Microbial Source Tracking Approach to Investigate Fecal Waste at the Strawberry Creek Watershed and Clam Beach, California, USA

Jeremy A. Corrigan, Steven R. Butkus, Michael E. Ferris and Jill C. Roberts
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Jeremy A. Corrigan: Humboldt County Public Health Laboratory, County of Humboldt, 529 I Street, Eureka, CA 95501, USA
Steven R. Butkus: State of California, North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board, 5550 Skylane Blvd., Santa Rosa, CA 95403, USA
Michael E. Ferris: Humboldt County Public Health Laboratory, County of Humboldt, 529 I Street, Eureka, CA 95501, USA
Jill C. Roberts: College of Public Health, University of South Florida, 13201 Bruce B. Downs Blvd, MDC 56, Tampa, FL 33612, USA

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 13, 1-16

Abstract: Clam Beach is located in Northern California, USA, and is listed as an impaired waterway by the federal government. The scope of this study was to investigate this beach and surrounding watershed to determine, if possible, the source of the impairment by conducting an 11-h beach study and 8-week watershed study. We used traditional fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) and microbial source tracking (MST) methods to help identify source(s) of the FIB. Our study was focused on four possible contributors: human, ruminant, canine, and bird. A total of 169 samples were collected, analyzed, and compared to the California Department of Health single sample maximum (SSM) objective. In the beach study, 29 (44%) samples exceeded at least one SSM objective, which would have resulted in a resample per state regulations for recreational primary contact use. MST methods showed that the most abundant marker detected was bird, in 65% of the samples, but varied by sample location, which is likely due to a natural population of nearshore birds regularly observed along Clam Beach. The watershed study highlighted the potential influence from ruminants throughout the region, while humans did not appear to be a significant contributor. Health risk to humans appears to be low.

Keywords: bird; canine; fecal indicator bacteria; human; recreational water; ruminant (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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