TY - JOUR
T1 - Assessing the impact of inland navigation on the faecal pollution status of large rivers
T2 - A novel integrated field approach
AU - Steinbacher, Sophia D
AU - Ameen, Ahmad
AU - Demeter, Katalin
AU - Lun, David
AU - Derx, Julia
AU - Lindner, Gerhard
AU - Sommer, Regina
AU - Linke, Rita B
AU - Kolm, Claudia
AU - Zuser, Karen
AU - Heckel, Martina
AU - Perschl, Andrea
AU - Blöschl, Günter
AU - Blaschke, Alfred P
AU - Kirschner, Alexander K T
AU - Farnleitner, Andreas H
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Author(s)
PY - 2024/7/2
Y1 - 2024/7/2
N2 - The contribution of ships to the microbial faecal pollution status of water bodies is largely unknown but frequently of human health concern. No methodology for a comprehensive and target-orientated system analysis was available so far. We developed a novel approach for integrated and multistage impact evaluation. The approach includes, i) theoretical faecal pollution source profiling (PSP, i.e., size and pollution capacity estimation from municipal vs. ship sewage disposal) for impact scenario estimation and hypothesis generation, ii) high-resolution field assessment of faecal pollution levels and chemo-physical water quality at the selected river reaches, using standardized faecal indicators (cultivation-based) and genetic microbial source tracking markers (qPCR-based), and iii) integrated statistical analyses of the observed faecal pollution and the number of ships assessed by satellite-based automated ship tracking (i.e., automated identification system, AIS) at local and regional scales. The new approach was realised at a 230 km long Danube River reach in Austria, enabling detailed understanding of the complex pollution characteristics (i.e., longitudinal/cross-sectional river and upstream/downstream docking area analysis). Faecal impact of navigation was demonstrated to be remarkably low at regional and local scale (despite a high local contamination capacity), indicating predominantly correct disposal practices during the investigated period. Nonetheless, faecal emissions were sensitively traceable, attributable to the ship category (discriminated types: cruise, passenger and freight ships) and individual vessels (docking time analysis) at one docking area by the link with AIS data. The new innovative and sensitive approach is transferrable to any water body worldwide with available ship-tracking data, supporting target-orientated monitoring and evidence-based management practices.
AB - The contribution of ships to the microbial faecal pollution status of water bodies is largely unknown but frequently of human health concern. No methodology for a comprehensive and target-orientated system analysis was available so far. We developed a novel approach for integrated and multistage impact evaluation. The approach includes, i) theoretical faecal pollution source profiling (PSP, i.e., size and pollution capacity estimation from municipal vs. ship sewage disposal) for impact scenario estimation and hypothesis generation, ii) high-resolution field assessment of faecal pollution levels and chemo-physical water quality at the selected river reaches, using standardized faecal indicators (cultivation-based) and genetic microbial source tracking markers (qPCR-based), and iii) integrated statistical analyses of the observed faecal pollution and the number of ships assessed by satellite-based automated ship tracking (i.e., automated identification system, AIS) at local and regional scales. The new approach was realised at a 230 km long Danube River reach in Austria, enabling detailed understanding of the complex pollution characteristics (i.e., longitudinal/cross-sectional river and upstream/downstream docking area analysis). Faecal impact of navigation was demonstrated to be remarkably low at regional and local scale (despite a high local contamination capacity), indicating predominantly correct disposal practices during the investigated period. Nonetheless, faecal emissions were sensitively traceable, attributable to the ship category (discriminated types: cruise, passenger and freight ships) and individual vessels (docking time analysis) at one docking area by the link with AIS data. The new innovative and sensitive approach is transferrable to any water body worldwide with available ship-tracking data, supporting target-orientated monitoring and evidence-based management practices.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85197693134&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.watres.2024.122029
DO - 10.1016/j.watres.2024.122029
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 38996728
SN - 0043-1354
VL - 261
SP - 122029
JO - Water Research
JF - Water Research
M1 - 122029
ER -