@article{0abf0b59a3d44e1ca870d96580bc6a2c,
title = "Spatial patterns of enzymatic activity in large water bodies: Ship-borne measurements of beta-D-glucuronidase activity as a rapid indicator of microbial water quality",
abstract = "This study used automated enzymatic activity measurements conducted from a mobile research vessel to detect the spatial variability of beta‑d‑glucuronidase (GLUC) activity in large freshwater bodies. The ship-borne observations provided the first high-resolution spatial data of GLUC activity in large water bodies as rapid indication of fecal pollution and were used to identify associations with hydrological conditions and land use. The utility of this novel approach for water quality screening was evaluated by surveys of the Columbia River, the Mississippi River and the Yahara Lakes, covering up to a 500 km river course and 50 km2 lake area. The ship-borne measurements of GLUC activity correlated with standard E. coli analyses (R2 = 0.71) and revealed the effects of (1) precipitation events and urban run-off on GLUC activity in surface waters, (2) localized point inlets of potential fecal pollution and (3) increasing GLUC signals along gradients of urbanization. We propose that this ship-borne water quality screening to be integrated into future water inventory programs as an initial or complementary tool (besides established fecal indicator parameters), due to its ability to provide near real-time spatial information on potential fecal contamination of large surface water resources and therefore being helpful to greatly reduce potential human health risks.",
keywords = "Environmental Monitoring/instrumentation, Glucuronidase/analysis, Lakes/microbiology, Rivers/microbiology, United States, Water Quality",
author = "Philipp Stadler and Loken, {Luke C} and Crawford, {John T} and Schramm, {Paul J} and Kirsti Sorsa and Catherine Kuhn and Domenico Savio and Striegl, {Robert G} and David Butman and Stanley, {Emily H} and Farnleitner, {Andreas H} and Matthias Zessner",
note = "Funding Information: This study was financially supported by the Austrian Science Fund (Vienna Doctoral Programme on Water Resource Systems, W 1219-N22) and the Vienna University of Technology (innovative project, IP-GIP226TPC) in collaboration with the North Temperate Lakes–Long Term Ecological Research program (NSF DEB-14402978), UW2020, and the U.S. Geological Survey's Land Carbon program. We thank Vienna Water Monitoring Solutions for providing the Coliminder prototype as well as reagents for the conducted surveys. Special thanks to Hunter Carlson and Taylor Smull, interns at Public Health Madison and Dane County, for conducting the laboratory analyses during the reference sample campaign. We thank Alexander Kirschner (Medical University of Vienna) for his thoughtful comments. Funding Information: This study was financially supported by the Austrian Science Fund (Vienna Doctoral Programme on Water Resource Systems, W 1219-N22 ) and the Vienna University of Technology (innovative project, IP-GIP226TPC ) in collaboration with the North Temperate Lakes–Long Term Ecological Research program (NSF DEB-14402978), UW2020, and the U.S. Geological Survey's Land Carbon program. We thank Vienna Water Monitoring Solutions for providing the Coliminder prototype as well as reagents for the conducted surveys. Special thanks to Hunter Carlson and Taylor Smull, interns at Public Health Madison and Dane County, for conducting the laboratory analyses during the reference sample campaign. We thank Alexander Kirschner ( Medical University of Vienna ) for his thoughtful comments. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2018 The Author(s)",
year = "2019",
month = feb,
day = "15",
doi = "10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.10.084",
language = "English",
volume = "651",
pages = "1742--1752",
journal = "Science of the Total Environment",
issn = "0048-9697",
publisher = "Elsevier",
number = "Pt 2",
}