IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v12y2015i9p11910-11928d56252.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Fine-Scale Spatial Heterogeneity in the Distribution of Waterborne Protozoa in a Drinking Water Reservoir

Author

Listed:
  • Jean-Baptiste Burnet

    (Department of Environmental Research and Innovation (ERIN), Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, 41, rue du Brill, Belvaux L-4422, Luxembourg
    Department of Environmental Sciences and Management, Université de Liège (ULg), 165 avenue de Longwy, Arlon B-6700, Belgium)

  • Leslie Ogorzaly

    (Department of Environmental Research and Innovation (ERIN), Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, 41, rue du Brill, Belvaux L-4422, Luxembourg)

  • Christian Penny

    (Department of Environmental Research and Innovation (ERIN), Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, 41, rue du Brill, Belvaux L-4422, Luxembourg)

  • Henry-Michel Cauchie

    (Department of Environmental Research and Innovation (ERIN), Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, 41, rue du Brill, Belvaux L-4422, Luxembourg)

Abstract

Background: The occurrence of faecal pathogens in drinking water resources constitutes a threat to the supply of safe drinking water, even in industrialized nations. To efficiently assess and monitor the risk posed by these pathogens, sampling deserves careful design, based on preliminary knowledge on their distribution dynamics in water. For the protozoan pathogens Cryptosporidium and Giardia , only little is known about their spatial distribution within drinking water supplies, especially at fine scale. Methods: Two-dimensional distribution maps were generated by sampling cross-sections at meter resolution in two different zones of a drinking water reservoir. Samples were analysed for protozoan pathogens as well as for E. coli , turbidity and physico-chemical parameters. Results: Parasites displayed heterogeneous distribution patterns, as reflected by significant (oo)cyst density gradients along reservoir depth. Spatial correlations between parasites and E. coli were observed near the reservoir inlet but were absent in the downstream lacustrine zone. Measurements of surface and subsurface flow velocities suggest a role of local hydrodynamics on these spatial patterns. Conclusion: This fine-scale spatial study emphasizes the importance of sampling design (site, depth and position on the reservoir) for the acquisition of representative parasite data and for optimization of microbial risk assessment and monitoring. Such spatial information should prove useful to the modelling of pathogen transport dynamics in drinking water supplies.

Suggested Citation

  • Jean-Baptiste Burnet & Leslie Ogorzaly & Christian Penny & Henry-Michel Cauchie, 2015. "Fine-Scale Spatial Heterogeneity in the Distribution of Waterborne Protozoa in a Drinking Water Reservoir," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-19, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:12:y:2015:i:9:p:11910-11928:d:56252
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/12/9/11910/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/12/9/11910/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Erin A. Dreelin & Rebecca L. Ives & Stephanie Molloy & Joan B. Rose, 2014. "Cryptosporidium and Giardia in Surface Water: A Case Study from Michigan, USA to Inform Management of Rural Water Systems," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-24, October.
    2. J. Alfredo Bonilla & Tonya D. Bonilla & Amir M. Abdelzaher & Troy M. Scott & Jerzy Lukasik & Helena M. Solo-Gabriele & Carol J. Palmer, 2015. "Quantification of Protozoa and Viruses from Small Water Volumes," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-15, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Samuel Dorevitch, 2015. "Health Effects of Waterborne Contaminants: A Focus on Emerging Concerns," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-3, October.
    2. Natasha Potgieter & Simbarashe Karambwe & Lutendo Sylvia Mudau & Tobias Barnard & Afsatou Traore, 2020. "Human Enteric Pathogens in Eight Rivers Used as Rural Household Drinking Water Sources in the Northern Region of South Africa," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(6), pages 1-15, March.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:12:y:2015:i:9:p:11910-11928:d:56252. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.