Persistence of sewage-associated genetic markers in advanced and conventional treated recycled water: implications for microbial source tracking in surface waters.

ABSTRACT: Sewage contamination of environmental waters is increasingly assessed by measuring DNA from sewage-associated microorganisms in microbial source tracking (MST) approaches. However, DNA can persist through wastewater treatment and reach surface waters when treated sewage/recycled water is discharged, which may falsely indicate pollution from untreated sewage. Recycled water discharged from an advanced wastewater treatment (AWT) facility into a Florida stream elevated the sewage-associated HF183 marker 1,000-fold, with a minimal increase in cultured Escherichia coli. The persistence of sewage-associated microorganisms was compared by qPCR in untreated sewage and recycled water from conventional wastewater treatment (CWT) and AWT facilities. E. coli (EC23S857) and sewage-associa

SUBMITTER: Lobos AE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11253620 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature