Ground Water Risks & Microbes

Joan B. Rose

517-432-4412

rosejo@msu.edu

Groundwater Use in Michigan 2001

1%

50%

19%

30% Power

Pubic

Industrial

Irrigation

Total 513.36 MGD

050000

100000150000200000250000300000350000400000450000500000

IL IN MI MN NY OH PA WI

On site Wastewater Systems in the Great Lakes

Numbers of OWTS

Water Quality and Fecal IndicatorsCriteria and Standards / 100 mL

FOR RECREATIONAL WATERS• E.coli

- 235 CFU US EPA- 300 CFU MDEQ

• Enterococci- 61 CFU US EPA

• Clostridium- 50 CFU Hawaii

FOR DRINKING AND GROUND WATER• <1 Total coliform bacteria and E.coli; Enterococci or coliphage• No detectable pathogens (viruses and parasites)• Parasite detection in ground water is viewed as “ground water under

the influence of surface waters” and should be filtered for drinking purposes.

E. coli

• Standard in Michigan

• Found in the gastrointestinal tract of mammals

• Member of Fecal Coliform group

• Possess the enzyme β-glucuronidase

• Presence indicates fecal contamination

Enterococci

• Sub group of streptococci

• Used in testing water quality

• EPA recommended and greater association with recreational disease

• Some can readily colonize skin and mucous membranes

Clostridium perfringens

• Anaerobe

• Spore former

• Produces toxins

Coliphage

• Virus

• Needs bacteria’s machinary (E.coli) to replicate

• Indicates fecal contamination

Types of Waterborne Pathogens

Viruses Bacteria Parasites

THE DISEASES: diarrhea, respiratory illness, liver damage, kidney failure, heart disease, cancer, nervous system disorders; birth defects, death.

Chief Waterborne Microorganisms

• Viruses– rotavirus

– coxsackievirus

– echovirus

– calicivirus

– norovirus

– Hepatitis A and E

• Bacteria– E.coli– Salmonella spp.– Shigella spp.– Aeromonas

hydrophila– Campylobacter

jejuni

• Protozoa– Cryptosporidium

parvum

– Giardia lamblia

OVER 100 Viruses found in sewage:Adenoviruses, respiratory and enteric, higher numbers, greater resistance to uv disinfection. Coxsackie viruses, myocarditis and viral meningitis. Identification of Cancer causing viruses Polyomaviruses in Wastewater.

SMALL BIO-NANO PARTICLES

LONG-TERM SURVIVAL

HIGHLY INFECTIOUS

Figure 3

                                                                                

Figure 6

                                                                                

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WATERBORNE OUTBREAKS IN THE U.S.

Polluted groundwater a major risk

Small systems

Unknown and

emerging contaminants

Waterborne Disease in the U.S.• 1993-1994: 14 outbreaks, 37%

groundwater• 1995-1996: 22 outbreaks, 50%

groundwater• 1997-1998: 17 outbreaks, 88%

groundwater

• Viral contamination detected in 40% of groundwater sources tested

Groundwater Monitoring

• Study transport and survival of pathogenic microbes in groundwater

• Monitor for pathogens using culture and PCR (molecular methods)

Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)

• Developed in 1985 by Kary Mullis

• Dr. Mullis received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1993

• PCR is considered as one of the most important discoveries in molecular biology

What is PCR?

• Enzymatic reaction that makes many copies of DNA from single molecule

• 2n copies of DNA from single molecule where n = No. of cycles

• So, 35 cycles of PCR would yield 235 copies of DNA

Source Tracking at MSU • Recently developed method to track a

Human marker in Enterococci.

• 107/109 samples from human sewage and septic tanks were positive.

• 0/80 samples from cattle, swine, bird, fecal samples and lagoons were positive.

Human Pollution Marker Validation

Source esp marker +

Sewage 67/67

Septic tank 14/16

Poultry 0/8

Swine 0/12

Cattle 0/35

Canada Geese 0/12

Seagull 0/28

Pelican 0/7

Wild Birds 0/10Scott et al., 2005. Env. Sci. Technol., 39: 283-287

Enteric viruses

• In a National Survey approximately 8% of ground waters in U.S. were positive for cultivatible viruses while 30% were positive by Molecular methods (PCR).

• PCR is being used to detect of risk for Viruses which can not be easily grown in cell culture.

Sampling locations

+ for esp Marker

Pathogen and Indicator Sampling in Michigan Waters

+ for Enteric Viruses

esp human marker in Great Lakes recreational beach waters

Silver Beach, MI

Sampling time

Number of swimmersMean turbidity (NTU)

[SD]

positive for esp marker

Morning 17 3.2[3.8]

5/1683%

(n=276)

Afternoon 805 3.7

[3.7]

4/884.5%(n=138)

Total 822 9/256

Studies in Wisconsin have shown statistical Association between diarrhea in children and Virus infection and Septic tank density.

• No evidence of well contamination based on coliforms.

• Virus infections associated in a 640-acre section.

• Bacterial infections in a 40-acre section.• Unknown infections associated with

Enterococci contamination.Borchardt et al. May 2003 Envir. Hlth Perspec vol 111

Groundwater Risks Lessons Learned Walkerton, Ontario Outbreak (occured In small communityUsing Ground water).

Source: Application ofAnimal Waste/Manure

Monitoring and Disinfection not addressed.

2300 CASES7 DEATHS27 CASES of HUS

5 years later community still suffering.

E.coli 0157:H7• Enteropathogenic strain of E. coli• Serious waterborne outbreaks• 243 cases, 32 hospitalizations, 4

deaths• Water main repair with sewage

overflow contamination, 1987• Groundwater supplying Fairgrounds

in NY 750 cases, 2 deaths, 1999• Walkerton, groundwater, ~1000 cases,

6 deaths, 2000

E.coli 0157:H7Health Effects

• Children and the elderly at greatest risk

• Severe bloody diarrhea

• Hemolytic uremic syndrome

• Kidney failure

• Death

The WHO has classified The WHO has classified H. pyloriH. pylori as a Class I as a Class I carcinogen because of the association of carcinogen because of the association of H. pyloriH. pylori and and gastric malignancies.gastric malignancies.

German group ,Rolle-Kampczyk et al. ( 2004) German group ,Rolle-Kampczyk et al. ( 2004) found a significant correlation between well found a significant correlation between well water contaminated with water contaminated with H. pyloriH. pylori detection by detection by PCR and colonization status in humansPCR and colonization status in humans..

Water supplies contaminated with fecal material may be a potential source of H. pylori transmission (Hulten et al., 1996).

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Analysis of VacA gene of H. pylori Vs Samples

No. of H. pylori / 50 ml samples

Raw water from waste water treatment plant at different period of time

Campy and new emerging bacteria associated with ground water

• Campylobacter jejuni is a major cause of human bacterial enteritis.

• Source of transmission of C. jejuni to humans occurs via contaminated water , poultry , shellfish and milk.

• Arcobacter spp have been associated with cases of human enteritis and abortion in livestock.

Because of their phylogenetic proximity, transmission mechanisms that have been described for C. jejuni may be applicable to Helicobacter and Archobacter spp

(Wesley V.I.,1997 )

Campy and new emerging bacteria associated with ground water

• Campylobacter jejuni is a major cause of human bacterial enteritis.

• Source of transmission of C. jejuni to humans occurs via contaminated water , poultry , shellfish and milk.

• H. pylori is the most common chronic bacterial infection to occur in humans which leads to gastric cancer.

• Arcobacter spp have been associated with cases of human enteritis and abortion in livestock.

Because of their phylogenetic proximity, transmission mechanisms that have been described for C. jejuni may be applicable to Helicobacter and Archobacter spp (Wesley

V.I.,1997 )

“DON’T DRINK THE WATER—DRINK THE WINE”

THE SOUTH BASS ISLAND OUTBREAK of 2004

   

Washington-area hotel

closes for cleaning after norovirus sickens dozens of guests

The Associated Press

Published: March 2, 2007 ARLINGTON, Virginia: A hotel near a Washington, D.C., airport was closed for cleaning after as many as 150 guests were sickened by the highly contagious norovirus, hotel and county health officials said.

FAIRFAX COUNTYSenior Community Hit by Possible Norovirus

By Leef SmithWashington Post Staff Writer

Saturday, March 10, 2007; Page B02

By kgw.com Staff

In 2006, 145 outbreaks sickened 5000 people in Michigan nursing homes, restaurants, college campuses, a prison, and summer camp

Ohio blames groundwater for Lake Erie island outbreak

Tuesday, February 22, 2005 ASSOCIATED PRESS

TOLEDO, Ohio -- Widespread groundwater contamination on a Lake Erie resort island was the likely source of illnesses that sickened hundreds last summer, the Ohio health department said Tuesday.

Several sources, including septic tanks, have tainted the South Bass Island's groundwater over a long period, and the contamination may have been worsened last summer because of a season of heavy rains, a health department report said.

The outbreak of gastrointestinal illness sickened about 1,400 tourists and residents, ending the tourist season early for many businesses.

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MSU assisted with the investigationIdentified virus contamination and potentially a new and emerging bacteria

South Bass IslandLake ErieSources septic Tanks& sewage dischargesMassive Ground Water and SurfaceWaterContamination

Outcomes of Outbreak Investigation

• On Feb 23, 2005, OH Health Dept. announced that the outbreak was caused by consumption of contaminated water

• heavy rains in May 2004 (the fifth wettest May in OH history) may have worsened the contamination

• the island's porous soil makes it easier for contaminants such as bird droppings and motor oil to wash into the bedrock especially during heavy rains

• rising and falling lake levels• shallow wells, min state requirement- 25 ft

Needed Ground Water Studies

• Building Data bases: more monitoring, new indicators, virus testing.

• To Date we have examined 10 wells (30% positive for Coliphage)

• Tracer studies: Impact of Septic Tanks

• Understanding Ground water and surface water interactions

Tracer Studies

In viral tracer studies, a nonpathogenicbacterial virus is seeded into a septic tank or injection well at high concentration,and surface or groundwaters monitoredfor viral appearance as a function of time.

TRACER STUDIES

• Used Bacteriophage

• Vibrio Phage

• PRD1 Salmonella Phage

• MS2, E.coli Phage

• Bacteriophage can be grown to high titer in the laboratory (10 million).

• A single plaque forming unit can be detected in 10 to 100ml using specific bacterial host and the agar overlay method

What we have learned from viral tracerStudies

1. Both septic tanks and injection wellsRapidly contaminated surface water (often In as little as 3 hr).2. Rates of migration of wastewater rangedFrom <1 to >150 m/h3. These results have shaped future wasteDisposal policy in the Keys

MICHIGAN NEEDS A PATHOGEN AND SOURCE TRACKING DATA BASE

MICHIGAN NEEDS BETTER APPROACH FOR HEALTH REPORTING

MICHIGAN NEEDS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LANDUSE,

CLIMATE (RAIN) AND POLLUTION

MICHIGAN NEEDS TO RANK THE IMPACTS IN THE BEACHSHEDS AND WATER QUALITY AT

THE BEACH.

MICHIGAN NEEDS TO ADDRESS WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT