Water quality, weather and environmental factors associated with fecal indicator organism density in beach sand at two recreational marine beaches

Details

• Personal Author:
  Brenner KP ; Chern E ; Dufour AP ; Exum NG ; Haugland RA ; Heaney CD ; Love DC ; Noble R ; Schwab KJ ; Serre ML ; Wade TJ
• Description:
  Recent studies showing an association between fecal indicator organisms (FIOs) in sand and gastrointestinal (GI) illness among beachgoers with sand contact have important public health implications because of the large numbers of people who recreate at beaches and engage in sand contact activities. Yet, factors that influence fecal pollution in beach sand remain unclear. During the 2007 National Epidemiological and Environmental Assessment of Recreational (NEEAR) Water Study, sand samples were collected at three locations (60 m apart) on weekend days (Sat, Sun) and holidays between June and September at two marine beaches - Fairhope Beach, AL and Goddard Beach, RI - with nearby publicly-owned treatment works (POTWs) outfalls. F+ coliphage, enterococci, Bacteroidales, fecal Bacteroides spp., and Clostridium spp. were measured in sand using culture and qPCR-based calibrator-cell equivalent methods. Water samples were also collected on the same days, times and transects as the 144 sand samples and were assayed using the same FIO measurements. Weather and environmental data were collected at the time of sample collection. Mean FIO concentrations in sand varied over time, but not space. Enterococci CFU and CCE densities in sand were not correlated, although other FIOs in sand were. The strongest correlation between FIO density in sand and water was fecal Bacteroides CCE, followed by enterococci CFU, Clostridium spp. CCE, and Bacteroidales CCE. Overall, the factors associated with FIO concentrations in sand were related to the sand-water interface (i.e., sand-wetting) and included daily average densities of FIOs in water, rainfall, and wave height. Targeted monitoring that focuses on daily trends of sand FIO variability, combined with information about specific water quality, weather, and environmental factors may inform beach monitoring and management decisions to reduce microbial burdens in beach sand. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Digestive System Digestive System Diseases Occupational Health Public Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Beach Sand Bacteria Bacterial-cultures Enterococci Fecal Pollution Gastrointestinal-system Gastrointestinal-system-disorders Pollutants Pollution Public-health QPCR Rainfall Water Quality

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• ISSN:
  0048-9697
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Maryland ; North Carolina ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 4
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  440-447
• Volume:
  497
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20046593
• Citation:
  Sci Total Environ 2014 Nov; 497-498:440-447
• Contact Point Address:
  Christopher D. Heaney, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205-2179
• Email:
  cheaney@jhsph.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2015
• NORA Priority Area:
  Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
• Performing Organization:
  Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20120701
• Source Full Name:
  Science of the Total Environment
• End Date:
  20150630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:cd577915be18caa38827653195db30016abf489adf92fbb391f31a34835895fe1919025a4628319c1684f3cc89c2e0dceb99df78dca167f9f554c25f4e62b5d3
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/201604/cdc_201604_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 316.96 KB ]