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Smith WJM, Liu Y, Simpson SL, Bivins A, Ahmed W. Assessment of nucleic acid extraction protocols for antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) quantification in aircraft wastewater. Hum Genomics 2024; 18:54. [PMID: 38816866 PMCID: PMC11138010 DOI: 10.1186/s40246-024-00617-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
This study evaluated ten nucleic acid extraction protocols (EP1 to EP10) for measuring five endogenous antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in four aircraft wastewater samples (AWW1 to AWW4). The targeted ARGs, including blaCTX-M, blaNDM-1, ermB, qnrS, and tetA, encompassed highly and minimally abundant ARGs. TetA and ermB were consistently detected across four aircraft wastewater samples using the DNeasy Blood and Tissue Kit and the AllPrep PowerViral DNA/RNA kit. QnrS displayed high detection rates with specific extraction protocols and aliquot volumes. Concentrations of ARGs varied across aircraft wastewater samples, with differing extraction protocols influencing quantitative results. The concentrations of tetA, ermB, and qnrS in AWW1 were distinct, while AWW2 to AWW4 exhibited a broader range for tetA, ermB, qnrS, blaCTX-M, and blaNDM-1. EP1 consistently produced the highest concentrations for several ARGs. Collective data analysis revealed varying ARG concentrations across the ten extraction protocols, suggesting the importance of careful extraction protocol selection in ARG monitoring in aircraft wastewater samples. Based on the results, we suggest that a small sample volume (as low as 0.2 mL) may be sufficient for ARG characterization in aircraft wastewater samples. The findings also emphasize the need for considering toilet paper removal without compromising nucleic acid extraction efficiency. The study highlights promising prospects for aircraft wastewater monitoring of ARGs, calling for further investigation into the import and spread of unique ARGs through transport hubs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendy J M Smith
- CSIRO Environment, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, Dutton Park, QLD, 4102, Australia
| | - Yawen Liu
- CSIRO Environment, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, Dutton Park, QLD, 4102, Australia
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Stuart L Simpson
- CSIRO Environment, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, Dutton Park, QLD, 4102, Australia
| | - Aaron Bivins
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA
| | - Warish Ahmed
- CSIRO Environment, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, Dutton Park, QLD, 4102, Australia.
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Ahmed W, Korajkic A, Gabrewold M, Payyappat S, Cassidy M, Harrison N, Besley C. Assessing the nucleic acid decay of human wastewater markers and enteric viruses in estuarine waters in Sydney, Australia. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 926:171389. [PMID: 38432386 PMCID: PMC11070875 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
This research investigated the in-situ decay rates of four human wastewater-associated markers (Bacteroides HF183 (HF183), Lachnospiraceae Lachno3 (Lachno3), cross-assembling phage (crAssphage), pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) and three enteric viruses (human adenovirus 40/41 (HAdV 40/41), enterovirus (EV) and human norovirus GII (HNoV GII) in two estuarine water environments (Davidson Park (DP) and Hen and Chicken Bay (HCB) in temperate Sydney, NSW, Australia, employing qPCR and RT-qPCR assays. The study also aimed to compare decay rates observed in mesocosms with previously published laboratory microcosms, providing insights into the persistence of markers and viruses in estuarine environments. Results indicated varying decay rates between DP and HCB mesocosms, with HF183 exhibiting relatively faster decay rates compared to other markers and enteric viruses in sunlight and dark mesocosms. In DP mesocosms, HF183 decayed the fastest, contrasting with PMMoV, which exhibited the slowest. Sunlight induced higher decay rates for all markers and viruses in DP mesocosms. In HCB sunlight mesocosms, HF183 nucleic acid decayed most rapidly compared to other markers and enteric viruses. In dark mesocosms, crAssphage showed the fastest decay, while PMMoV decayed at the slowest rate in both sunlight and dark mesocosms. Comparisons with laboratory microcosms revealed faster decay of markers and enteric viruses in laboratory microcosms than the mesocosms, except for crAssphage and HAdV 40/41 in dark, and PMMoV in sunlight mesocosms. The study concludes that decay rates of markers and enteric viruses vary between estuarine mesocosms, emphasizing the impact of sunlight exposure, which was potentially influenced by the elevated turbidity at HCB estuarine waters. The generated decay rates contribute valuable insights for establishing site-specific risk-based thresholds of human wastewater-associated markers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Warish Ahmed
- CSIRO Environment, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, Dutton Park, QLD 4102, Australia.
| | - Asja Korajkic
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, 26W Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45268, United States
| | - Metasebia Gabrewold
- CSIRO Environment, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, Dutton Park, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Sudhi Payyappat
- Sydney Water, 1 Smith Street, Parramatta, NSW 2150, Australia
| | - Michele Cassidy
- Sydney Water, 1 Smith Street, Parramatta, NSW 2150, Australia
| | - Nathan Harrison
- Sydney Water, 1 Smith Street, Parramatta, NSW 2150, Australia
| | - Colin Besley
- Sydney Water, 1 Smith Street, Parramatta, NSW 2150, Australia
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Parkins MD, Lee BE, Acosta N, Bautista M, Hubert CRJ, Hrudey SE, Frankowski K, Pang XL. Wastewater-based surveillance as a tool for public health action: SARS-CoV-2 and beyond. Clin Microbiol Rev 2024; 37:e0010322. [PMID: 38095438 PMCID: PMC10938902 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00103-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) has undergone dramatic advancement in the context of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The power and potential of this platform technology were rapidly realized when it became evident that not only did WBS-measured SARS-CoV-2 RNA correlate strongly with COVID-19 clinical disease within monitored populations but also, in fact, it functioned as a leading indicator. Teams from across the globe rapidly innovated novel approaches by which wastewater could be collected from diverse sewersheds ranging from wastewater treatment plants (enabling community-level surveillance) to more granular locations including individual neighborhoods and high-risk buildings such as long-term care facilities (LTCF). Efficient processes enabled SARS-CoV-2 RNA extraction and concentration from the highly dilute wastewater matrix. Molecular and genomic tools to identify, quantify, and characterize SARS-CoV-2 and its various variants were adapted from clinical programs and applied to these mixed environmental systems. Novel data-sharing tools allowed this information to be mobilized and made immediately available to public health and government decision-makers and even the public, enabling evidence-informed decision-making based on local disease dynamics. WBS has since been recognized as a tool of transformative potential, providing near-real-time cost-effective, objective, comprehensive, and inclusive data on the changing prevalence of measured analytes across space and time in populations. However, as a consequence of rapid innovation from hundreds of teams simultaneously, tremendous heterogeneity currently exists in the SARS-CoV-2 WBS literature. This manuscript provides a state-of-the-art review of WBS as established with SARS-CoV-2 and details the current work underway expanding its scope to other infectious disease targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael D. Parkins
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- O’Brien Institute of Public Health, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Bonita E. Lee
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Nicole Acosta
- Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Maria Bautista
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Casey R. J. Hubert
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Steve E. Hrudey
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Kevin Frankowski
- Advancing Canadian Water Assets, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Xiao-Li Pang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Provincial Health Laboratory, Alberta Health Services, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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Vanderzalm J, Currie S, Smith W, Metcalfe S, Taylor N, Ahmed W. Microbial source tracking of fecal pollution to coral reef lagoons of Norfolk Island, Australia. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:168906. [PMID: 38016554 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
Fecal pollution contributes to global degradation of water quality and requires identification of the source(s) for predicting human health risk, tracking disease, and developing management strategies. While fecal indicator bacteria are commonly used to detect fecal pollution, they cannot identify sources. Novel approaches, such as microbial source tracking (MST), can be applied to evaluate the origin of fecal pollution. This study examined fecal pollution in the coral reef lagoons of Norfolk Island, Australia where reef health decline has been related to nutrient input. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the host sensitivity and specificity of two human wastewater-associated marker genes (Bacteroides HF183 (HF183) and cross-assembly phage (crAssphage)) and four animal feces associated marker genes targeting avian, ruminant, dog, and pig (Helicobacter-associated GFD (GFD), Bacteroides BacR (BacR), Bacteroides DogBact (DogBact), and Bacteroides Pig-2-Bac (Pig-2-Bac)) in wastewater and animal fecal samples collected from Norfolk Island. The prevalence and concentrations of these marker genes along with enterococci genetic marker (ENT 23S rRNA) of general fecal pollution and human adenovirus (HAdV), which is considered predominantly a pathogen but also a human-wastewater associated marker gene, were determined in surface, ground, and marine water resources. A secondary objective of this study was to assess the sources and pathways of fecal pollution to a sensitive marine environment under rainfall events. HF183, crAssphage, HAdV, and BacR demonstrated absolute host sensitivity values of 1.00, while GFD and Pig-2-Bac had host sensitivity values of 0.60, and 0.20, respectively. Host specificity values were > 0.94 for all marker genes. Human and animal (avian, ruminant, dog) fecal sources were present in the coral reef lagoons and surface water whereas groundwater was polluted by human wastewater markers. This study provides understanding of fecal pollution in water resources on Norfolk Island, Australia after precipitation events. The results may aid in effective water quality management, mitigating potential adverse effects on both human and environmental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanne Vanderzalm
- CSIRO Environment, Waite Campus, Waite Rd, Urrbrae, SA 5064, Australia.
| | - Sharon Currie
- CSIRO Environment, Waite Campus, Waite Rd, Urrbrae, SA 5064, Australia
| | - Wendy Smith
- CSIRO Environment, Ecosciences Precint, 41 Boggo Road, Dutton Park, QLD 4202, Australia
| | - Suzanne Metcalfe
- CSIRO Environment, Ecosciences Precint, 41 Boggo Road, Dutton Park, QLD 4202, Australia
| | - Nathan Taylor
- Norfolk Island Water Resource Assessment Team, Kingston, Norfolk Island
| | - Warish Ahmed
- CSIRO Environment, Ecosciences Precint, 41 Boggo Road, Dutton Park, QLD 4202, Australia
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Akter J, Smith WJ, Liu Y, Kim I, Simpson SL, Thai P, Korajkic A, Ahmed W. Comparison of adsorption-extraction (AE) workflows for improved measurements of viral and bacterial nucleic acid in untreated wastewater. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 908:167966. [PMID: 38476760 PMCID: PMC10927021 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
The lack of standardized methods and large differences in virus concentration and extraction workflows have hampered Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV-2) wastewater surveillance and data reporting practices. Numerous studies have shown that adsorption-extraction (AE) method holds promise, yet several uncertainties remain regarding the optimal AE workflow. Several procedural components may influence the recovered concentrations of target nucleic acid, including membrane types, homogenization instruments, speed and duration, and lysis buffer. In this study, 42 different AE workflows that varied these components were compared to determine the optimal workflow by quantifying endogenous SARS-CoV-2, human adenovirus 40/41 (HAdV 40/41), and a bacterial marker gene of fecal contamination (Bacteroides HF183). Our findings suggest that the workflow chosen had a significant impact on SARS-CoV-2 concentrations, whereas it had minimal impact on HF183 and no effect on HAdV 40/41 concentrations. When comparing individual components in a workflow, such as membrane type (MF-Millipore™ 0.45 μm MCE vs. Isopore™ 0.40 μm), we found that they had no impact on SARS-CoV-2, HAdV 40/41, and HF183 concentrations. This suggests that at least some consumables and equipment are interchangeable. Buffer PM1 + TRIzol-based workflows yielded higher concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 than other workflows. HF183 concentrations were higher in workflows without chloroform. Similarly, higher homogenization speeds (5000-10,000 rpm) led to increased concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 and HF183 but had no effect on HAdV 40/41. Our findings indicate that minor enhancements to the AE workflow can improve the recovery of viruses and bacteria from the wastewater, leading to improved outcomes from wastewater surveillance efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesmin Akter
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon 34113, Republic of Korea
- Department of Environmental Research, Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT), Gyeonggi-do 10223, Republic of Korea
- CSIRO Environment, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, Dutton Park, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Wendy J.M. Smith
- CSIRO Environment, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, Dutton Park, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Yawen Liu
- CSIRO Environment, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, Dutton Park, QLD 4102, Australia
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of the Environment & Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Ilho Kim
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon 34113, Republic of Korea
- Department of Environmental Research, Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT), Gyeonggi-do 10223, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Phong Thai
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 4102 Brisbane, Australia
| | - Asja Korajkic
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, 26W Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45268, USA
| | - Warish Ahmed
- CSIRO Environment, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, Dutton Park, QLD 4102, Australia
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Ahmed W, Korajkic A, Smith WJ, Payyappat S, Cassidy M, Harrison N, Besley C. Comparing the decay of human wastewater-associated markers and enteric viruses in laboratory microcosms simulating estuarine waters in a temperate climatic zone using qPCR/RT-qPCR assays. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 908:167845. [PMID: 37879463 PMCID: PMC11070876 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated the decay rates of wastewater-associated markers and enteric viruses in laboratory microcosms mimicking estuarine water environments in temperate Sydney, NSW, Australia using qPCR and RT-qPCR assays. The results demonstrated the reduction in concentrations of Bacteroides HF183, Lachnospiraceae Lachno3, cross-assembly phage (crAssphage), pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV), human adenovirus (HAdV 40/41), and enterovirus (EV) over a span of 42 days under spring/summer temperatures, presence/absence of microbiota, and different light conditions. The study found that HF183, Lachno3, crAssphage, PMMoV, HAdV 40/41, and EV exhibited varying decay rates depending on the experimental conditions. The average T90 values ranged from a few days to several months, indicating the rapid decay or prolonged persistence of these markers and enteric viruses in the estuarine environment. Furthermore, the study examined the effects of indigenous microbiota and spring/summer temperatures on wastewater-associated markers and enteric viruses decay rates. It was found that the presence of microbiota and temperature significantly influenced the decay rates of HF183 and PMMoV. Additionally, the study compared the effects of artificial sunlight and spring/summer temperatures on marker decay rates. Bacterial markers decayed faster than viral markers, although among viral markers crAssphage decay rates were relatively faster when compared to PMMoV. The exposure to artificial sunlight significantly accelerated the decay rates of bacterial markers, viral markers, and enteric viruses. Temperature also had an impact on the decay rates of Lachno3, crAssphage, and HAdV 40/41. In conclusion, this study provides valuable insights into the decay rates of wastewater-associated markers and enteric viruses under different experimental conditions that mimicked temperate environmental conditions. The findings contribute to our understanding of the fate and persistence of these markers in the environment which is crucial for assessing and managing risks from contamination by untreated human wastewater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Warish Ahmed
- CSIRO Environment, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, Dutton Park, QLD 4102, Australia.
| | - Asja Korajkic
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, 26W Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45268, United States
| | - Wendy J Smith
- CSIRO Environment, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, Dutton Park, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Sudhi Payyappat
- Sydney Water, 1 Smith Street, Parramatta, NSW 2150, Australia
| | - Michele Cassidy
- Sydney Water, 1 Smith Street, Parramatta, NSW 2150, Australia
| | - Nathan Harrison
- Sydney Water, 1 Smith Street, Parramatta, NSW 2150, Australia
| | - Colin Besley
- Sydney Water, 1 Smith Street, Parramatta, NSW 2150, Australia
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Liu Y, Smith W, Gebrewold M, Wang X, Simpson SL, Bivins A, Ahmed W. Comparison of concentration and extraction workflows for qPCR quantification of intI1 and vanA in untreated wastewater. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 903:166442. [PMID: 37604373 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023]
Abstract
Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) measurement of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in untreated municipal wastewater may prove useful in combating the antimicrobial resistance crisis. However, harmonizing and optimizing qPCR-based workflows is essential to facilitate comparisons across studies, and includes achieving highly-effective ARG capture through efficient concentration and extraction procedures. In the current study, combinations of sample volume, membrane types and DNA extraction kits within filtration and centrifugation-based workflows were used to quantify 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA), class 1 integron-integrase gene (intI1) and an ARG encoding resistance to vancomycin (vanA) in untreated wastewater sampled from three wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Highly abundant 16S rRNA and intI1 were detected in 100 % of samples from all three WWTPs using both 2 and 20 mL sample volumes, while lower prevalence vanA was only detected when using the 20 mL volume. When filtering 2 mL of wastewater, workflows with 0.20-/0.40-μm polycarbonate (PC) membranes generally yielded greater concentrations of the three targets than workflows with 0.22-/0.45-μm mixed cellulose ester (MCE) membranes. The improved performance was diminished when the sample volume was increased to 20 mL. Consistently greater concentrations of 16S rRNA, intI1 and vanA were yielded by filtration-based workflows using PC membranes combined with a DNeasy PowerWater (DPW) Kit, regardless of the sample volume used, and centrifugation-based workflows with DNeasy Blood & Tissue Kit for 2-mL wastewater extractions. Within the filtration-based workflows, the DPW kit yielded more detection and quantifiable results for less abundant vanA than the DNeasy PowerSoil Pro Kit and FastDNA™ SPIN Kit for Soil. These findings indicate that the performance of qPCR-based workflows for surveillance of ARGs in wastewater varies across targets, sample volumes, concentration methods and extraction kits. Workflows must be carefully considered and validated considering the target ARGs to be monitored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yawen Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of the Environment & Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China; CSIRO Environment, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, Dutton Park, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Wendy Smith
- CSIRO Environment, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, Dutton Park, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Metasebia Gebrewold
- CSIRO Environment, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, Dutton Park, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Xinhong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of the Environment & Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | | | - Aaron Bivins
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70809, USA
| | - Warish Ahmed
- CSIRO Environment, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, Dutton Park, QLD 4102, Australia.
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Ahmed W, Fisher P, Veal C, Sturm K, Sidhu J, Toze S. Decay of Cryptosporidium parvfum DNA in cowpats in subtropical environments determined using qPCR. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 899:165481. [PMID: 37442482 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
Cryptosporidium oocysts pose a significant threat to public health due to its ability to contaminate environmental waters, leading to outbreaks of waterborne diseases and emphasizing the crucial need for effective water treatment and monitoring systems. This study aimed to investigate the decay of Cryptosporidium oocyst DNA in cow fecal matter under different environmental conditions prevalent in sub-tropical Southeast Queensland (SEQ) during summer and winter seasons. The effects of ambient sunlight and shaded conditions on the decay rates of C. parvum DNA in cow fecal samples were evaluated. The results showed that measurable levels of C. parvum DNA were observed for up to 60 days during the summer experiments, with a slower decay rate on the surface (k = -0.029) and sub-surface (k = -0.043) of the cowpat under shaded conditions than those on the surface (k = -0.064) and sub-surface (k = -0.079) under sunlight conditions. The decay rates of C. parvum DNA on the surface and sub-surface of the cowpat under shaded conditions were significantly slower (p = 0.004; p = 0.004) than those on the surface and sub-surface under sunlight conditions during summer experiments. During the winter treatments, measurable levels of C. parvum DNA were observed for up to 90 days, and the decay rates were slower on the surface (k = -0.036) and sub-surface (k = -0.034) of the cowpat under shaded conditions than those under sunlight conditions (k = -0.067 for surface and k = -0.057 for sub-surface). The decay rates of C. parvum DNA on the surface and sub-surface of the cowpat under shaded conditions were significantly slower than those on the surface (p = 0.009) and sub-surface (p = 0.041) under sunlight conditions during winter experiments. Moreover, the decay rate in the summer sunlight surface treatment (k = -0.064) was significantly faster from those in the winter shaded surface (k = -0.036; p = 0.018) and sub-surface (k = -0.034; p = 0.011) treatments. Similar results were also observed for summer sunlight sub-surface (k = -0.079), which was significantly faster than winter shaded surface (k = -0.036; p = 0.0008) and sub-surface (k = -0.034; p = 0.0005) treatments. Overall, these findings are important to enhance our understanding on the degradation of C. parvum DNA in cow fecal matter in SEQ, particularly in relation to seasonal variations and environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Warish Ahmed
- CSIRO Environment, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, Dutton Park, QLD 4102, Australia.
| | - Paul Fisher
- Seqwater, 117 Brisbane Street, Ipswich, QLD 4305, Australia
| | - Cameron Veal
- Seqwater, 117 Brisbane Street, Ipswich, QLD 4305, Australia
| | - Katrin Sturm
- Seqwater, 117 Brisbane Street, Ipswich, QLD 4305, Australia
| | - Jatinder Sidhu
- CSIRO Environment, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, Dutton Park, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Simon Toze
- Urban Water Futures, 93 Kays Road, The Gap, QLD 4061, Australia; Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology, The University of Queensland, Hawken Drive, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
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Ahmed W, Payyappat S, Cassidy M, Harrison N, Besley C. Reduction of human fecal markers and enteric viruses in Sydney estuarine waters receiving wet weather overflows. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 896:165008. [PMID: 37348731 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
The current microbial source tracking (MST) study tracked the reduction of the culturable fecal indicator bacteria enterococci, four human fecal markers (Bacteroides HF183, Lachnospiraceae Lachno3, cross-assembly phage (CrAssphage) and pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV)) along with four enteric viruses - human adenovirus 40/41 (HAdV 40/41), enterovirus (EV), human norovirus GI (HNoV GI) and GII (HNoV GII) post wet weather overflows (WWOs) at two estuarine water sites from two depths under separate six-day sampling campaigns over seven and 12 days in Sydney, NSW, Australia. Neither HNoV GI nor GII was detected, while 13.9 % (10/72) of estuarine water samples had detections of EV. Quantifiable concentrations (0.64 to 2.00 log10 gene copies (GC)/100 mL) for HAdV 40/41 were returned from 65.2 % (47/72) of samples collected across the two sites and two depths with 30 quantifications recorded in the surface layer samples. In contrast the presence of HF183, Lachno3, CrAssphage, and PMMoV markers was observed in all 36 (100 %) estuarine water samples collected from the surface layer from both sites. Detection frequencies of these markers were slightly lower at 1 m above the bottom surface. The concentrations of the human fecal markers were compared to established gastrointestinal (GI) risk benchmarks. The concentrations of HF183, Lachno3 and CrAssphage marker only exceeded the GI risk benchmark until day 3, while concentrations of PMMoV marker were indicative of exceedance of the GI risk benchmark on day 7 post WWOs that was much longer than indicated by culturable enterococci concentrations that were within this GI risk benchmark by day 2 and day 4 for the two sites, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Warish Ahmed
- CSIRO Environment, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, Dutton Park, QLD 4102, Australia.
| | - Sudhi Payyappat
- Sydney Water, 1 Smith Street, Parramatta, NSW 2150, Australia
| | - Michele Cassidy
- Sydney Water, 1 Smith Street, Parramatta, NSW 2150, Australia
| | - Nathan Harrison
- Sydney Water, 1 Smith Street, Parramatta, NSW 2150, Australia
| | - Colin Besley
- Sydney Water, 1 Smith Street, Parramatta, NSW 2150, Australia
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10
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Ahmed W, Smith WJM, Tiwari A, Bivins A, Simpson SL. Unveiling indicator, enteric, and respiratory viruses in aircraft lavatory wastewater using adsorption-extraction and Nanotrap® Microbiome A Particles workflows. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 896:165007. [PMID: 37348715 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 06/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
The effective detection of viruses in aircraft wastewater is crucial to establish surveillance programs for monitoring virus spread via aircraft passengers. This study aimed to compare the performance of two virus concentration workflows, adsorption-extraction (AE) and Nanotrap® Microbiome A Particles (NMAP), in detecting the prevalence and concentrations of 15 endogenous viruses including ssDNA, dsDNA, ssRNA in 24 aircraft lavatory wastewater samples. The viruses tested included two indicator viruses, four enteric viruses, and nine respiratory viruses. The results showed that cross-assembly phage (crAssphage), human polyomavirus (HPyV), rhinovirus A (RhV A), and rhinovirus B (RhV B) were detected in all wastewater samples using both workflows. However, enterovirus (EV), human norovirus GII (HNoV GII), human adenovirus (HAdV), bocavirus (BoV), parechovirus (PeV), epstein-barr virus (EBV). Influenza A virus (IAV), and respiratory syncytial virus B (RsV B) were infrequently detected by both workflows, and hepatitis A virus (HAV), influenza B virus (IBV), and respiratory syncytial virus B (RsV A) were not detected in any samples. The NMAP workflow had greater detection rates of RNA viruses (EV, PeV, and RsV B) than the AE workflow, while the AE workflow had greater detection rates of DNA viruses (HAdV, BoV, and EBV) than the NMAP workflow. The concentration of each virus was also analyzed, and the results showed that crAssphage had the highest mean concentration (6.76 log10 GC/12.5 mL) followed by HPyV (5.46 log10 GC/12.5 mL using the AE workflow, while the mean concentrations of enteric and respiratory viruses ranged from 2.48 to 3.63 log10 GC/12.5 mL. Using the NMAP workflow, the mean concentration of crAssphage was 5.18 log10 GC/12.5 mL and the mean concentration of HPyV was 4.20 log10 GC/12.5 mL, while mean concentrations of enteric and respiratory viruses ranged from 2.55 to 3.74 log10 GC/12.5 mL. Significantly higher (p < 0.05) mean concentrations of crAssphage and HPyV were observed when employing the AE workflow in comparison to the NMAP workflow. Conversely, the NMAP workflow yielded significantly greater (p < 0.05) concentrations of RhV A, and RhV B compared to the AE workflow. The findings of this study can aid in the selection of an appropriate concentration workflow for virus surveillance studies and contribute to the development of efficient virus detection methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Warish Ahmed
- CSIRO Environment, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, Dutton Park, QLD 4102, Australia.
| | - Wendy J M Smith
- CSIRO Environment, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, Dutton Park, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Ananda Tiwari
- Expert Microbiology Research Unit, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Kuopio 70701, Finland
| | - Aaron Bivins
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
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11
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Basili M, Perini L, Zaggia L, Luna GM, Quero GM. Integrating culture-based and molecular methods provides an improved assessment of microbial quality in a coastal lagoon. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 334:122140. [PMID: 37414126 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Faecal pollution in aquatic environments is a worldwide public health concern, yet the reliability and comprehensiveness of the methods used to assess faecal contamination are still debated. We compared three approaches, namely a culture-based method to enumerate Faecal Indicator Bacteria (FIB), a FIB-targeting qPCR assay, and High-Throughput Sequencing (HTS) to detect faeces- and sewage-associated taxa in water and sediment samples of an impacted model lagoon and its adjacent sea across one year. Despite at different levels, all approaches agreed in showing a higher contamination in the lagoon than in the sea, and higher in sediments than water. FIB significantly correlated when considering separately sediment and water, and when using both cultivation and qPCR. Similarly, FIB correlated between cultivation and qPCR, but qPCR provided consistently higher estimates of FIB. Faeces-associated bacteria positively correlated with cultivated FIB in both compartments, whereas sewage-associated bacteria did only in water. Considering their benefits and limitations, we conclude that, in our study site, improved quali-quantitative information on contamination is provided when at least two approaches are combined (e.g., cultivation and qPCR or HTS data). Our results provide insights to move beyond the use of FIB to improve faecal pollution management in aquatic environments and to incorporate HTS analysis into routine monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Basili
- CNR IRBIM, National Research Council - Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Biotechnologies, Largo Fiera della Pesca, 60125, Ancona, Italy
| | - Laura Perini
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Luca Zaggia
- CNR IGG, National Research Council - Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources, Via G. Gradenigo 6, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Gian Marco Luna
- CNR IRBIM, National Research Council - Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Biotechnologies, Largo Fiera della Pesca, 60125, Ancona, Italy
| | - Grazia Marina Quero
- CNR IRBIM, National Research Council - Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Biotechnologies, Largo Fiera della Pesca, 60125, Ancona, Italy.
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12
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Saleem F, Schellhorn HE, Simhon A, Edge TA. Same-day Enterococcus qPCR results of recreational water quality at two Toronto beaches provide added public health protection and reduced beach days lost. CANADIAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH = REVUE CANADIENNE DE SANTE PUBLIQUE 2023; 114:676-687. [PMID: 37069453 PMCID: PMC10349029 DOI: 10.17269/s41997-023-00763-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We evaluated the potential impacts from using a rapid same-day quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) monitoring method for beach posting outcomes at two Toronto beaches. METHODS In total, 228 water samples were collected at Marie Curtis Park East and Sunnyside Beaches over the 2021 summer season. Water samples were processed using the USEPA 1609.1 Enterococcus qPCR-based method. Escherichia coli (E. coli) culture data and daily beach posting decisions were obtained from Toronto Public Health. RESULTS No significant correlation was observed between previous-day and same-day (retrospective) E. coli enumeration results at any Sunnyside Beach transect, and only relatively low (R = 0.41-0.56) or no significant correlation was observed at sampling transects for Marie Curtis Park East Beach. Comparing our same-day Enterococcus qPCR data to Toronto's 2-day E. coli geometric mean beach posting decisions, we noted the need for additional postings for 1 (2%) and 3 (8%) missed health-risk days at Sunnyside and Marie Curtis Park East Beaches, respectively. The qPCR data also pointed to incorrect postings for 12 (31%) and 6 (16%) lost beach days at Sunnyside and Marie Curtis Park East Beaches, respectively. CONCLUSION Application of a rapid Enterococcus qPCR method at two Toronto beaches revealed 5% of beach posting decisions were false negatives that missed health-risk days, while 23% of decisions were false positives resulting in lost beach days. Deployment of the rapid same-day qPCR method offers the potential to reduce both health risks and unnecessary beach postings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faizan Saleem
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Herb E Schellhorn
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Albert Simhon
- Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Thomas A Edge
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
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13
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Ahmed W, Payyappat S, Cassidy M, Harrison N, Besley C. Microbial source tracking of untreated human wastewater and animal scats in urbanized estuarine waters. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 877:162764. [PMID: 36907409 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The study assessed the performance characteristics of host sensitivity, host specificity and concentration for seven human wastewater- and six animal scat-associated marker genes by analysing human wastewater and animal scat samples from urban catchments of the mega-coastal city of Sydney, Australia. Absolute host sensitivity was exhibited across three criteria used to assess seven human wastewater-associated marker genes of cross-assembly phage (CrAssphage), human adenovirus (HAdV), Bacteroides HF183 (HF183), human polyomavirus (HPyV), Lachnospiraceae (Lachno3), Methnobrevibacter smithii nifH (nifH) and pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV). In contrast, only the horse scat-associated marker gene Bacteroides HoF597 (HoF597) exhibited absolute host sensitivity. The absolute host specificity value of 1.0 was returned for the wastewater-associated marker genes of HAdV, HPyV, nifH and PMMoV for each of the three applied host specificity calculation criteria, while values of >0.9 were returned for CrAssphage and Lachno3. Ruminants and cow scat-associated marker genes of BacR and CowM2, respectively exhibited the absolute host specificity value of 1.0. Concentrations of Lachno3 were greater in most human wastewater samples followed by CrAssphage, HF183, nifH, HPyV, PMMoV and HAdV. Human wastewater marker genes were detected in several scat samples from cats and dogs, and this suggests concordant sampling of animal scat-associated marker genes and at least two human wastewater-associated marker genes will be required to assist in interpretation of fecal sources in environmental waters. A greater prevalence, together with several samples with greater concentrations of human wastewater-associated marker genes PMMoV and CrAssphage warrant consideration by water quality managers for the detection of diluted human fecal pollution in estuarine waters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Warish Ahmed
- CSIRO Environment, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, Dutton Park, QLD 4102, Australia.
| | - Sudhi Payyappat
- Sydney Water, 1 Smith Street, Parramatta, NSW 2150, Australia
| | - Michele Cassidy
- Sydney Water, 1 Smith Street, Parramatta, NSW 2150, Australia
| | - Nathan Harrison
- Sydney Water, 1 Smith Street, Parramatta, NSW 2150, Australia
| | - Colin Besley
- Sydney Water, 1 Smith Street, Parramatta, NSW 2150, Australia
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14
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Hu J, Xu J, Lu Y, Wang L, Wang Y, Chen C, Zhu W. Rapid Detection of Enterobacter cloacae With a Visualized Isothermal Recombinase Polymerase Amplification Assay. Curr Microbiol 2023; 80:233. [PMID: 37273073 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-023-03269-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Enterobacter cloacae exhibits strong adhesion and invasion properties that contribute its ability to infect the host; it is considered an important opportunistic pathogen throughout the world. To control the spread of E. cloacae, simple, rapid, and accurate detection methods are required. Current methods suffer from various shortcomings and do not meet the demand for on-site quickly detection. Using recombinase polymerase amplification combined with lateral flow strip (RPA-LFS), an isothermal detection method was developed to target the outer membrane protein X (ompX) gene of E. cloacae. This reaction can be performed in 30 min at 37 °C. Limit of detection of 10 CFU/reaction was equivalent to that of the qPCR method. The detection accuracy of clinical samples was also equal to that of the qPCR method. In this study, we developed the RPA-LFS assay, which is simple, rapid, accurate, and does not require a laboratory facility. This assay may prove useful for detecting E. cloacae on-site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Hu
- Department of Medicine Laboratory & Department of Oncology, The Second People's Hospital of Lianyungang (Cancer Hospital of Lianyungang), Lianyungang, China
| | - Jing Xu
- Department of Medicine Laboratory & Department of Oncology, The Second People's Hospital of Lianyungang (Cancer Hospital of Lianyungang), Lianyungang, China
| | - Yingzhi Lu
- Department of Medicine Laboratory & Department of Oncology, The Second People's Hospital of Lianyungang (Cancer Hospital of Lianyungang), Lianyungang, China
| | - Lei Wang
- Department of Medicine Laboratory & Department of Oncology, The Second People's Hospital of Lianyungang (Cancer Hospital of Lianyungang), Lianyungang, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Department of Medicine Laboratory & Department of Oncology, The Second People's Hospital of Lianyungang (Cancer Hospital of Lianyungang), Lianyungang, China.
- Department of Medicine Laboratory, Lianyungang Second People's Hospital, Kangda College of Nanjing Medical University, Lianyungang, China.
| | - Cheng Chen
- Department of Medicine Laboratory & Department of Oncology, The Second People's Hospital of Lianyungang (Cancer Hospital of Lianyungang), Lianyungang, China.
- Department of Oncology, Lianyungang Hospital Affiliated to Jiangsu University, Lianyungang, China.
| | - Wenjun Zhu
- Department of Medicine Laboratory & Department of Oncology, The Second People's Hospital of Lianyungang (Cancer Hospital of Lianyungang), Lianyungang, China.
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15
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Reyes-Calderón A, Mindreau-Ganoza E, Pardo-Figueroa B, Garcia-Luquillas KR, Yufra SP, Romero PE, Antonini C, Renom JM, Mota CR, Santa-Maria MC. Evaluation of low-cost SARS-CoV-2 RNA purification methods for viral quantification by RT-qPCR and next-generation sequencing analysis: Implications for wider wastewater-based epidemiology adoption. Heliyon 2023; 9:e16130. [PMID: 37228686 PMCID: PMC10188194 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 04/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Based Epidemiology (WBE) consists of quantifying biomarkers in sewerage systems to derive real-time information on the health and/or lifestyle of the contributing population. WBE usefulness was vastly demonstrated in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many methods for SARS-CoV-2 RNA determination in wastewater were devised, which vary in cost, infrastructure requirements and sensitivity. For most developing countries, implementing WBE for viral outbreaks, such as that of SARS-CoV-2, proved challenging due to budget, reagent availability and infrastructure constraints. In this study, we assessed low-cost methods for SARS-CoV-2 RNA quantification by RT-qPCR, and performed variant identification by NGS in wastewater samples. Results showed that the effect of adjusting pH to 4 and/or adding MgCl2 (25 mM) was negligible when using the adsorption-elution method, as well as basal physicochemical parameters in the sample. In addition, results supported the standardized use of linear rather than plasmid DNA for a more accurate viral RT-qPCR estimation. The modified TRIzol-based purification method in this study yielded comparable RT-qPCR estimation to a column-based approach, but provided better NGS results, suggesting that column-based purification for viral analysis should be revised. Overall, this work provides evaluation of a robust, sensitive and cost-effective method for SARS-CoV-2 RNA analysis that could be implemented for other viruses, for a wider WEB adoption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alonso Reyes-Calderón
- Centro de Investigación y Tecnología del Agua - CITA, Universidad de Ingenieria y Tecnologia - UTEC, Jr. Medrano Silva 165, Lima, 15063, Peru
| | - Elías Mindreau-Ganoza
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Av. Germán Amézaga s/n, Lima, 15081, Peru
| | - Braulio Pardo-Figueroa
- Centro de Investigación y Tecnología del Agua - CITA, Universidad de Ingenieria y Tecnologia - UTEC, Jr. Medrano Silva 165, Lima, 15063, Peru
| | - Katherine R Garcia-Luquillas
- Centro de Investigación y Tecnología del Agua - CITA, Universidad de Ingenieria y Tecnologia - UTEC, Jr. Medrano Silva 165, Lima, 15063, Peru
| | - Sonia P Yufra
- Departamento de Ingeniería Metalúrgica e Ingeniería Ambiental, Universidad Nacional de San Agustín, Av. Independencia s/n, Arequipa, 04001, Peru
| | - Pedro E Romero
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Av. Germán Amézaga s/n, Lima, 15081, Peru
| | - Claudia Antonini
- Departamento de Ingeniería Industrial, Universidad de Ingenieria y Tecnologia - UTEC, Jr. Medrano Silva 165, Lima, 15063, Peru
| | - Jose-Miguel Renom
- Departamento de Ciencias, Universidad de Ingenieria y Tecnologia - UTEC, Jr. Medrano Silva 165, Lima, 15063, Peru
| | - Cesar R Mota
- Departamento de Engenharia Sanitária e Ambiental, Escola de Engenharia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Av. Antonio Carlos, Belo Horizonte, 6.627, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Monica C Santa-Maria
- Centro de Investigación y Tecnología del Agua - CITA, Universidad de Ingenieria y Tecnologia - UTEC, Jr. Medrano Silva 165, Lima, 15063, Peru
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16
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Saingam P, Li B, Nguyen Quoc B, Jain T, Bryan A, Winkler MKH. Wastewater surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 at intra-city level demonstrated high resolution in tracking COVID-19 and calibration using chemical indicators. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 866:161467. [PMID: 36626989 PMCID: PMC9825140 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2022] [Revised: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater-based epidemiology has proven to be a supportive tool to better comprehend the dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the disease moves into endemic stage, the surveillance at wastewater sub-catchments such as pump station and manholes is providing a novel mechanism to examine the reemergence and to take measures that can prevent the spread. However, there is still a lack of understanding when it comes to wastewater-based epidemiology implementation at the smaller intra-city level for better granularity in data, and dilution effect of rain precipitation at pump stations. For this study, grab samples were collected from six areas of Seattle between March-October 2021. These sampling sites comprised five manholes and one pump station with population ranging from 2580 to 39,502 per manhole/pump station. The wastewater samples were analyzed for SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentrations, and we also obtained the daily COVID-19 cases (from individual clinical testing) for each corresponding sewershed, which ranged from 1 to 12 and the daily incidence varied between 3 and 64 per 100,000 of population. Rain precipitation lowered viral RNA levels and sensitivity of viral detection but wastewater total ammonia (NH4+-N) and phosphate (PO43--P) were shown as potential chemical indicators to calibrate/level out the dilution effect. These chemicals showed the potential in improving the wastewater surveillance capacity of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prakit Saingam
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
| | - Bo Li
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Bao Nguyen Quoc
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Tanisha Jain
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Andrew Bryan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Mari K H Winkler
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
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17
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Fernandes LS, Galvão A, Santos R, Monteiro S. Impact of water reuse on agricultural practices and human health. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 216:114762. [PMID: 36356670 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is altering the habits of the population. Extensive drought periods and overuse of potable water led to significant water shortages in many different places. Therefore, new water sources are necessary for usage in applications where the microbiological and chemical water quality demands are less stringent, as for agriculture. In this study, we planted, germinated, and grew vegetables/fruits (cherry tomato, lettuce, and carrot) using three types of potential waters for irrigation: secondary-treated wastewater, chlorine-treated wastewater, and green wall-treated greywater, to observe potential health risks of foodstuff consumption. In this study the waters and crops were analyzed for three taxonomic groups: bacteria, enteric viruses, and protozoa. Enteric viruses, human Norovirus I (hNoVGI) and Enterovirus (EntV), were detected in tomato and carrots irrigated with secondary-treated and chlorine-treated wastewater, in concentrations as high as 2.63 log genome units (GU)/g. On the other hand, Aichi viruses were detected in lettuce. Bacteria and protozoa remained undetected in all fresh produce although being detected in both types of wastewaters. Fresh produce irrigated with green wall-treated greywater were free from the chosen pathogens. This suggests that green wall-treated greywater may be a valuable option for crop irrigation, directly impacting the cities of the future vision, and the circular and green economy concepts. On the other hand, this work demonstrates that further advancement is still necessary to improve reclaimed water to the point where it no longer constitutes risk of foodborne diseases and to human health.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ana Galvão
- Department of Civil Engineering - SHRHA, Técnico Lisboa, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Ricardo Santos
- Laboratorio Analises, Técnico Lisboa, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Sílvia Monteiro
- Laboratorio Analises, Técnico Lisboa, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal.
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18
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Evaluation of compressed sodium chloride on the inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 and surrogates. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0277881. [PMID: 36409696 PMCID: PMC9678310 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0277881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes the global COVID-19 pandemic. Limited studies have been performed on various types of disinfectants utilized to control the spread of this highly contagious virus. This study aimed to investigate the inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 using compressed sodium chloride (CSC) surface. A real-time reverse transcriptase quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) assay was used to evaluate the effectiveness of CSC on the disintegration of viral RNA in a time dependent manner. The effects of CSC on viral infectivity were determined using a TCID50 assay of a surrogate virus, hCoV-229E, in MRC-5 cell culture. The results demonstrated that CSC achieved a 2 to 3- log10 reduction of viral genomic RNA for a laboratory strain of hCoV-229E, and clinical samples of hCoV-229E and hCoV-OC43. A 3 to 4-log10 reduction was observed for SARS-CoV-2 (RdRp and E gene) suggesting that a CSC surface could effectively disintegrate the SARS-CoV-2 RNA genome. CSC was observed to have a 6 log10 inactivation of infectious hCoV-229E using cell culture after 5 minutes of exposure compared to the control, indicating good disinfection efficacy of a CSC surface against virus.
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19
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Nguyen Quoc B, Saingam P, RedCorn R, Carter JA, Jain T, Candry P, Gattuso M, Huang MLW, Greninger AL, Meschke JS, Bryan A, Winkler MKH. Case Study: Impact of Diurnal Variations and Stormwater Dilution on SARS-CoV-2 RNA Signal Intensity at Neighborhood Scale Wastewater Pumping Stations. ACS ES&T WATER 2022; 2:1964-1975. [PMID: 37552740 PMCID: PMC9261832 DOI: 10.1021/acsestwater.2c00016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater based epidemiology (WBE) has emerged as a tool to track the spread of SARS-CoV-2. However, sampling at wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) cannot identify transmission hotspots within a city. Here, we sought to understand the diurnal variations (24 h) in SARS-CoV-2 RNA titers at the neighborhood level, using pump stations that serve vulnerable communities (e.g., essential workers, more diverse communities). Hourly composite samples were collected from wastewater pump stations located in (i) a residential area and (ii) a shopping district. In the residential area, SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentration (N1, N2, and E assays) varied by up to 42-fold within a 24 h period. The highest viral load was observed between 5 and 7 am, when viral RNA was not diluted by stormwater. Normalizing peak concentrations during this time window with nutrient concentrations (N and P) enabled correcting for rainfall to connect sewage to clinical cases reported in the sewershed. Data from the shopping district pump station were inconsistent, probably due to the fluctuation of customers shopping at the mall. This work indicates pump stations serving the residential area offer a narrow time period of high signal intensity that could improve the sensitivity of WBE, and tracer compounds (N, P concentration) can be used to normalize SARS-CoV-2 signals during rainfall.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bao Nguyen Quoc
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering,
University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98105,
United States
| | - Prakit Saingam
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering,
University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98105,
United States
| | - Raymond RedCorn
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering,
University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98105,
United States
| | - John A. Carter
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering,
University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98105,
United States
| | - Tanisha Jain
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering,
University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98105,
United States
| | - Pieter Candry
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering,
University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98105,
United States
| | - Meghan Gattuso
- Seattle Public Utilities,
Seattle, Washington 98124, United States
| | - Meei-Li W. Huang
- Dept of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology,
University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98105,
United States
| | - Alexander L. Greninger
- Dept of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology,
University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98105,
United States
| | - John Scott Meschke
- Department of Environmental & Occupational Health
Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98105,
United States
| | - Andrew Bryan
- Dept of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology,
University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98105,
United States
| | - Mari K. H. Winkler
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering,
University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98105,
United States
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20
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Pardo-Figueroa B, Mindreau-Ganoza E, Reyes-Calderon A, Yufra SP, Solorzano-Ortiz IM, Donayre-Torres AJ, Antonini C, Renom JM, Quispe AM, Mota CR, Chernicharo CAL, Carbajal MA, Santa-María M. Spatiotemporal Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in the Sewage of Three Major Urban Areas in Peru: Generating Valuable Data Where Clinical Testing Is Extremely Limited. ACS ES&T WATER 2022; 2:2144-2157. [PMID: 37552743 PMCID: PMC9159516 DOI: 10.1021/acsestwater.2c00065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Peru has been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. By January 2022, Peru had surpassed 200 000 COVID-19 deaths, constituting the highest death rate per capita worldwide. Peru has had several limitations during the pandemic: insufficient testing access, limited contact tracing, a strained medical infrastructure, and many economic hurdles. These limitations hindered the gathering of accurate information about infected individuals with spatial resolution in real time, a critical aspect of effectively controlling the pandemic. Wastewater monitoring for SARS-CoV-2 RNA offered a promising alternative for providing needed population-wide information to complement health care indicators. In this study, we demonstrate the feasibility and value of implementing a decentralized SARS-CoV-2 RNA wastewater monitoring system to assess the spatiotemporal distribution of COVID-19 in three major cities in Peru: Lima, Callao, and Arequipa. Our data on viral loads showed the same trends as health indicators such as incidence and mortality. Furthermore, we were able to identify hot spots of contagion within the surveyed urban areas to guide the efforts of health authorities. Viral decay in the sewage network of the cities studied was found to be negligible (<2%). Overall, our results support wastewater monitoring for SARS-CoV-2 as a valuable and cost-effective tool for monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic in the Peruvian context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Braulio Pardo-Figueroa
- Universidad de Ingenieria y Tecnologia
(UTEC), Centro de Investigación y Tecnología del Agua
(CITA), Jr. Medrano Silva 165, Lima 15063, Peru
| | - Elias Mindreau-Ganoza
- Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos,
Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Av. Germán Amézaga
s/n, Lima 15081, Peru
| | - Alonso Reyes-Calderon
- Universidad de Ingenieria y Tecnologia
(UTEC), Centro de Investigación y Tecnología del Agua
(CITA), Jr. Medrano Silva 165, Lima 15063, Peru
| | - Sonia P. Yufra
- Universidad Nacional de San Agustin de
Arequipa, Departamento de Ingeniería Metalúrgica e
Ingeniería Ambiental, Av. Independencia s/n, Arequipa 04001,
Peru
| | - Isabel M. Solorzano-Ortiz
- Universidad de Ingenieria y Tecnologia
(UTEC), Departamento de Ingeniería Ambiental, Jr. Medrano Silva
165, Lima 15063, Peru
| | - Alberto J. Donayre-Torres
- Universidad de Ingenieria y Tecnologia
(UTEC), Departamento de Bioingeniería, Jr. Medrano Silva 165, Lima
15063, Peru
| | - Claudia Antonini
- Universidad de Ingenieria y Tecnologia
(UTEC), Departamento de Ingeniería Industrial, Jr. Medrano Silva
165, Lima 15063, Peru
| | - Jose Miguel Renom
- Universidad de Ingenieria y Tecnologia
(UTEC), Departamento de Ciencias, Jr. Medrano Silva 165, Lima 15063,
Peru
| | - Antonio Marty Quispe
- Universidad de Ingenieria y Tecnologia
(UTEC), Departamento de Bioingeniería, Jr. Medrano Silva 165, Lima
15063, Peru
- Universidad Continental,
Escuela de Posgrado, Av. San Carlos 1980, Huancayo 12001, Peru
| | - Cesar R. Mota
- Universidade Federal de Minas
Gerais, Departamento de Engenharia Sanitária e Ambiental, Escola de
Engenharia, Av. Antonio Carlos, 6.627, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte,
Brazil
| | - Carlos A. L. Chernicharo
- Universidade Federal de Minas
Gerais, Departamento de Engenharia Sanitária e Ambiental, Escola de
Engenharia, Av. Antonio Carlos, 6.627, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte,
Brazil
| | - Max A. Carbajal
- Ministerio de Vivienda
Construcción y Saneamiento, Dirección de Saneamiento, Av.
República de Panamá 3650, Lima 15073, Peru
| | - Mónica
C. Santa-María
- Universidad de Ingenieria y Tecnologia
(UTEC), Centro de Investigación y Tecnología del Agua
(CITA), Jr. Medrano Silva 165, Lima 15063, Peru
- Universidad de Ingenieria y Tecnologia
(UTEC), Departamento de Ingeniería Ambiental, Jr. Medrano Silva
165, Lima 15063, Peru
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21
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Hickman B, Kirjavainen PV, Täubel M, de Vos WM, Salonen A, Korpela K. Determinants of bacterial and fungal microbiota in Finnish home dust: Impact of environmental biodiversity, pets, and occupants. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1011521. [PMID: 36419417 PMCID: PMC9676251 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1011521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The indoors is where many humans spend most of their time, and are strongly exposed to indoor microbiota, which may have multifaceted effects on health. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of the determinants of indoor microbiota is necessary. We collected dust samples from 295 homes of families with young children in the Helsinki region of Finland and analyzed the bacterial and fungal composition based on the 16S rRNA and ITS DNA sequences. Microbial profiles were combined with extensive survey data on family structure, daily life, and physical characteristics of the home, as well as additional external environmental information, such as land use, and vegetational biodiversity near the home. Using permutational multivariate analysis of variance we explained 18% of the variation of the relative abundance between samples within bacterial composition, and 17% of the fungal composition with the explanatory variables. The fungal community was dominated by the phyla Basidiomycota, and Ascomycota; the bacterial phyla Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Cyanobacteria, and Actinobacteria were dominant. The presence of dogs, multiple children, and firewood were significantly associated with both the fungal and bacterial composition. Additionally, fungal communities were associated with land use, biodiversity in the area, and the type of building, while bacterial communities were associated with the human inhabitants and cleaning practices. A distinction emerged between members of Ascomycota and Basidiomycota, Ascomycota being more abundant in homes with greater surrounding natural environment, and potential contact with the environment. The results suggest that the fungal composition is strongly dependent on the transport of outdoor environmental fungi into homes, while bacteria are largely derived from the inhabitants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon Hickman
- Human Microbiome Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Pirkka V. Kirjavainen
- Environmental Health Unit, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Kuopio, Finland
- Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Martin Täubel
- Environmental Health Unit, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Willem M. de Vos
- Human Microbiome Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anne Salonen
- Human Microbiome Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Katri Korpela
- Human Microbiome Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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22
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Ahmed W, Bivins A, Payyappat S, Cassidy M, Harrison N, Besley C. Distribution of human fecal marker genes and their association with pathogenic viruses in untreated wastewater determined using quantitative PCR. WATER RESEARCH 2022; 226:119093. [PMID: 36252296 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.119093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 08/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) of human health risks using human fecal marker genes (HFMGs) is an useful water quality management tool. To inform accurate QMRA analysis, generation of probability distribution functions for HFMGs, and reference pathogenic viruses can be improved by input of correlation and ratios based upon measurement of HFMGs and gene copies (GC) of pathogenic viruses in untreated wastewater. The concentrations of four HFMGs (Bacteroides HF183, Lachnospiraceae Lachno3, CrAssphage and pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV)), and GC of three reference pathogenic viruses human adenovirus 40/41 (HAdV 40/41), human norovirus GI + GII HNoV GI + GII and enterovirus (EV) were measured in untreated wastewater samples collected over a period of 12 months from two wastewater treatment plants in Sydney, Australia using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and reverse transcription qPCR (RT-qPCR). Over the course of the study, the GC of potential pathogenic viruses were 3-5 orders of magnitude lower than HFMGs in untreated wastewater. The GC of pathogenic viruses were highly variable over the course of the study, which contrasted with the concentrations of HFMGs that were quite stable with little variation observed within and between WWTPs. Among the HFMGs, HF183, CrAssphage and PMMoV correlated well with pathogenic virus GC, whereas weak or negative correlations were observed between Lachno3 and pathogenic virus GC. While the two assessed WWTPs had dissimilar population service sizes, the ratios between log10 transformed pathogenic virus GC and HFMGs demonstrated similar central tendency and variability for the same combinations between WWTP A and WWTP B with no difference between the WWTPs. This suggests the widespread presence of these HFMGs in both populations serviced by these two WWTPs. The observed correlation and ratios of HFMGs and GC of reference pathogenic viruses can contribute to improved QMRA of human health risks in environmental waters subject to fresh sewer overflows.
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Affiliation(s)
- Warish Ahmed
- CSIRO Land and Water, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, Dutton Park, QLD 4102, Australia.
| | - Aaron Bivins
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Louisiana State University, 3255 Patrick F. Taylor Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
| | - Sudhi Payyappat
- Sydney Water, 1 Smith Street, Parramatta, NSW 2150, Australia
| | - Michele Cassidy
- Sydney Water, 1 Smith Street, Parramatta, NSW 2150, Australia
| | - Nathan Harrison
- Sydney Water, 1 Smith Street, Parramatta, NSW 2150, Australia
| | - Colin Besley
- Sydney Water, 1 Smith Street, Parramatta, NSW 2150, Australia
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23
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Zhu B, Hu J, Li X, Li X, Wang L, Fan S, Jin X, Wang K, Zhao W, Zhu W, Chen C, Wang Z, Lu Y. Rapid and specific detection of Enterococcus faecalis with a visualized isothermal amplification method. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:991849. [PMID: 36171761 PMCID: PMC9510690 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.991849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Enterococcus faecalis is a serious problem for hospitals and can spread from patient to patient. Most of the current detection methods are associated with limitations associated with the need for trained personnel; they are also time-consuming. Thus, it is necessary to develop rapid and accurate detection methods to control the spread of E. faecalis. In this study, we developed a rapid and accurate detection method for E. faecalis using recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) combined with a lateral flow strip (LFS). This method could be completed in approximately 35 min at 37°C. The limit of detection was 10 CFU/µL, irrespective of whether the templates were pure or complex. This method also showed good specificity and compatibility. In total, 278 clinical samples were tested using the RPA-LFS method; the detection accuracy was equal to that of the conventional qPCR method. This visualized isothermal amplification method could be useful for the future on-site detection of E. faecalis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Zhu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Juan Hu
- Department of Medicine Laboratory, The Second People's Hospital of Lianyungang (Cancer Hospital of Lianyungang), Lianyungang, China
| | - Xuelian Li
- Department of Medicine Laboratory, The Fourth People's Hospital of Lianyungang, Lianyungang, China
| | - Xiaomin Li
- Department of Oncology, Lianyungang Second People’s Hospital Affiliated to Bengbu Medical College (Lianyungang Hospital Affiliated to Jiangsu University), Lianyungang, China
| | - Lei Wang
- Department of Medicine Laboratory, The Second People's Hospital of Lianyungang (Cancer Hospital of Lianyungang), Lianyungang, China
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Shihui Fan
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Xin Jin
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Kun Wang
- Department of Medicine Laboratory, The Second People's Hospital of Lianyungang (Cancer Hospital of Lianyungang), Lianyungang, China
| | - Weiguo Zhao
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Wenjun Zhu
- Department of Medicine Laboratory, The Second People's Hospital of Lianyungang (Cancer Hospital of Lianyungang), Lianyungang, China
- *Correspondence: Wenjun Zhu, ; Cheng Chen, ; Zilu Wang, ; Yingzhi Lu,
| | - Cheng Chen
- Department of Oncology, Lianyungang Second People’s Hospital Affiliated to Bengbu Medical College (Lianyungang Hospital Affiliated to Jiangsu University), Lianyungang, China
- *Correspondence: Wenjun Zhu, ; Cheng Chen, ; Zilu Wang, ; Yingzhi Lu,
| | - Zilu Wang
- Vascular Surgery, The Second People's Hospital of Lianyungang (Cancer Hospital of Lianyungang), Lianyungang, China
- *Correspondence: Wenjun Zhu, ; Cheng Chen, ; Zilu Wang, ; Yingzhi Lu,
| | - Yingzhi Lu
- Department of Oncology, Lianyungang Second People’s Hospital Affiliated to Bengbu Medical College (Lianyungang Hospital Affiliated to Jiangsu University), Lianyungang, China
- *Correspondence: Wenjun Zhu, ; Cheng Chen, ; Zilu Wang, ; Yingzhi Lu,
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24
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Sources and Drivers of ARGs in Urban Streams in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10091804. [PMID: 36144405 PMCID: PMC9503305 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10091804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the aquatic environment is an emerging concern in the interest of protecting public health. Stemming the environmental dissemination of ARGs will require a better understanding of the sources and drivers of ARGs in the water environment. In this study, we used direct measurement of sewage-associated molecular markers, the class 1 integron gene, standard water quality parameters, and watershed characteristics to evaluate the sources and drivers of ARGs in an urban watershed impacted by a gradient of human activities. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to quantify the abundance of the sewage-associated HF183, the E. coli fecal indicator, class 1 integron gene (int1), and the ARGs sulI, sulII, tetW, tetM, ampC, and blaSHV in stream water samples collected from the Proctor Creek watershed in Atlanta, Georgia. Our findings show that ARGs were widely distributed, with detection frequencies of 96% (sulI and sulII), 82% (tetW and tetM), and 49% (ampC and blaSHV). All the ARGs were positively and significantly correlated (r > 0.5) with the HF183 and E. coli markers. Non-linear machine learning models developed using generalized boosting show that more than 70% of the variation in ARG loads in the watershed could be explained by fecal source loading, with other factors such as class 1 integron, which is associated with acquired antibiotic resistance, and environmental factors contributing < 30% to ARG variation. These results suggest that input from fecal sources is a more critical driver of ARG dissemination than environmental stressors or horizontal gene transfer in aquatic environments highly impacted by anthropogenic pollution. Finally, our results provide local watershed managers and stakeholders with information to mitigate the burden of ARGs and fecal bacteria in urban streams.
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25
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Wang Y, Zheng G, Wang D, Zhou L. Occurrence of bacterial and viral fecal markers in municipal sewage sludge and their removal during sludge conditioning processes. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2022; 310:114802. [PMID: 35228166 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.114802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Fecal contamination in wastewater treatment system may pose severe threats to human health, but the detailed contamination of fecal bacterial and viral pathogens in municipal sewage sludge remains unclear. In addition, it is also unclear how sludge conditioning treatments would impact the distribution of fecal markers in conditioned sewage sludge. Before addressing these two issues, the possible polymerase chain reaction (PCR) inhibition effect when determining the abundances of fecal markers in both sludge solids and sludge supernatants should be solved, and methods of effectively concentrating fecal markers from sludge supernatant should also be developed. In the present study, we found that the serial tenfold dilution effectively reduced the PCR inhibition effect when determining the abundances of fecal markers including cross-assembly phages (CrAssphage), JC polyomavirus (JCPyV), human-specific HF183 bacteroides (HF183), human BK polyomavirus (BKPyV), human adenovirus (HAdV) and Escherichia coli (EC), while the utilization of negatively charged HA membrane was effective to recover fecal markers from sludge supernatant. The results of a six-month monitoring revealed that gene markers of CrAssphage, JCPyV, HF183, BKPyV, HAdV, and EC can be detected in municipal sewage sludge collected from a local wastewater treatment plant. Among the investigated four chemical conditioning methods, i.e., chemical conditioning with polyacrylamide (PAM), Fe[III]/CaO, or Fenton's reagent, and chemical acidification conditioning, chemical conditioning with Fenton's reagent was much more effective than the other three conditioning methods to reduce the abundances of fecal markers in the supernatant and solid of conditioned sewage sludge. Furthermore, the investigated fecal markers in the conditioned sewage sludge can be simultaneously attenuated by employing suitable conditioning methods, consequently reducing the associated environmental risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhang Wang
- Department of Environmental Engineering, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China; College of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Pingxiang University, Pingxiang, 337055, China
| | - Guanyu Zheng
- Department of Environmental Engineering, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, Nanjing, 210095, China.
| | - Dianzhan Wang
- Department of Environmental Engineering, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Lixiang Zhou
- Department of Environmental Engineering, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, Nanjing, 210095, China
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26
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Health risks to children from exposure to fecally-contaminated recreational water. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0266749. [PMID: 35413082 PMCID: PMC9004770 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0266749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background
Children may be at higher risk for swimming-associated illness following exposure to fecally-contaminated recreational waters. We analyzed a pooled data set of over 80,000 beachgoers from 13 beach sites across the United States to compare risks associated with the fecal indicator bacteria Enterococcus spp. (measured by colony forming units, CFU and quantitative polymerase chain reaction cell equivalents, qPCR CE) for different age groups across different exposures, sites and health endpoints.
Methods
Sites were categorized according to the predominant type of fecal contamination (human or non-human). Swimming exposures of varying intensity were considered according to degree of contact and time spent in the water. Health endpoints included gastrointestinal and respiratory symptoms and skin rashes. Logistic regression models were used to analyze the risk of illness as a function of fecal contamination in water as measured by Enterococcus spp. among the exposed groups. Non-swimmers (those who did not enter the water) were excluded from the models to reduce bias and facilitate comparison across groups.
Results
Gastrointestinal symptoms were the most sensitive health endpoint and strongest associations were observed with Enterococcus qPCR CE at sites impacted by human fecal contamination. Under several exposure scenarios, associations between illness and Enterococcus spp. levels were significantly higher among children compared to adolescents and adults. Respiratory symptoms were also associated with Enterococcus spp. exposures among young children at sites affected by human fecal sources, although small sample sizes resulted in imprecise estimates for these associations.
Conclusion
Under many exposure scenarios, children were at higher risk of illness associated with exposure to fecal contamination as measured by the indicator bacteria Enterococcus spp. The source of fecal contamination and the intensity of swimming exposure were also important factors affecting the association between Enterococcus spp. and swimming-associated illness.
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27
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El Boujnouni H, Nait Balla K, Belkadi B, Rahouti M. Comparison between the recovery rate of three concentration protocols of water samples intended for analysis by Molecular Biology: Membrane filtration, filtration on gauze pad and centrifugation. Saudi J Biol Sci 2022; 29:1592-1597. [PMID: 35280573 PMCID: PMC8913413 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2021.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Hamoucha El Boujnouni
- Team of Botany and Valorization of Plant and Fungal Resources Plant and Microbial Biotechnologies, Biodiversity and Environment Research Center, Faculty of Sciences, Mohammed V University in Rabat, B.P. 1014 RP, Rabat, Morocco
- Corresponding author.
| | - Kaoutar Nait Balla
- Team of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Plant and Microbial Biotechnologies, Biodiversity and Environment Research Center, Faculty of Sciences, Mohammed V University in Rabat, B.P. 1014 RP, Rabat, Morocco
| | - Bouchra Belkadi
- Team of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Plant and Microbial Biotechnologies, Biodiversity and Environment Research Center, Faculty of Sciences, Mohammed V University in Rabat, B.P. 1014 RP, Rabat, Morocco
| | - Mohamed Rahouti
- Team of Botany and Valorization of Plant and Fungal Resources Plant and Microbial Biotechnologies, Biodiversity and Environment Research Center, Faculty of Sciences, Mohammed V University in Rabat, B.P. 1014 RP, Rabat, Morocco
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28
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Detection and Molecular Phylogenetic-Morphometric Characterization of Rhizoctonia tuliparum, Causal Agent of Gray Bulb Rot of Tulips and Bulbous Iris. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8020163. [PMID: 35205917 PMCID: PMC8880388 DOI: 10.3390/jof8020163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Gray bulb rot of tulips and bulbous iris is caused by the soil-borne fungal pathogen, Rhizoctonia tuliparum (Rtul). Sclerotia present in infected bulbs, as well as overwintering sclerotia in soil and field debris, are the primary sources of infection. A method for accurate and sensitive detection of Rtul from soil and infected bulbs, and estimation of inoculum threshold levels, is needed for the management of disease caused by this pathogen. We designed a unique set of primers targeting the ITS2 region of the Rtul genome and developed a highly sensitive quantitative PCR (qPCR)-based method for Rtul identification using these primers, where the threshold of detection was approximately 1 fg Rtul DNA. The assay was more sensitive with sclerotia collected from the field (natural) than with those grown in the lab, and more sensitive with natural-light than natural-dark sclerotia. Also, the detection method was more sensitive when sclerotia were extracted from soil than from bulb tissue. The qPCR method was highly specific, as no PCR amplification was detected when genomic DNA from 62 non-Rtul Rhizoctonia isolates from a wide range of anastomosis groups were tested. To understand the evolutionary relationships and genomic diversity of Rtul, we performed phylogenetics of the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region and ITS2-molecular morphometric characterization (MMC) of Rtul isolates. The three Rtul isolates whose ITS sequences were available in GenBank formed a distinct phylogenetic clade with Ceratobasidium anceps as the nearest relative. Furthermore, MMC analysis revealed genetic divergence among these three Rtul isolates.
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29
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Chern EC, Wymer L, Brenner K, Oshima K, Haugland RA. Persistence of fecal indicator bacteria and associated genetic markers from wastewater treatment plant effluents in freshwater microcosms. JOURNAL OF WATER AND HEALTH 2022; 20:205-215. [PMID: 35100168 PMCID: PMC9000909 DOI: 10.2166/wh.2021.152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Limited information exists on the environmental persistence of genetic markers for fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) in treated wastewaters. Here, the decay rate constants of culturable cells and genetic markers for four diverse groups of FIBs, such as enterococci, Clostridium, Escherichia coli, and Bacteroides, were investigated in freshwater microcosms seeded with disinfected and non-disinfected secondary-treated wastewaters. Decay rate constants of genetic markers and culturable cells varied significantly among the different FIB groups. Water temperatures (winter vs. fall/spring/summer) significantly affected the decay of all genetic marker and cell types; however, genetic marker decay were not found to be significantly different in disinfected (chlorination/ultraviolet) and non-disinfected wastewater-seeded microcosms or, for example, lake- and river-receiving waters. No evidence was seen that decay rate constants of FIB genetic markers from treated wastewater were substantially different from those observed in similar, previously reported microcosm studies using raw sewage. Unexpected relationships between decay rate constants of genetic markers and culturable cells of Bacteroides were observed. Results suggest that decay rate constants of FIB genetic markers determined from other studies may be applicable to treated wastewaters. Results of this study should be informative for ongoing efforts to determine the persistence of FIB genetic markers relative to surviving pathogens after wastewater treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eunice C Chern
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10 Laboratory, 7411 Beach Dr. E., Port Orchard, WA 98366, USA E-mail:
| | - Larry Wymer
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 26 W. Martin Luther King Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45268, USA
| | - Kristen Brenner
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 26 W. Martin Luther King Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45268, USA
| | - Kevin Oshima
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 26 W. Martin Luther King Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45268, USA
| | - Richard A Haugland
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 26 W. Martin Luther King Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45268, USA
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30
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Nordberg ME, Täubel M, Heikkinen S, Jalkanen K, Köliö A, Stranger M, Leppänen H, Hyvärinen A, Huttunen K. Toxicological transcriptome of human airway constructs after exposure to indoor air particulate matter: In search of relevant pathways of moisture damage-associated health effects. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2022; 158:106997. [PMID: 34991257 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Multiple health effects are associated with moisture damage in buildings. Studies explaining these associations and cell-level mechanisms behind the observed health effects are urgently called for. OBJECTIVES We focused on characterizing gene expression in human airway epithelium after exposure to indoor air particulate matter (PM) sampled from houses with and without moisture damage, alongside determination of general toxicological markers. METHODS We performed detailed technical building inspections in 25 residential houses and categorized them based on the detection of moisture damages and the probability of occupant exposure. PM sampling was complemented by microbiological and volatile organic compound assessment. We exposed human airway constructs to three dilutions (1:16, 1:8, 1:4) of collected PM from moisture-damaged (index) and non-moisture-damaged (reference) houses and imaged selected constructs with electron microscopy. We analyzed general toxicological markers and the RNA of exposed constructs was sequenced targeting genes associated with toxicological pathways. We did groupwise comparisons between index and reference houses and pairwise comparisons in matched index/reference houses. RESULTS In groupwise comparison, gene Cytochrome P450 Family 1 Subfamily A Member 1 (CYP1A1) was statistically significantly over-expressed in index houses at all dilutions of collected PM and Nuclear Factor Kappa B Subunit 1 (NFKB1) at dilution 1:4 of collected PM. In pairwise index/reference house comparison, several genes related to multiple toxicological pathways were activated, largest expression differences seen for CYP1A1. However, none of the genes was consistently expressed in all the matched pairs, and general toxicological markers did not differentiate index and reference houses. DISCUSSION The exposure to PM from index houses activated toxicology -related genes in airway constructs. Differential expression was not consistent among all the index/reference pairs, possibly due to compositional differences of bioactive particles. Our study highlights CYP1A1 and NFKB1 as potential targets in moisture damage -associated cellular responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria-Elisa Nordberg
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland (UEF), Yliopistonranta 1, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland.
| | - Martin Täubel
- Environmental Health Unit, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Neulaniementie 4, FI-70701 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Sami Heikkinen
- School of Medicine, Institutes of Clinical Medicine and Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland (UEF), Yliopistonranta 1, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Kaisa Jalkanen
- Environmental Health Unit, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Neulaniementie 4, FI-70701 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Arto Köliö
- Renovatek Oy, Korkeakoulunkatu 1, FI-33720 Tampere, Finland
| | - Marianne Stranger
- Environmental Risk and Health Unit, VITO, Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium
| | - Hanna Leppänen
- Environmental Health Unit, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Neulaniementie 4, FI-70701 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Anne Hyvärinen
- Environmental Health Unit, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Neulaniementie 4, FI-70701 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Kati Huttunen
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland (UEF), Yliopistonranta 1, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland
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Molecular Methods for Pathogenic Bacteria Detection and Recent Advances in Wastewater Analysis. WATER 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/w13243551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
With increasing concerns about public health and the development of molecular techniques, new detection tools and the combination of existing approaches have increased the abilities of pathogenic bacteria monitoring by exploring new biomarkers, increasing the sensitivity and accuracy of detection, quantification, and analyzing various genes such as functional genes and antimicrobial resistance genes (ARG). Molecular methods are gradually emerging as the most popular detection approach for pathogens, in addition to the conventional culture-based plate enumeration methods. The analysis of pathogens in wastewater and the back-estimation of infections in the community, also known as wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE), is an emerging methodology and has a great potential to supplement current surveillance systems for the monitoring of infectious diseases and the early warning of outbreaks. However, as a complex matrix, wastewater largely challenges the analytical performance of molecular methods. This review synthesized the literature of typical pathogenic bacteria in wastewater, types of biomarkers, molecular methods for bacterial analysis, and their recent advances in wastewater analysis. The advantages and limitation of these molecular methods were evaluated, and their prospects in WBE were discussed to provide insight for future development.
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Linke RB, Zeki S, Mayer R, Keiblinger K, Savio D, Kirschner AKT, Reischer GH, Mach RL, Sommer R, Farnleitner AH. Identifying Inorganic Turbidity in Water Samples as Potential Loss Factor During Nucleic Acid Extraction: Implications for Molecular Fecal Pollution Diagnostics and Source Tracking. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:660566. [PMID: 34745021 PMCID: PMC8565874 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.660566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular diagnostic methods are increasingly applied for food and environmental analysis. Since several steps are involved in sample processing which can affect the outcome (e.g., adhesion of DNA to the sample matrix, inefficient precipitation of DNA, pipetting errors and (partial) loss of the DNA pellet during DNA isolation), quality control is essential at all processing levels. In soil microbiology, particular attention has been paid to the inorganic component of the sample matrix affecting DNA extractability. In water quality testing, however, this aspect has mostly been neglected so far, although it is conceivable that these mechanisms have a similar impact. The present study was therefore dedicated to investigate possible matrix effects on results of water quality analysis. Field testing in an aquatic environment with pronounced chemo-physical gradients [total suspended solids (TSS), inorganic turbidity, total organic carbon (TOC), and conductivity] indicated a negative association between DNA extractability (using a standard phenol/chloroform extraction procedure) and turbidity (spearman ρ = −0.72, p < 0.001, n = 21). Further detailed laboratory experiments on sediment suspensions confirmed the hypothesis of inorganic turbidity being the main driver for reduced DNA extractability. The observed effects, as known from soil samples, were also indicated to result from competitive effects for free charges on clay minerals, leading to adsorption of DNA to these inorganic particles. A protocol modification by supplementing the extraction buffer with salmon sperm DNA, to coat charged surfaces prior to cell lysis, was then applied on environmental water samples and compared to the standard protocol. At sites characterized by high inorganic turbidity, DNA extractability was significantly improved or made possible in the first place by applying the adapted protocol. This became apparent from intestinal enterococci and microbial source tracking (MST)-marker levels measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) (100 to 10,000-fold median increase in target concentrations). The present study emphasizes the need to consider inorganic turbidity as a potential loss factor in DNA extraction from water-matrices. Negligence of these effects can lead to a massive bias, by up to several orders of magnitude, in the results of molecular MST and fecal pollution diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita B Linke
- Research Group Environmental Microbiology and Molecular Diagnostics 166/5/3, Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering, TU Wien, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sibel Zeki
- Department of Marine Environment, Institute of Marine Sciences and Management, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - René Mayer
- Research Group Environmental Microbiology and Molecular Diagnostics 166/5/3, Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering, TU Wien, Vienna, Austria
| | - Katharina Keiblinger
- Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, Institute of Soil Research, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Domenico Savio
- Research Group Environmental Microbiology and Molecular Diagnostics 166/5/3, Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering, TU Wien, Vienna, Austria.,Division Water Quality and Health, Department Pharmacology, Physiology and Microbiology, Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, Krems an der Donau, Austria
| | - Alexander K T Kirschner
- Division Water Quality and Health, Department Pharmacology, Physiology and Microbiology, Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, Krems an der Donau, Austria.,Institute for Hygiene and Applied Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Georg H Reischer
- Research Group Environmental Microbiology and Molecular Diagnostics 166/5/3, Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering, TU Wien, Vienna, Austria.,Research Area Molecular Diagnostics, Department IFA-Tulln, Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering, TU Wien, Tulln, Austria
| | - Robert L Mach
- Research Division Biochemical Technology, Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering, TU Wien, Vienna, Austria
| | - Regina Sommer
- Unit of Water Microbiology, Institute for Hygiene and Applied Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Andreas H Farnleitner
- Research Group Environmental Microbiology and Molecular Diagnostics 166/5/3, Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering, TU Wien, Vienna, Austria.,Division Water Quality and Health, Department Pharmacology, Physiology and Microbiology, Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, Krems an der Donau, Austria
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Adams RI, Leppänen H, Karvonen AM, Jacobs J, Borràs-Santos A, Valkonen M, Krop E, Haverinen-Shaughnessy U, Huttunen K, Zock JP, Hyvärinen A, Heederik D, Pekkanen J, Täubel M. Microbial exposures in moisture-damaged schools and associations with respiratory symptoms in students: A multi-country environmental exposure study. INDOOR AIR 2021; 31:1952-1966. [PMID: 34151461 DOI: 10.1111/ina.12865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Moisture-damaged buildings are associated with respiratory symptoms and underlying diseases among building occupants, but the causative agent(s) remain a mystery. We first identified specific fungal and bacterial taxa in classrooms with moisture damage in Finnish and Dutch primary schools. We then investigated associations of the identified moisture damage indicators with respiratory symptoms in more than 2700 students. Finally, we explored whether exposure to specific taxa within the indoor microbiota may explain the association between moisture damage and respiratory health. Schools were assessed for moisture damage through detailed inspections, and the microbial composition of settled dust in electrostatic dustfall collectors was determined using marker-gene analysis. In Finland, there were several positive associations between particular microbial indicators (diversity, richness, individual taxa) and a respiratory symptom score, while in the Netherlands, the associations tended to be mostly inverse and statistically non-significant. In Finland, abundance of the Sphingomonas bacterial genus and endotoxin levels partially explained the associations between moisture damage and symptom score. A few microbial taxa explained part of the associations with health, but overall, the observed associations between damage-associated individual taxa and respiratory health were limited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel I Adams
- California Department of Public Health, Richmond, CA, USA
| | - Hanna Leppänen
- Environmental Health Unit, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Anne M Karvonen
- Environmental Health Unit, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Kuopio, Finland
| | - José Jacobs
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Alicia Borràs-Santos
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
- Escola Universitària d'Infermeria, Escoles Universitàries Gimbernat, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Sant Cugat del Vallès, Spain
| | - Maria Valkonen
- Environmental Health Unit, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Esmeralda Krop
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Kati Huttunen
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Jan-Paul Zock
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anne Hyvärinen
- Environmental Health Unit, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Dick Heederik
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Juha Pekkanen
- Environmental Health Unit, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Kuopio, Finland
- Department of Public Health, Helsinki University, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Martin Täubel
- Environmental Health Unit, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Kuopio, Finland
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34
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Price MT, Blackwood AD, Noble RT. Integrating culture and molecular quantification of microbial contaminants into a predictive modeling framework in a low-lying, tidally-influenced coastal watershed. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 792:148232. [PMID: 34147794 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Examinations of stormwater delivery in the context of tidal inundation are lacking. Along the coastal plains of the southeastern United States, tidal inundation is increasing in frequency and severity, often with dramatic adverse impacts on timely stormwater discharge, coastal flooding hazards, and even "sunny day flooding". Therefore, a comprehensive study was conducted to examine tidally-influenced stormwater outfalls discharging to Taylor's Creek, an estuary proximal to Beaufort, NC used regularly for recreation and tourism. Over a wide range of meteorological conditions, water samples were collected and analyzed for fecal indicator bacteria (FIB, used for water quality management) and previously published quantitative microbial source tracking (qMST) markers. Nineteen sampling events were conducted from July 2017-June 2018 with samples classified according to tidal state and defined as either inundated, receding, or transition. A first-of-its-kind multiple linear regression model was developed to predict concentrations of Enterococcus sp. by tidal cycle, salinity and antecedent rainfall. We demonstrated that the majority of variability associated with the concentration of Enterococcus sp. could be predicted by E. coli concentration and tidal phase. FIB concentrations were significantly (<0.05) influenced by tide with higher concentrations observed in samples collected during receding (low) tides (EC: log 3.12 MPN/100 mL; ENT: 2.67 MPN/100 mL) compared to those collected during inundated (high) (EC: log 2.62 MPN/100 mL; ENT: 2.11 MPN/100 mL) or transition (EC: log 2.74 MPN/100 mL; ENT: 2.53 MPN/100 mL) tidal periods. Salinity, was also found to significantly (<0.05) correlate with Enterococcus sp. concentrations during inundated (high) tidal conditions (sal: 17 ppt; ENT: 2.04 MPN/100 mL). Tide, not precipitation, was shown to be a significant driver in explaining the variability in Enterococcus sp. concentrations. Precipitation has previously been shown to be a driver of Enterococcus sp. concentrations, but our project demonstrates the need for tidal parameters to be included in the future development of water quality monitoring programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew T Price
- UNC Institute of Marine Sciences, 3431 Arendell St., Morehead City, NC 28557, USA
| | - Angelia D Blackwood
- UNC Institute of Marine Sciences, 3431 Arendell St., Morehead City, NC 28557, USA
| | - Rachel T Noble
- UNC Institute of Marine Sciences, 3431 Arendell St., Morehead City, NC 28557, USA.
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35
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Holcomb DA, Knee J, Capone D, Sumner T, Adriano Z, Nalá R, Cumming O, Brown J, Stewart JR. Impacts of an Urban Sanitation Intervention on Fecal Indicators and the Prevalence of Human Fecal Contamination in Mozambique. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:11667-11679. [PMID: 34382777 PMCID: PMC8429117 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c01538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Fecal source tracking (FST) may be useful to assess pathways of fecal contamination in domestic environments and to estimate the impacts of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) interventions in low-income settings. We measured two nonspecific and two human-associated fecal indicators in water, soil, and surfaces before and after a shared latrine intervention from low-income households in Maputo, Mozambique, participating in the Maputo Sanitation (MapSan) trial. Up to a quarter of households were impacted by human fecal contamination, but trends were unaffected by improvements to shared sanitation facilities. The intervention reduced Escherichia coli gene concentrations in soil but did not impact culturable E. coli or the prevalence of human FST markers in a difference-in-differences analysis. Using a novel Bayesian hierarchical modeling approach to account for human marker diagnostic sensitivity and specificity, we revealed a high amount of uncertainty associated with human FST measurements and intervention effect estimates. The field of microbial source tracking would benefit from adding measures of diagnostic accuracy to better interpret findings, particularly when FST analyses convey insufficient information for robust inference. With improved measures, FST could help identify dominant pathways of human and animal fecal contamination in communities and guide the implementation of effective interventions to safeguard health.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A. Holcomb
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States of America
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States of America
| | - Jackie Knee
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States of America
- Department of Disease Control, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom
| | - Drew Capone
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States of America
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States of America
| | - Trent Sumner
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States of America
| | | | - Rassul Nalá
- Instituto Nacional de Saúde, Ministério da Saúde, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Oliver Cumming
- Department of Disease Control, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom
| | - Joe Brown
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States of America
| | - Jill R. Stewart
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States of America
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Akita LG, Laudien J, Biney C, Akrong MO. A baseline study of spatial variability of bacteria (total coliform, E. coli, and Enterococcus spp.) as biomarkers of pollution in ten tropical Atlantic beaches: concern for environmental and public health. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 28:50941-50965. [PMID: 34386920 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-15432-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Coastal water quality in urban cities is increasingly impacted by human activities such as agricultural runoff, sewage discharges, and poor sanitation. However, environmental factors controlling bacteria abundance remain poorly understood. The study employed multiple indicators to assess ten beach water qualities in Ghana during minor wet seasons. Environmental parameters (e.g. temperature, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids) were measured in situ using the Horiba multiple parameter probe. Surface water samples were collected to measure total suspended solids, nutrients, and chlorophyll-a via standard methods and bacteria determination through membrane filtration. Environmental parameters measured showed no significant variation for the sample period. However, bacteria loads differ significantly (p = 0.024) among the beaches and influenced significantly by nitrate (55.3%, p = 0.02) and total dissolved solids (17.1%, p = 0.017). The baseline study detected an increased amount of total coliforms and faecal indicator bacteria (Escherichia coli and Enterococcus spp.) in beach waters along the coast of Ghana, suggesting faecal contamination, which can pose health risks. The mean ± standard deviations of bacteria loads in beach water are total coliforms (4.06 × 103 ± 4.16 × 103 CFU/100 mL), E. coli (7.06 × 102 ± 1.72 × 103 CFU/100 mL), and Enterococcus spp. (6.15 × 102 ± 1.75 × 103 CFU/100 mL). Evidence of pollution calls for public awareness to prevent ecological and health-related risks and policy reforms to control coastal water pollution. Future research should focus on identifying the sources of contamination in the tropical Atlantic region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lailah Gifty Akita
- Department of Marine and Fisheries Sciences, University of Ghana, P. O. Box LG 99, Legon, Accra, Ghana.
| | - Juergen Laudien
- Alfred Wegner Institute Helmholtz Centre of Polar and Marine Research, Am Alten Hafen 26, 27568, Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Charles Biney
- Ecosystems Environmental Solutions, GD-213-5404, Accra, Ghana
| | - Mark Osei Akrong
- CSIR-Research Institute, P.O. Box M 32, GP-018-964, Accra, Ghana
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Gyawali P, Devane M, Scholes P, Hewitt J. Application of crAssphage, F-RNA phage and pepper mild mottle virus as indicators of human faecal and norovirus contamination in shellfish. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 783:146848. [PMID: 33865125 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Shellfish growing waters contaminated with inadequately treated human wastewater is a major source of norovirus in shellfish and poses a significant human health risk to consumers. Microbial source tracking (MST) markers have been widely used to identify the source (s) of faecal contamination in water but data are limited on their use for shellfish safety. This study evaluated the source specificity, sensitivity, occurrence and concentration of three viral MST markers i.e. cross-assembly phage (crAssphage), F-specific RNA bacteriophage genogroup II (F-RNA phage GII) and pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) using animal faeces (n = 119; 16 animal groups), influent wastewater (n = 12), effluent wastewater (n = 16) and shellfish (n = 33). CrAssphage, F-RNA phage GII and PMMoV had source specific values of 0.97, 0.99 and 0.91, respectively. The sensitivity of MST markers was confirmed by their 100% detection frequency in influent wastewaters. The frequency of detection in effluent wastewater ranged from 81.3% (F-RNA phage GII) to 100% (PMMoV). Concentration of F-RNA phage GII was one log10 (influent wastewater) and 2-3 log10 (effluent wastewater) lower than crAssphage and PMMoV, respectively. Despite lower prevalence of F-RNA phage GII in oysters and mussels compared to crAssphage and PMMoV, concentrations of the three MST markers were similar in mussels. As an indicator of norovirus contamination in shellfish, crAssphage and PMMoV had greater predictive sensitivity (100%; [95% CI; 81.5%-100%)]) and F-RNA phage GII had greater predictive specificity (93.3%; [95% CI; 68.1%-99.8%]). In contrast, crAssphage and F-RNA phage GII have similar accuracy for predicting norovirus in shellfish, however, PMMoV significantly overestimated its presence. Therefore, a combination of crAssphage and F-RNA phage GII analysis of shellfish could provide a robust estimation of the presence of human faecal and norovirus contamination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pradip Gyawali
- Institute of Environmental Science and Research Ltd (ESR), Porirua 5240, New Zealand.
| | - Megan Devane
- Institute of Environmental Science and Research Ltd (ESR), Christchurch 8041, New Zealand
| | - Paula Scholes
- Institute of Environmental Science and Research Ltd (ESR), Christchurch 8041, New Zealand
| | - Joanne Hewitt
- Institute of Environmental Science and Research Ltd (ESR), Porirua 5240, New Zealand.
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Comparison of Detecting and Quantitating SARS-CoV-2 in Wastewater Using Moderate-Speed Centrifuged Solids versus an Ultrafiltration Method. WATER 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/w13162166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Mounting evidence suggests that solids are a reliable matrix for SARS-CoV-2 detection in wastewater, yet studies comparing solids-based methods and common concentration methods using the liquid fraction remain limited. In this study, we developed and optimized a method for SARS-CoV-2 detection in wastewater using moderate-speed centrifuged solids and evaluated it against an ultrafiltration reference method. SARS-CoV-2 was quantified in samples from 12 wastewater treatment plants from Alberta, Canada, using RT-qPCR targeting the N2 and E genes. PCR inhibition was examined by spiking salmon DNA. The effects of using different amounts of solids, adjusting the sample pH to 9.6–10, and modifying the elution volume at the final step of RNA extraction were evaluated. SARS-CoV-2 detection rate in solids from 20 mL of wastewater showed no statistically significant difference compared to the ultrafiltration method (97/139 versus 90/139, p = 0.26, McNemar’s mid-p test). The optimized wastewater solids-based method had a significantly lower rate of samples with PCR inhibition versus ultrafiltration (3% versus 9.5%, p = 0.014, Chi-square test). Our optimized moderate-speed centrifuged solids-based method had similar sensitivity when compared to the ultrafiltration reference method but had the added advantages of lower costs, fewer processing steps, and a shorter turnaround time.
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Borchardt MA, Boehm AB, Salit M, Spencer SK, Wigginton KR, Noble RT. The Environmental Microbiology Minimum Information (EMMI) Guidelines: qPCR and dPCR Quality and Reporting for Environmental Microbiology. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:10210-10223. [PMID: 34286966 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c01767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and digital PCR (dPCR) methods have revolutionized environmental microbiology, yielding quantitative organism-specific data of nucleic acid targets in the environment. Such data are essential for characterizing interactions and processes of microbial communities, assessing microbial contaminants in the environment (water, air, fomites), and developing interventions (water treatment, surface disinfection, air purification) to curb infectious disease transmission. However, our review of recent qPCR and dPCR literature in our field of health-related environmental microbiology showed that many researchers are not reporting necessary and sufficient controls and methods, which would serve to strengthen their study results and conclusions. Here, we describe the application, utility, and interpretation of the suite of controls needed to make high quality qPCR and dPCR measurements of microorganisms in the environment. Our presentation is organized by the discrete steps and operations typical of this measurement process. We propose systematic terminology to minimize ambiguity and aid comparisons among studies. Example schemes for batching and combining controls for efficient work flow are demonstrated. We describe critical reporting elements for enhancing data credibility, and we provide an element checklist in the Supporting Information. Additionally, we present several key principles in metrology as context for laboratories to devise their own quality assurance and quality control reporting framework. Following the EMMI guidelines will improve comparability and reproducibility among qPCR and dPCR studies in environmental microbiology, better inform engineering and public health actions for preventing disease transmission through environmental pathways, and for the most pressing issues in the discipline, focus the weight of evidence in the direction toward solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A Borchardt
- Environmentally Integrated Dairy Management Research Unit, USDA Agricultural Research Service, 2615 Yellowstone Drive, Marshfield, Wisconsin 54449, United States
| | - Alexandria B Boehm
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Marc Salit
- Departments of Pathology and Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- Joint Initiative for Metrology in Biology, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025, United States
| | - Susan K Spencer
- Environmentally Integrated Dairy Management Research Unit, USDA Agricultural Research Service, 2615 Yellowstone Drive, Marshfield, Wisconsin 54449, United States
| | - Krista R Wigginton
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Rachel T Noble
- Insitute for the Environment, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27517, United States
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Wood SA, Puddick J, Hawes I, Steiner K, Dietrich DR, Hamilton DP. Variability in microcystin quotas during a Microcystis bloom in a eutrophic lake. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0254967. [PMID: 34288957 PMCID: PMC8294494 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Microcystis is a bloom-forming genus of cyanobacteria with some genotypes that produce highly toxic microcystin hepatotoxins. In waterbodies where biological and physical factors are relatively homogenous, toxin quotas (the average amount of toxin per cell), at a single point in time, are expected to be relatively constant. In this study we challenged this assumption by investigating the spatial distribution of microcystin quotas at a single point in time on two separate occasions in a lake with a major Microcystis bloom. Microcystis cell concentrations varied widely across the lake on both sampling occasions (730- and 137-fold) together with microcystin quotas (148- and 362-fold). Cell concentrations and microcystin quotas were strongly positively correlated (R2 = 0.89, P < 0.001, n = 28; R2 = 0.67, P < 0.001, n = 25). Analysis of Microcystis strains using high-throughput sequencing of the 16S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer region showed no relationship between microcystin quota and the relative abundance of specific sequences. Collectively, the results of this study indicate an association between microcystin production and cell density that magnifies the potential for bloom toxicity at elevated cell concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ian Hawes
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | | | | | - David P. Hamilton
- Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
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Comparative stability of assay results of enterococci measured by culture and qPCR over time in bathing beach waters. J Microbiol Methods 2021; 188:106274. [PMID: 34175353 DOI: 10.1016/j.mimet.2021.106274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Revised: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The diurnal presence of the culturable bacterial indicators of fecal contamination in the water environment has been shown to be highly variable over time due to natural die-off and injury from effects of sunlight and other environmental stressors. Molecular analytes of a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) method for measuring fecal contamination degrade considerably slower than the alternative of culturable fecal indicator bacteria. The rapid qPCR method holds the promise of more timely notification decisions with respect to postings or closure being made on the basis of microbial water quality samples collected earlier on the same day. In the case of culture-based methods requiring a 24 h or longer incubation period, decisions must be based on samples collected no sooner than the previous day. To examine the effect of this lag in assay results, temporal stability of a molecular Enterococci target analyte with that of traditional culture-based cells is compared using data from USEPA studies conducted between 2003 and 2007 on seven freshwater and marine beaches that were impacted by publicly-owned treatment works. Generally, levels of the molecular indicator were more consistent throughout the day between 8:00 am and 3:00 pm. The difference in temporal consistency is even more pronounced when the 24-h lag in culture-based results is taken into account.
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Ahmed W, Gyawali P, Hamilton KA, Joshi S, Aster D, Donner E, Simpson SL, Symonds EM. Antibiotic Resistance and Sewage-Associated Marker Genes in Untreated Sewage and a River Characterized During Baseflow and Stormflow. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:632850. [PMID: 34177821 PMCID: PMC8226142 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.632850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Since sewage is a hotspot for antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), the identification of ARGs in environmental waters impacted by sewage, and their correlation to fecal indicators, is necessary to implement management strategies. In this study, sewage treatment plant (STP) influent samples were collected and analyzed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to investigate the abundance and correlations between sewage-associated markers (i.e., Bacteroides HF183, Lachnospiraceae Lachno3, crAssphage) and ARGs indicating resistance to nine antibiotics (belonging to aminoglycosides, beta-lactams, sulfonamides, macrolides, and tetracyclines). All ARGs, except blaVIM, and sewage-associated marker genes were always detected in untreated sewage, and ermF and sul1 were detected in the greatest abundances. intl1 was also highly abundant in untreated sewage samples. Significant correlations were identified between sewage-associated marker genes, ARGs and the intl1 in untreated sewage (τ = 0.488, p = 0.0125). Of the three sewage-associated marker genes, the BIO-ENV procedure identified that HF183 alone best maximized correlations to ARGs and intl1 (τ = 0.590). Additionally, grab samples were collected from peri-urban and urban sites along the Brisbane River system during base and stormflow conditions, and analyzed for Escherichia coli, ARGs, the intl1, and sewage-associated marker genes using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Significant correlations were identified between E. coli, ARGs, and intl1 (τ = 0.0893, p = 0.0032), as well as with sewage-associated marker genes in water samples from the Brisbane River system (τ = 0.3229, p = 0.0001). Of the sewage-associated marker genes and E. coli, the BIO-ENV procedure identified that crAssphage alone maximized correlations with ARGs and intl1 in river samples (τ = 0.4148). Significant differences in E. coli, ARGs, intl1, and sewage-associated marker genes, and by flow condition (i.e., base vs. storm), and site types (peri-urban vs. urban) combined were identified (R = 0.3668, p = 0.0001), where percent dissimilarities between the multi-factorial groups ranged between 20.8 and 11.2%. Results from this study suggest increased levels of certain ARGs and sewage-associated marker genes in stormflow river water samples compared to base flow conditions. E. coli, HF183 and crAssphage may serve as potential indicators of sewage-derived ARGs under stormflow conditions, and this merits further investigation. Data presented in this study will be valuable to water quality managers to understand the links between sewage pollution and ARGs in urban environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Warish Ahmed
- CSIRO Land and Water, Ecosciences Precinct, Dutton Park, QLD, Australia
| | - Pradip Gyawali
- Institute of Environmental Science and Research Ltd. (ESR), Porirua, New Zealand
| | - Kerry A Hamilton
- School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States.,Biodesign Center for Environmental Health Engineering, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Sayalee Joshi
- School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States.,Biodesign Center for Environmental Health Engineering, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - David Aster
- Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Ecosciences Precinct, Dutton Park, QLD, Australia
| | - Erica Donner
- Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, University Boulevard, Mawson Lakes, SA, Australia
| | | | - Erin M Symonds
- College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg, FL, United States
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Tiwari A, Oliver DM, Bivins A, Sherchan SP, Pitkänen T. Bathing Water Quality Monitoring Practices in Europe and the United States. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:5513. [PMID: 34063910 PMCID: PMC8196636 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18115513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Many countries including EU Member States (EUMS) and the United States (U.S.) regularly monitor the microbial quality of bathing water to protect public health. This study comprehensively evaluates the EU bathing water directive (BWD) and the U.S. recreational water quality criteria (RWQC) as regulatory frameworks for monitoring microbial quality of bathing water. The major differences between these two regulatory frameworks are the provision of bathing water profiles, classification of bathing sites based on the pollution level, variations in the sampling frequency, accepted probable illness risk, epidemiological studies conducted during the development of guideline values, and monitoring methods. There are also similarities between the two approaches given that both enumerate viable fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) as an index of the potential risk to human health in bathing water and accept such risk up to a certain level. However, enumeration of FIB using methods outlined within these current regulatory frameworks does not consider the source of contamination nor variation in inactivation rates of enteric microbes in different ecological contexts, which is dependent on factors such as temperature, solar radiation, and salinity in various climatic regions within their geographical areas. A comprehensive "tool-box approach", i.e., coupling of FIB and viral pathogen indicators with microbial source tracking for regulatory purposes, offers potential for delivering improved understanding to better protect the health of bathers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ananda Tiwari
- Expert Microbiology Unit, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, P.O. Box 95, FI-70701 Kuopio, Finland;
| | - David M. Oliver
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK;
| | - Aaron Bivins
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering & Earth Science, University of Notre Dame, 156 Fitzpatrick Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA;
| | - Samendra P. Sherchan
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Tulane University, 1440 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA;
| | - Tarja Pitkänen
- Expert Microbiology Unit, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, P.O. Box 95, FI-70701 Kuopio, Finland;
- Department of Food Hygiene and Environmental Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland
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Xu L, Xu S, Sun L, Zhang Y, Luo J, Bock R, Zhang J. Synergistic action of the gut microbiota in environmental RNA interference in a leaf beetle. MICROBIOME 2021; 9:98. [PMID: 33947455 PMCID: PMC8097945 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-021-01066-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND RNA interference (RNAi) has emerged as an efficient tool to control insect pests. When insects ingest double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) targeted against essential genes, strong gene silencing and mortality can be induced. To exert their function, dsRNA molecules must pass through the insect's gut and enter epithelial cells and/or the hemolymph. Gut bacteria are known to play multifarious roles in food digestion and nutrition, and confer protection against pathogens and parasites. Whether there is a cross talk between gut bacteria and ingested dsRNAs and whether the microbiome affects RNAi efficiency are unknown. RESULTS Here, using a leaf beetle gut microbiota system, we investigated whether gut bacteria interact with dsRNA molecules and how the gut microbiota affects RNAi responses in insects. We first showed that the leaf beetle Plagiodera versicolora (Coleoptera) is highly susceptible to RNAi. We then demonstrated that ingestion of dsRNAs by non-axenic P. versicolora larvae results in (i) significantly accelerated mortality compared with axenic larvae, and (ii) overgrowth and dysbiosis of the gut microbiota. The latter may be caused by bacterial utilization of dsRNA degradation products. Furthermore, we found that Pseudomonas putida, a gut bacterium of P. versicolora, acts as major accelerator of the death of P. versicolora larvae by transitioning from commensal to pathogenic lifestyle. CONCLUSIONS The present study illuminates the complex interplay between lethal dsRNA, the insect host, and its gut microbiota. The ingestion of dsRNA by the leaf beetle caused a dysbiosis of gut bacterial community, and the dsRNA degradation products by host insect preferentially promoted the growth of an entomopathogenic bacterium, which accelerated dsRNA lethality to the insect. Our findings reveal a synergistic role of the gut microbiota in dsRNA-induced mortality of pest insects, and provide new insights in the mechanisms of RNAi-based pest control. Video abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Letian Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, China
| | - Shijing Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, China
| | - Liuwei Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, China
| | - Yiqiu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, China
| | - Jing Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, China
| | - Ralph Bock
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, China
- Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie, Am Mühlenberg 1, D-14476, Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Jiang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, China.
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Crain C, Kezer K, Steele S, Owiti J, Rao S, Victorio M, Austin B, Volner A, Draper W, Griffith J, Steele J, Seifert M. Application of ddPCR for detection of Enterococcus spp. in coastal water quality monitoring. J Microbiol Methods 2021; 184:106206. [PMID: 33766607 DOI: 10.1016/j.mimet.2021.106206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Revised: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) was evaluated for the detection of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB), Enterococcus spp., in San Diego County beach water samples collected under diverse conditions, from multiple pollution sources, as part of regulatory monitoring activities over 20 months. Two US EPA-approved methods, qPCR (EPA 1609.1) and Enterolert (SM9230D), were used as reference comparator methods. A total of 361 samples were assayed by both ddPCR and qPCR and yielded an acceptable Index of Agreement (IA) of 0.89, based on EPA Site-Specific analysis guidelines. A Pearson's correlation coefficient of r = 0.87 (p < 0.001), further indicated a strong relationship between the methods results. From the 361 samples, 185 split samples with ddPCR and Enterolert values within the limits of quantification, were used as a 'training' data set to derive an intrinsic copy number equation (ICE) for scaling ddPCR gene copy number to Enterolert most probable number (MPN). Of the 1993 samples that comprised the complete 'test' data set assayed by ddPCR and Enterolert, 1086 generated results that fell within the limits of quantification for Enterolert and yielded an overall IA of 0.64. Re-analysis using median as a measure of central tendency to account for significant skewing of Enterolert data yielded an IA of 0.72. Beach grouping-specific IA values ranged from 0.63 to 0.93. Pearson's correlation coefficient, r, ranged from 0.13 to 0.94 within beach groupings and generated a combined value of 0.60 for all groupings. Using the ICE, a ddPCR advisory threshold of 1413 DNA copy number/100 mL was empirically determined to be the equivalent to the California Enterolert beach action threshold of 104 MPN/100 mL, based on comparison with all 1993 paired ddPCR and Enterolert results. Using the 1413 DNA copy number/100 mL as a beach action threshold for ddPCR resulted in a 90.4% agreement with Enterolert (6.0% false negative and 3.7% false positive). Together these findings support the conclusion that ddPCR readouts align closely with Enterolert MPN for identifying FIB exceedance levels of Enterococcus spp. in coastal waters of San Diego, CA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chad Crain
- California Department of Public Health, Drinking Water and Radiation Laboratory Branch, 850 Marina Bay Pkwy G164, Richmond, CA 94804, United States of America.
| | - Keith Kezer
- San Diego County Department of Environmental Health, 5500 Overland Ave #170, San Diego, CA 92123, United States of America
| | - Syreeta Steele
- San Diego County Public Health Laboratory, 3851 Rosecrans St, San Diego, CA 92110, United States of America
| | - Judith Owiti
- California Department of Public Health, Drinking Water and Radiation Laboratory Branch, 850 Marina Bay Pkwy G164, Richmond, CA 94804, United States of America
| | - Sphoorthy Rao
- California Department of Public Health, Drinking Water and Radiation Laboratory Branch, 850 Marina Bay Pkwy G164, Richmond, CA 94804, United States of America
| | - Maria Victorio
- San Diego County Public Health Laboratory, 3851 Rosecrans St, San Diego, CA 92110, United States of America
| | - Brett Austin
- San Diego County Public Health Laboratory, 3851 Rosecrans St, San Diego, CA 92110, United States of America
| | - Alon Volner
- California Department of Public Health, Drinking Water and Radiation Laboratory Branch, 850 Marina Bay Pkwy G164, Richmond, CA 94804, United States of America
| | - William Draper
- California Department of Public Health, Drinking Water and Radiation Laboratory Branch, 850 Marina Bay Pkwy G164, Richmond, CA 94804, United States of America
| | - John Griffith
- Southern California Coastal Water Research Project, 3535 Harbor Blvd. Suite 110, Costa Mesa, CA 92626, United States of America
| | - Joshua Steele
- Southern California Coastal Water Research Project, 3535 Harbor Blvd. Suite 110, Costa Mesa, CA 92626, United States of America
| | - Marva Seifert
- University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States of America
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Kang WN, Jin L, Fu KY, Guo WC, Li GQ. A switch of microbial flora coupled with ontogenetic niche shift in Leptinotarsa decemlineata. ARCHIVES OF INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 107:e21782. [PMID: 33724519 DOI: 10.1002/arch.21782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Revised: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
In Leptinotarsa decemlineata, a final-instar wandering larva typically undergoes an ontogenetic niche shift (ONS), from potato plant during the foraging stage to its pupation site below ground. Using high-throughput sequencing of the bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA gene, we determined the hypothesis that the L. decemlineata pupae harbor stage-specific bacteria to meet the physiological requirements for underground habitat. We identified 34 bacterial phyla, comprising 73 classes, 208 orders, 375 families, and 766 genera in the collected specimens. Microbes across phyla Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes were enriched in the pupae, while those in the phylum Proteobacteria, Tenericutes, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes dominated in the larvae and adults. A total of 18 genera, including Blastococcus, Corynebacterium_1, Gordonia, Microbacterium, Nocardia, Nocardioides, Rhodococcus, Solirubrobacter, Tsukamurella, Enterococcus, Acinetobacter, Escherichia_Shigella, Lysobacter, Pseudomonas, and Stenotrophomonas, were specifically distributed in pupae. Moreover, soil sterilizing removed a major portion of bacteria in pupae. Specifically, both Enterococcus and Pseudomonas were eliminated in the soil sterilizing and antibiotic-fed beetle groups. Furthermore, the pupation rate and fresh pupal weight were similar, whereas the emergence rate and adult weight were decreased in the antibiotic-fed beetles, compared with controls. The results demonstrate that a switch of bacterial communities occurs in the pupae; the pupal-specific bacteria genera are mainly originated from soil; this bacterial biodiversity improves pupa performance in soil. Our results provide new insight into the evolutionary fitness of L. decemlineata to different environmental niches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Nan Kang
- Education Ministry Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Lin Jin
- Education Ministry Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Kai-Yun Fu
- Institute of Plant Protection, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Urumqi, China
| | - Wen-Chao Guo
- Institute of Microbiological Application, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Science, Urumqi, China
| | - Guo-Qing Li
- Education Ministry Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
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Effects of Night Ventilation on Indoor Air Quality in Educational Buildings—A Field Study. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/app11094056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Night ventilation methods have been used in educational buildings to guarantee indoor air quality at the beginning of occupied periods. A typical method has been to pre-start ventilation 2 h before the space usage. Another selection has been to ventilate a building continuously during the night with a minimum airflow rate that can dilute material emissions. In this study, the pre-started, continuous, and intermittent ventilation methods were compared by assessing indoor air quality in field measurements. The daytime ventilation was operating normally. The test periods lasted for 2 weeks. Indoor air quality was assessed by measuring the total volatile organic compounds and microbial concentrations using the quantitative polymerase chain reaction method. Additionally, the thermal conditions, carbon dioxide, and pressure differences over the building envelope were measured. The results show that the night ventilation strategy had negligible effects on microbial concentrations. In most cases, the indoor air microbial concentrations were only a few percent of those found outdoors. The averaged concentration of total volatile organic compounds was at the same level with all the night ventilation methods at the beginning of the occupied periods in the mornings. The concentrations reached a minimum level after 2-h ventilation. The concentrations of total volatile organic compounds were higher during the day than at night. This reveals that space usage had the largest effect on the total volatile organic compounds. Generally, the results show that continuous night ventilation does not significantly affect the biological and chemical contaminants. Consequently, a 2-h flushing period is long enough to freshen indoor air before occupancy.
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48
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Ahmed W, Bivins A, Bertsch PM, Bibby K, Gyawali P, Sherchan SP, Simpson SL, Thomas KV, Verhagen R, Kitajima M, Mueller JF, Korajkic A. Intraday variability of indicator and pathogenic viruses in 1-h and 24-h composite wastewater samples: Implications for wastewater-based epidemiology. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 193:110531. [PMID: 33249042 PMCID: PMC8267967 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.110531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2020] [Revised: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/21/2020] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
We monitored the concentration of indicator viruses crAssphage and pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) and human pathogen adenovirus (HAdV) in influent from a wastewater treatment plant in Brisbane, Australia in 1-h and 24-h composite samples. Over three days of sampling, the mean concentration of crAssphage gene copies (GC)/mL in 24-h composite samples did not differ significantly (p = 0.72-0.92), while for PMMoV GC/mL (p value range: 0.0002-0.0321) and HAdV GC/mL (p value range: 0.0028-0.0068) significant differences in concentrations were observed on one day of sampling compared to the other two. For all three viruses, the variation observed in 1-h composite samples was greater than the variation observed in 24-h composite samples. For crAssphage, in 54.1% of 1-h composite samples, the concentration was less than that observed in 24-h composite samples; whereas for PMMoV and HAdV the concentration was less in 79.2 and 70.9% of 1-h composite samples, respectively, compared to the relevant 24-h composite samples. Similarly, the concentration of crAssphage in 1-h compared to 24-h composite samples did not differ (p = 0.1082) while the concentrations of PMMoV (p < 0.0001) and HAdV (p < 0.0001) in 1-h composite samples were significantly different from 24-h composite samples. These results suggest that 24-h composite samples offer increased analytical sensitivity and decreased variability compared to 1-h composite samples when monitoring wastewater, especially for pathogenic viruses with low infection rates within a community. Thus, for wastewater-based epidemiology applications, 24-h composite samples are less likely to produce false negative results and erroneous public health information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Warish Ahmed
- CSIRO Land and Water, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, QLD, 4102, Australia.
| | - Aaron Bivins
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering & Earth Sciences, 156 Fitzpatrick Hall, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46656, USA
| | - Paul M Bertsch
- CSIRO Land and Water, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, QLD, 4102, Australia
| | - Kyle Bibby
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering & Earth Sciences, 156 Fitzpatrick Hall, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46656, USA
| | - Pradip Gyawali
- Institute of Environmental Science and Research Ltd (ESR), Porirua, 5240, New Zealand
| | - Samendra P Sherchan
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Tulane University, 1440 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA
| | | | - Kevin V Thomas
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4103, Australia
| | - Rory Verhagen
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4103, Australia
| | - Masaaki Kitajima
- Division of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, North 13 West 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0032, Japan
| | - Jochen F Mueller
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4103, Australia
| | - Asja Korajkic
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, 26W Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Cincinnati, OH, 45268, USA
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Dufour A. A short history of methods used to measure bathing beach water quality. J Microbiol Methods 2021; 181:106134. [PMID: 33421445 PMCID: PMC7870561 DOI: 10.1016/j.mimet.2021.106134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Revised: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/03/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The enumeration of fecal indicators of bathing beach water to determine quality have been used since the mid-20th century. In the 1930s and as late the 1970s, the Most Probable Number procedure for estimating microbial densities in water was in general use. The most probable number procedure was replaced as a method of choice by the membrane filter procedure. The membrane filter had been developed in the early 1950s but did not find widespread use until the 1970s. Another development during the 1970s was the quanti -tray method, a proprietary multi-well tray, which was introduced as an innovative form of the Most Probable Number procedure. In 2005 molecular methods were introduced as a rapid 3-hourh procedure for measuring bathing beach water quality. Several variations of this approach are currently in use or in development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Al Dufour
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Measurements and Modeling, Cincinnati, OH, United States of America.
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50
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Ahmed W, Toze S, Veal C, Fisher P, Zhang Q, Zhu Z, Staley C, Sadowsky MJ. Comparative decay of culturable faecal indicator bacteria, microbial source tracking marker genes, and enteric pathogens in laboratory microcosms that mimic a sub-tropical environment. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 751:141475. [PMID: 32890804 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Revised: 08/02/2020] [Accepted: 08/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Enteric pathogens can be present in drinking water catchments due to several point and non-point sources of faecal contamination. Pathogen and contaminant signatures will decay due to environmental stresses, such as temperature, Ultra Violet (UV) radiation, salinity, and predation. In this study, we determined the decay of the culturable faecal indicator bacterium (FIB) Escherichia coli (E. coli), two sewage-associated marker genes (Bacteroides HF183 and crAssphage CPQ_056), and enteric pathogens (Campylobacter spp., human adenovirus 40/41, and Cryptosporidium parvum) in two freshwater laboratory microcosms using culture-based, quantitative PCR (qPCR) and vital dye (determine the fraction of viable Cryptosporidium oocysts) assays. Freshwater samples from the Lake Wappa and Lake Wivenhoe (Australia) were seeded with untreated sewage and C. parvum oocysts, and their declining concentrations were measured over a 28-day period. Moreover, 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing was also undertaken to determine the change/shift in sewage-associated bacterial communities using SourceTracker. Overall, culturable E. coli and the HF183 marker gene decayed significantly (p < 0.05) faster than did the qPCR measured enteric pathogens suggesting that the absence of culturable FIB or qPCR HF183 in water samples may not indicate the absence of pathogens. The decay of crAssphage was similar to that of HAdV 40/41 and other pathogens tested, suggesting crAssphage may be a better surrogate for enteric viruses in sub-tropical catchment waters. The decay rates were greater at 25 °C compared to 15 °C, suggesting that FIB and pathogens persist longer in the winter season compared to summer. Overall decay rates of the tested microorganisms in this microcosm study suggest that sub-tropical conditions, especially temperature, have a negative impact on the persistence of tested microorganisms. Sewage-associated bacterial communities also showed similar patterns. Based on the results, which showed differences in simulated summer and winter temperatures for pathogen decay, corresponding management options and treatment need to be adjusted accordingly to minimize human health risks effectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Warish Ahmed
- CSIRO Land and Water, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, QLD, Australia.
| | - Simon Toze
- CSIRO Land and Water, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, QLD, Australia
| | - Cameron Veal
- Seqwater, 117 Brisbane Street, Ipswich, QLD, Australia
| | - Paul Fisher
- Seqwater, 117 Brisbane Street, Ipswich, QLD, Australia
| | - Qian Zhang
- Department of Soil, Water, and Climate, and the BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Zhigang Zhu
- Department of Surgery, University of Minnesota, MN 55455, USA
| | | | - Michael J Sadowsky
- Department of Soil, Water, and Climate, and the BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
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