agriculture; Environmental Monitoring; Fecal indicator bacteria; Hydrometeorological; Land use and land cover; Models, Theoretical; Multiple linear regression; Rain; Stormwater quality; Streptococcus; Water Microbiology; Water Movements
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.01.026

While the urban runoff are increasingly being studied as a source of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB), less is known about the occurrence of FIB in watershed with mixed land use and ongoing land use and land cover (LULC) change. In this study, Escherichia coli (EC) and fecal streptococcus (FS) were monitored from 2012 to 2013 in agricultural, mixed and urban LULC and analyzed according to the most probable number (MPN). Pearson correlation was used to determine the relationship between FIB and environmental parameters (physicochemical and hydrometeorological). Multiple linear regressions (MLR) were used to identify the significant parameters that affect the FIB concentrations and to predict the response of FIB in LULC change. Overall, the FIB concentrations were higher in urban LULC (EC=3.33–7.39; FS=3.30–7.36log10MPN/100mL) possibly because of runoff from commercial market and 100% impervious cover (IC). Also, during early-summer season; this reflects a greater persistence and growth rate of FIB in a warmer environment. During intra-event, however, the FIB concentrations varied according to site condition. Anthropogenic activities and IC influenced the correlation between the FIB concentrations and environmental parameters. Stormwater temperature (TEMP), turbidity, and TSS positively correlated with the FIB concentrations (p>0.01), since IC increased, implying an accumulation of bacterial sources in urban activities. TEMP, BOD5, turbidity, TSS, and antecedent dry days (ADD) were the most significant explanatory variables for FIB as determined in MLR, possibly because they promoted the FIB growth and survival. The model confirmed the FIB concentrations: EC (R2=0.71–0.85; NSE=0.72–0.86) and FS (R2=0.65–0.83; NSE=0.66–0.84) are predicted to increase due to urbanization. Therefore, these findings will help in stormwater monitoring strategies, designing the best management practice for FIB removal and as input data for stormwater models. [Display omitted] •Land use and anthropogenic activities influenced the FIB intra-event variability.•Urban runoff had the highest levels of fecal contamination.•Temperature, TSS and turbidity correlated significantly with FIB concentrations.•MLR identified significant environmental parameter affects on FIB concentrations.•The FIB concentrations were predicted to increase due to urbanization.