Escherichia coli contamination of the river Thames in different seasons and weather conditions

Contamination of public water ways with sewage represents a serious environmental and health risk. We monitored pollution of the river Thames by enumerating the indicator organism Escherichia coli. Samples were taken from a site in central London near Waterloo Bridge in different seasons. E. coli were quantified using a membrane filtration method, and correlated with the tidal variations of the river and meteorological data on rainfall and temperature. More frequent and severe incidents of pollution occurred in the autumn. Heavy rainfall resulted in sharp peaks of E. coli contamination that implies a potential increase of numbers of pathogenic micro‐organisms. Sixty percent of all samples were found to be in excess of the accepted upper limit of pollution set by European Union (EU) legislation for bathing water. This study demonstrated that frequent sewage pollution of the Thames results in high numbers of E. coli and incidents of detectable levels of pathogenic bacteria demonstrating the need for regular monitoring of bacterial pollution.     

光波辐射对生活污水中大肠杆菌的灭杀效果

分别采用微波无极紫外光(MUL)和普通紫外光(CUL)灭杀模拟生活污水和校园污水处理站二沉池出水中的大肠杆菌,考察了MUL、CUL对大肠杆菌的灭杀效果。结果表明:MUL的杀菌效果略好于CUL,模拟生活污水经MUL与CUL照射0.5 min后,杀菌率分别达到83.57%和69.29%,照射1 min后,杀菌率分别达到99.07%和98.36%;二级出水经MUL与CUL照射0.5min后,杀菌率分别为88.64%和72.73%,照射1 min后,杀菌率分别为97.95%和95.50%。采用MUL能更有效地抑制大肠杆菌的光复活。     

Evaluation of data from the literature on the transport and survival of Escherichia coli and thermotolerant coliforms in aquifers under saturated conditions

Escherichia coli and thermotolerant coliforms are of major importance as indicators of fecal contamination of water. Due to its negative surface charge and relatively low die-off or inactivation rate coefficient, E. coli is able to travel long distances underground and is therefore also a useful indicator of fecal contamination of groundwater. In this review, the major processes known to determine the underground transport of E. coli (attachment, straining and inactivation) are evaluated. The single collector contact efficiency (SCCE), eta0, one of two parameters commonly used to assess the importance of attachment, can be quantified for E. coli using classical colloid filtration theory. The sticking efficiency, alpha, the second parameter frequently used in determining attachment, varies widely (from 0.003 to almost 1) and mainly depends on charge differences between the surface of the collector and E. coli. Straining can be quantified from geometrical considerations; it is proposed to employ a so-called straining correction parameter, alpha(str). Sticking efficiencies determined from field experiments were lower than those determined under laboratory conditions. We hypothesize that this is due to preferential flow mechanisms, E. coli population heterogeneity, and/or the presence of organic and inorganic compounds in wastewater possibly affecting bacterial attachment characteristics. Of equal importance is the inactivation or die-off of E. coli that is affected by factors like type of bacterial strain, temperature, predation, antagonism, light, soil type, pH, toxic substances, and dissolved oxygen. Modeling transport of E. coli can be separated into three steps: (1) attachment rate coefficients and straining rate coefficients can be calculated from Darcy flow velocity fields or pore water flow velocity fields, calculated SCCE fields, realistic sticking efficiency values and straining correction parameters, (2) together with the inactivation rate coefficient, total rate coefficient fields can be generated, and (3) used as input for modeling the transport of E. coli in existing contaminant transport codes. Areas of future research are manifold and include the effects of typical wastewater characteristics, including high concentrations of organic compounds, on the transport of E. coli and thermotolerant coliforms, and the upscaling of experiments to represent typical field conditions, possibly including preferential flow mechanisms and the aspect of population heterogeneity of E. coli.     

Combined permeable pavement and photocatalytic titanium dioxide oxidation system for urban run‐off treatment and disinfection

Permeable pavement systems (PPS) are frequently associated with high removal efficiencies for water quality parameters. Their effluent can, therefore, be recycled, for example, for sprinkling onto gardens. Nevertheless, some stakeholders fear that potentially pathogenic organisms within the treated run‐off could be too high, and therefore they request disinfection before recycling. The aim of this paper is, therefore, to assess the efficiency of a batch flow combined titanium dioxide (TiO₂) and ultraviolet (UV) light photocatalytic reactor in removing water‐borne microbial contaminants from the effluent of PPS. Combined TiO₂ and UV photocatalytic reaction times between 80 and 100 min were required for the complete removal of Escherichia coli, total coliforms and faecal Streptococci, which had mean initial counts of 1.5 × 10⁷, 4.4 × 10⁶ and 6.9 × 10⁵ colony‐forming units (CFU) per 100 mL, respectively. In comparison, UV disinfection alone resulted in insignificant microbial removal. Suspended TiO₂ powder was more effective than small immobilised TiO₂ crystals.     

Bacterial contamination due to point and nonpoint source pollution in a rapidly growing urban center in an arid region

The distribution of bacterial contaminants (Escherichia coli and total coliforms) and nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) in a rapidly growing metropolitan area, the Las Vegas Valley, were studied to assess the contributions of point and nonpoint pollution sources under dry weather flow (pre rainfall) and wet weather flow (post rainfall) events. Nonpoint sources emanating from urban centers and septic seepage were found to be a primary source of bacterial contamination in the Las Vegas Wash, a mainstream wash channel where the Las Vegas Valley watershed drains. Contribution of point sources (wastewater treatment plants) to E. coli and total coliforms were found to be negligible. However, data in the Tropicana/Flamingo Wash, a tributary of the Las Vegas Wash, showed high bacterial activities in the wet antecedent rainfall condition as compared to the pre-rain dry antecedent condition suggesting that the rainfall increased bacterial activities.     

Adsorption, sedimentation, and inactivation of E. coli within wastewater treatment wetlands

Bacteria fate and transport within constructed wetlands must be understood if engineered wetlands are to become a reliable form of wastewater treatment. This study investigated the relative importance of microbial treatment mechanisms in constructed wetlands treating both domestic and agricultural wastewater. Escherichia coli (E. coli) inactivation, adsorption, and settling rates were measured in the lab within two types of wastewater (dairy wastewater lagoon effluent and domestic septic tank effluent). In situ E. coli inactivation was also measured within a domestic wastewater treatment wetland and the adsorption of E. coli was also measured within the wetland effluent.Inactivation of E. coli appears to be the most significant contributor to E. coli removal within the wastewaters and wetland environments examined in this study. E. coli survived longer within the dairy wastewater (DW) compared to the domestic wastewater treatment wetland water (WW). First order rate constants for E. coli inactivation within the WW in the lab ranged from 0.09 day⁻¹ (d⁻¹) at 7.6 °C to 0.18 d⁻¹ at 22.8 °C. The average in situ rate constant observed within the domestic wetland ranged from 0.02 d⁻¹ to 0.03 d⁻¹ at an average water temperature of 17 °C. First order rate constants for E. coli inactivation within the DW ranged from 0.01 d⁻¹ at 7.7 °C to 0.04 d⁻¹ at 24.6 °C. Calculated distribution coefficients (K_d) were 19,000 mL g⁻¹, 324,000 mL g⁻¹, and 293 mL g⁻¹ for E. coli with domestic septic tank effluent (STE), treated wetland effluent (WLE), and DW, respectively. Approximately 50%, 20%, and 90% of E. coli were “free floating” or associated with particles <5 μm in size within the STE, WLE, and DW respectively. Although 10-50% of E. coli were found to associate with particles >5 μm within both the STE and DW, settling did not appear to contribute to E. coli removal within sedimentation experiments, indicating that the particles the bacteria were associated with had very small settling velocities.The results of this study highlight the importance of wastewater characterization when designing a treatment wetland system for bacterial removal. This study illustrated the level of variability in E. coli removal processes that can be observed within different wastewater, and wetland environments.     

Antimicrobial resistance of fecal bacteria in waters of the Seine river watershed (France)

We studied the prevalences of antimicrobial resistance (AR) and multiple antimicrobial resistance (MAR) among the fecal bacteria found in the rivers of a large watershed under strong anthropogenic pressures, the Seine river watershed (France). Two groups of fecal indicator bacteria, Escherichia coli and intestinal enterococci, were tested for their susceptibility to 16 and 10 antimicrobials respectively, using the disk diffusion method. We found that 42% of the 214 E. coli river isolates were AR (resistant to at least one antimicrobial) and 35% were MAR (resistant to at least two antimicrobials). Among the 148 intestinal enterococci isolates from rivers, 83% were AR and 49% were MAR. We also investigated the sources of AR fecal bacteria found in the rivers of the watershed. A total of 715 E. coli isolates and 476 intestinal enterococci isolates were collected in point sources (municipal and hospital wastewaters) and non-point sources (surface runoff and soil leaching waters from agricultural or forest areas). For E. coli, the prevalence of AR differed widely from source to source and ranked in this order: hospital wastewaters (71%) > municipal wastewaters (44%) > agricultural non-point sources (16%) > forest non-point sources (2%). The prevalence of MAR ranked similarly, and the same trend was observed for intestinal enterococci. The AR level of fecal bacteria in the sources was related to their expected exposure level to antimicrobials before their release into the environment. A MAR index was calculated for every source and a good discrimination between them was thus obtained. At the global scale of the Seine river watershed, domestic wastewaters seemed more likely to be the predominant source of the AR fecal bacteria found in the rivers. This was corroborated by the similarity of the MAR indices from river and municipal wastewater isolates for both fecal indicators.     

Comparison of the efficacy of an existing versus a locally developed metabolic fingerprint database to identify non-point sources of faecal contamination in a coastal lake

A comparison of the efficacy of an existing large metabolic fingerprint database of enterococci and Escherichia coli with a locally developed database was undertaken to identify the sources of faecal contamination in a coastal lake, in southeast Qld., Australia. The local database comprised of 776 enterococci and 780 E. coli isolates from six host groups. In all, 189 enterococci and 245 E. coli biochemical phenotypes (BPTs) were found, of which 118 and 137 BPTs were unique (UQ) to host groups. The existing database comprised of 295 enterococci UQ-BPTs and 273 E. coli UQ-BPTs from 10 host groups. The representativeness and the stability of the existing database were assessed by comparing with isolates that were external to the database. In all, 197 enterococci BPTs and 179 E. coli BPTs were found in water samples. The existing database was able to identify 62.4% of enterococci BPTs and 64.8% of E. coli BPTs as human and animal sources. The results indicated that a representative database developed from a catchment can be used to predict the sources of faecal contamination in another catchment with similar landuse features within the same geographical area. However, the representativeness and the stability of the database should be evaluated prior to its application in such investigation.     

Mg~(2+)和氨基酸对重组大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)生长及羧肽酶原B表达的影响

目的研究Mg2+和氨基酸对重组菌株生长及表达pCPB的影响。方法通过摇瓶和发酵罐培养,观察不同Mg2+浓度和氨基酸对重组菌的生长和羧肽酶原B表达的影响。结果添加1g/L Mg2+能提高质粒的稳定性;添加氨基酸能使羧肽酶原B表达量由18·7g/L提高到24g/L。结论添加适量的Mg2+和氨基酸能促进重组菌的生长和提高目的蛋白的表达量。     

耐药大肠杆菌的致病性与免疫原性

目的了解大肠杆菌耐药株的致病性与免疫原性。方法临床分离耐药大肠杆菌,经适宜条件培养后接种小鼠,观察耐药菌株对小鼠的致病性;并选择已知血清型的不同耐药谱和不同耐药水平的菌,分别培养至对数生长期,经甲醛灭活后免疫小鼠,2周后分别用致死剂量的原菌株和同期分离菌株进行攻毒,考察耐药菌株免疫原性。结果24株耐药菌普通肉汤培养物分别感染小鼠,在接种后18h,存活率仅为4%。只有2株菌在1周内仍不能将小鼠全部致死,经小鼠体内传3代后,可在18h内致死小鼠。耐药谱广的菌株感染的小鼠,心肌发生颗粒变性、局灶性出血、坏死;肝脏糖元溶解,脂肪变性;脾脏轻度淤血,淋巴细胞减少;肾脏出血,肾小球肾炎,上皮细胞颗粒变性,水泡变性。而耐药种类少的菌株与对照敏感菌株感染的小鼠主要特征为脾脏出血、淤血,坏死,脾小体消失;肠上皮细胞坏死、脱落、卡他性肠炎。免疫小鼠以免疫用菌株攻毒,均可得较高的保护率,最低为75%,最高为100%。免疫小鼠用非免疫菌株攻毒,小鼠感染后症状出现较缓慢,在18h后出现死亡高峰。耐药种类少的菌株免疫小鼠,对同期分离的非免疫用的致病性大肠杆菌攻击的保护率偏低,而对受试的11种抗生素耐受7种以上的菌株免疫小鼠后,对致病大肠杆菌攻击的保护率显著提高,多数达到75%以上,经统计学分析差异显著。结论耐药大肠杆菌具有较强致病性,且耐药特性与其免疫保护效果相关,多重耐药株对当前流行菌株具有更好的免疫保护作用。