A 22-Site Comparison of Land-Use Practices, E-coli and Enterococci Concentrations

Jason A. Hubbart (), Elliott Kellner and Fritz Petersen
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Jason A. Hubbart: Division of Forestry and Natural Resources, Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design, West Virginia University, Percival Hall, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
Elliott Kellner: The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, 975 N. Warson Rd, St. Louis, MO 63132, USA
Fritz Petersen: Department of Biology, Biology Life Sciences Building, Loyola University Chicago, 1032 W. Sheridan Road, Chicago, IL 60660, USA

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 21, 1-21

Abstract: Land-use practices can greatly impact water quality. Escherichia (E.) coli and Enterococcus are accepted water quality indicators. However, surprisingly little research has been conducted comparing both organisms’ population density relationships to land use practices and water quality. Stream water grab samples were collected monthly ( n = 9 months) from 22 stream monitoring sites draining varying land use practice types in a representative mixed-land-use watershed of the northeastern United States. E. coli and enterococci colony forming units (CFU per 100 mL) were estimated ( n = 396) and statistically analyzed relative to land use practices, hydroclimate, and pH, using a suite of methods, including correlation analysis, Principal Components Analysis (PCA), and Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA). Correlation analyses indicated significant ( p < 0.05) relationships between fecal indicator bacteria concentrations, water quality metrics and land use practices but emphasized significant ( p < 0.05) negative correlations between pH and instream enterococci concentrations. PCA and CCA results indicated consistent spatial differences between fecal indicator bacteria concentrations, pH, and land use/land cover characteristics. The study showed that pH could be considered an integrated proxy variable for past (legacy) and present land use practice influences. Results also bring to question the comparability of E-coli and enterococci relative to dominant land use practices and variations in pH and provide useful information that will help guide land use practice and water pollutant mitigation decision making.

Keywords: Escherichia coli; enterococcus; fecal indicators; land use practices; acid-mine drainage; water quality (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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