ACS Publications. Most Trusted. Most Cited. Most Read
Are We Keeping Coastal Waters Safe and Clean after Heavy Rainfall Events? An Overview and Update
More

OR SEARCH CITATIONS

My Activity
Publications

Figure 1Loading Img
Download Hi-Res ImageDownload to MS-PowerPointCite This:ACS EST Water 2024, 4, 11, 4664-4667
  • Open Access
Viewpoint

Are We Keeping Coastal Waters Safe and Clean after Heavy Rainfall Events? An Overview and Update
Click to copy article linkArticle link copied!

  • Matteo Rubinato*
    Matteo Rubinato
    Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham B4 7ET, U.K.
    *[email protected]
    More by Matteo Rubinato
    View Biography
    Orcidhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-8446-4448
  • Fernando L. Rosario Ortiz
    Fernando L. Rosario Ortiz
    Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
    More by Fernando L. Rosario Ortiz
    Orcidhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-3311-9089
  • Ricardo Piazza Meireles
    Ricardo Piazza Meireles
    LOG - Laboratório de Oceanografia Geológica, Instituto de Geociências, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Bahia 40.170-280, Brazil
    More by Ricardo Piazza Meireles
  • Ricardo Martins
    Ricardo Martins
    RISCO - Research Center for Risks and Sustainability in Construction, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
    More by Ricardo Martins
  • Peng-Nan Sun
    Peng-Nan Sun
    School of Ocean Engineering and Technology, Sun Yat-sen University and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Zhuhai 519000, China
    More by Peng-Nan Sun
Open PDF

ACS ES&T Water

Cite this: ACS EST Water 2024, 4, 11, 4664–4667
Click to copy citationCitation copied!
https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestwater.4c00788
Published October 18, 2024

Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society. This publication is licensed under

CC-BY 4.0 .

This publication is licensed under

CC-BY 4.0 .
  • cc licence
  • by licence
Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society

Subjects

what are subjects
Coastal cities across the world are facing major challenges caused by the intensification of extreme events due to climate change. (1) Heavy rainfalls, including the influence of cyclones, more frequently lead to the discharge of untreated or insufficiently treated wastewater into natural environments and coastal areas, and it has been established globally that >80% of domestic wastewater is discharged into oceans or rivers without any treatment. (2,3) Furthermore, during heavy rainfall events, stormwater runoff mobilizes a variety of pathogens, (4) radically affecting marine ecosystems, changing seafloor and habitats, and changing levels of oxygen, salinity, and pollution in the water.
To aggravate the situation, continuously increasing global urbanization leads to additional urban developments in coastal areas. For example, 339 million people lived on river deltas in the past decade. (5) Thus, more people are involved in fishing activities (6) and tend to swim in open waters such as the sea. (7) Therefore, more citizens are subjected to health risks linked with exposure to waterborne pathogens that can occur via seafood or in direct contact with contaminated water. (8) Open water swimming can increase the risk of gastrointestinal illnesses, causing diarrhea and/or vomiting, as well as respiratory, skin, ear, and eye infections. Most symptoms of these illnesses are generally mild if induced by pathogens such as norovirus, giardia, and cryptosporidium; however, there is also a risk of more severe infections caused by microorganisms such as Escherichia coli O157 (9) that may cause severe gastrointestinal illness and leptospirosis, which can cause liver and kidney problems. In the United States, for example, USD 2.2–3.7 billion is estimated to be the annual economic burden due to surface water recreation. (10)
Once pathogens enter the ocean, different processes will impact their fate. Figure 1 depicts the most relevant processes and factors that are involved in the fate of pathogens in coastal waters. However, the processes that impact the fate of pathogens in coastal areas have not been carefully addressed. It is evident that the health risk is critical in coastal areas, and with the intention of reducing it, there is a strong need for research to better understand (i) the fate and transport of waterborne pathogens in these environments, (ii) what characterizes their growth and survival in coastal areas, and (iii) the links with the effects of climate change.

Figure 1

Figure 1. Contaminated water being discharged into coastal waters and consequent impact within beach, surf, breaking, shoaling, and open ocean waters. Once pathogens enter ocean waters, different processes will impact their concentration and accumulation, including chemical inactivation processes via sunlight exposure, as well as physical settling. Physical processes such as wave action can impact these removal processes by reconcentrating pathogens near specific locations.

High Resolution Image
Download MS PowerPoint Slide
Weather factors, such as temperature, play a crucial role in the fate and transport of these pathogens. (11) During the past decade, during the assessment of the impacts of climate change, several studies have demonstrated how an increased temperature may affect aquatic ecosystems and living resources or how increased water levels may impact coastal zones and their management. However, although recent studies identified links between climate variability and the occurrence of pathogens in water, (12,13) the relationships need to be quantified further in the context of other stresses. Especially in the marine environment, only a few studies have adequately addressed the potential health effects of climate variability in combination with other stresses such as sea level rise. Additionally, the seasonal interplay of rainfall and pathogen occurrence certainly impacts the health risks of beach users. Relationships are likely to be complex, especially considering that some risk factors may increase while others decrease during each season.

Future Research Directions

Click to copy section linkSection link copied!
With the aim of improving our understanding of the interaction between environmental factors previously described and the fate and transport of pathogens in coastal areas, evaluating the levels of pathogens and the spatiotemporal variability along coastal areas is vital. In natural treatment systems (e.g., wetlands and ponds), pathogens are removed or inactivated via processes such as sedimentation, adsorption, natural die-off, and photoinduced inactivation. (14) Quantifying and evaluating these processes in coastal areas, where water levels are higher and water chemistry differs, is essential. Furthermore, the constant presence of waves may induce secondary effects that are not yet fully understood. Moreover, seasonal/diurnal fluctuation in coastal areas may affect inactivation kinetics, (15) and highlighting the fact that indigenous bacteria are more resistant to sunlight disinfection than pure strains grown in the experimental laboratory tests conducted to date is also important. (16) Coastal areas cannot be easily controlled like ponds and wetlands; however, solutions must be implemented in an effort to try to contain the polluted waters during heavy rainfall events and securing ideal hydraulic retention times to enhance the exposure time and the consequent photoinactivation rates. By achieving this improved understanding, we could identify the potential processes for controlling the fate of pathogens during heavy rainfall events and uncontrolled discharges into seas and oceans and consequently reduce the impact of microbial environmental contamination in coastal areas.
The adoption of multivariate approaches to better understand linkages among environmental conditions, microbial predictors (fecal indicators and MST markers), and pathogens to improve the prediction of high-risk scenarios at recreational beaches is suggested. Furthermore, advances in monitoring are necessary to enhance early warning and prevention capabilities. Local and national authorities should consider whether radical changes to managing water quality in estuaries reaching coastal areas could better protect public health. Enhancing the environmental monitoring is vital for assessing their environmental and health impacts and managing the associated risks. Application of existing technologies, such as molecular fingerprinting to track contaminant sources (17) or satellite remote sensing to detect coastal algal blooms, (18) has the potential to be expanded and has recently made strong progress. (19,20) Therefore, advances in technology and scientific understanding mean that the future could look quite different if all of these technologies are implemented. It is also important to stress that the economic capacity may differ from state to state, and in official development assistance (ODA) countries, the application of all of these technologies may not be feasible due to a lack of funding. However, this is a global concern because even in fully developed countries, this issue is persistent. For example, southern California is known to contain high concentrations of fecal indicator bacteria such as total and fecal coliforms and Enterococcus, which has been shown to have median concentrations ranging from 100 to 100 000 MPN/100 mL, (21) and therefore, considering the surfing and recreational activities in this highly populated area, it is clear that there is a high level of human health risk that needs to be tackled.
By gathering insights regarding all of these parameters that can affect the fate and transport of pathogens in coastal areas, we will be able to enhance the quality of local waters, and sharing this information can be beneficial for local and national authorities in stipulating appropriate and more accurate decisions regarding the management of bathing waters.

Author Information

Click to copy section linkSection link copied!
  • Corresponding Author
  • Authors
    • Fernando L. Rosario Ortiz - Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States;  Orcidhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-3311-9089
    • Ricardo Piazza Meireles - LOG - Laboratório de Oceanografia Geológica, Instituto de Geociências, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Bahia 40.170-280, Brazil
    • Ricardo Martins - RISCO - Research Center for Risks and Sustainability in Construction, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
    • Peng-Nan Sun - School of Ocean Engineering and Technology, Sun Yat-sen University and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Zhuhai 519000, China
  • Notes
    The authors declare no competing financial interest.

Biography

Click to copy section linkSection link copied!
High Resolution Image
Download MS PowerPoint Slide

Dr. Matteo Rubinato, born in Cavarzere, Italy, is a Senior Lecturer in Water and Environmental Engineering at Aston University, Birmingham, U.K. He earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in environmental engineering from the University of Padova, Italy, and completed his Ph.D. in civil and water engineering at the University of Sheffield, U.K., in 2015. Dr. Rubinato’s research focuses on understanding and modeling environmental processes typical of urban, river, and coastal areas. His work also explores advancements in environmental fluid mechanics, aiming to develop innovative approaches that mitigate vulnerability and enhance the resilience, adaptive capacity, and sustainability of environmental systems in the face of increasing challenges, uncertainty, and climate change. Since the beginning of his academic career, he has collaborated with researchers at more than 25 institutions across Europe, the United States, and China, including extended research stays at the University of Colorado Boulder, Sichuan University, Beijing Normal University, Dongguan University of Technology, and Universidade Federal da Bahia. His scholarly contributions include numerous high-quality journal articles, conference proceedings, and book chapters https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=Qgudf3UAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate.

Acknowledgments

Click to copy section linkSection link copied!

This Viewpoint is based on work supported by the Royal Society International Exchanges 2022 Round 1 (IES\R1\221010), the Royal Society International Exchanges 2022 Cost Share (NSFC) (IEC\NSFC\223095), and the Royal Society International Exchanges 2020 Round 1 (IES\R1\201044), awarded to M.R. Additionally, R.M. acknowledges the financial support of the Portuguese Science Foundation (Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia) through Projects UIDB/04450/2020 and UIDP/04450/2020 granted to RISCO - Research Centre for Risks and Sustainability in Construction.

References

Click to copy section linkSection link copied!

This article references 21 other publications.

  1. 1
    Laino, E.; Iglesias, G. Scientometric review of climate-change extreme impacts on coastal cities. Ocean & Coastal Management 2023, 242, 106709  DOI: 10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2023.106709
    Google Scholar
    There is no corresponding record for this reference.
  2. 2
    Ryder, G. The United Nations world water development report, 2017: Wastewater: the untapped resource. 2017.
    Google Scholar
    There is no corresponding record for this reference.
  3. 3
    Lin, L.; Yang, H.; Xu Effects of Water Pollution on Human Health and Disease Heterogeneity: A Review. Front. Environ. Sci. 2022, 10, 880246,  DOI: 10.3389/fenvs.2022.880246
    Google Scholar
    There is no corresponding record for this reference.
  4. 4
    Law, K. L.; Starr, N.; Siegler, T. R.; Jambeck, J.; Mallos, N.; Leonard, G. B. The United States’ Contribution of Plastic Waste to Land and Ocean. Sci. Adv. 2020, 6, eabd0288  DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abd0288
    Google Scholar
    There is no corresponding record for this reference.
  5. 5
    Edmonds, D. A.; Caldwell, R. L.; Brondizio, E. S.; Siani, S. M. O. Coastal flooding will disproportionately impact people on river deltas. Nature Communication 2020, 11, 4741,  DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18531-4
    Google Scholar
    There is no corresponding record for this reference.
  6. 6
    Gamarra, N. C.; Costa, A. C. L.; Ferreira, M. A. C.; Diele-Viegas, L. M.; Santos, A. P. O.; Ladle, R. J.; Malhado, A. C.; Campos-Silva, J. V. The contribution of fishing to human well-being in Brazilian coastal communities. Marine Policy 2023, 150, 105521  DOI: 10.1016/j.marpol.2023.105521
    Google Scholar
    There is no corresponding record for this reference.
  7. 7
    González-Fernández, A.; Symonds, E. M.; Gallard-Gongora, J. F.; Mull, B.; Lukasik, J. O.; Rivera Navarro, P.; Badilla Aguilar, A.; Peraud, J.; Mora Alvarado, D.; Cantor, A.; Breitbart, M.; Cairns, M. R.; Harwood, V. J. Risk of Gastroenteritis from Swimming at a Wastewater-Impacted Tropical Beach Varies across Localized Scales. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 2023, 89 (3), e01033– 22,  DOI: 10.1128/aem.01033-22
    Google Scholar
    There is no corresponding record for this reference.
  8. 8
    Bej, S.; Swain, S.; Bishoyi, A. K.; Mandhata, C. P.; Sahoo, C. R.; Padhy, R. N. Wastewater-Associated Infections: A Public Health Concern. Water, Air, Soil & Pollution 2023, 234 (2023), 444,  DOI: 10.1007/s11270-023-06431-4
    Google Scholar
    There is no corresponding record for this reference.
  9. 9
    Díaz, S. M.; Barrios, M. E.; Galli, L.; Cammarata, R. V.; Torres, C.; Fortunato, M. S.; García López, G.; Costa, M.; Sanguino Jorquera, D. G.; Oderiz, S.; Rogé, A.; Gentiluomo, J.; Carbonari, C.; Rajal, V. B.; Korol, S. E.; Gallego, A.; Blanco Fernández, M. D.; Mbayed, V. A. Microbiological hazard identification in river waters used for recreational activities. Environmental Research 2024, 247, 118161  DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.118161
    Google Scholar
    There is no corresponding record for this reference.
  10. 10
    DeFlorio-Barker, S.; Wing, C.; Jones, R. M.; Dorevitch, S. Estimate of incidence and cost of recreational waterborne illness on United States surface waters. Environmental Health 2018, 17, 3,  DOI: 10.1186/s12940-017-0347-9
    Google Scholar
    There is no corresponding record for this reference.
  11. 11
    Cheng, K.H.; Luo, X.; Jiao, J. J.; Yu, S. Storm accelerated subsurface Escherichia coli growth and exports to coastal waters. J. Hazard. Mater. 2023, 441, 129893  DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.129893
    Google Scholar
    There is no corresponding record for this reference.
  12. 12
    González-Fernández, A.; Symonds, E. M.; Gallard-Gongora, J. F.; Mull, B.; Lukasik, J. O.; Rivera Navarro, P.; Badilla Aguilar, A.; Peraud, J.; Brown, M. L.; Mora Alvarado, D.; Breitbart, M.; Cairns, M. R.; Harwood, V. J. Relationships among microbial indicators of fecal pollution, microbial source tracking markers, and pathogens in Costa Rican coastal waters. Water Res. 2021, 188, 116507  DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.116507
    Google Scholar
    12
    Relationships among microbial indicators of fecal pollution, microbial source tracking markers, and pathogens in Costa Rican coastal waters
    Gonzalez-Fernandez, Adriana; Symonds, Erin M.; Gallard-Gongora, Javier F.; Mull, Bonnie; Lukasik, Jerzy O.; Rivera Navarro, Pablo; Badilla Aguilar, Andrei; Peraud, Jayme; Brown, Megan L.; Mora Alvarado, Darner; Breitbart, Mya; Cairns, Maryann R.; Harwood, Valerie J.
    Water Research (2021), 188 (), 116507CODEN: WATRAG; ISSN:0043-1354. (Elsevier Ltd.)
    Tropical coastal waters are understudied, despite their ecol. and economic importance. They also reflect projected climate change scenarios for other climate zones, e.g., increased rainfall and water temps. We conducted an exploratory microbial water quality study at a tropical beach influenced by sewage-contaminated rivers, and tested the hypothesis that fecal microorganisms (fecal coliforms, enterococci, Clostridium perfringens, somatic and male-specific coliphages, pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV), Bacteroides HF183, norovirus genogroup I (NoVGI), Salmonella, Cryptosporidium and Giardia) would vary by season and tidal stage. Most microorganisms' concns. were greater in the rainy season; however, NoVGI was only detected in the dry season and Cryptosporidium was the only pathogen most frequently detected in rainy season. Fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) levels exceeded recreational water quality criteria stds. in >85% of river samples and in <50% of ocean samples, regardless of the FIB or regulatory criterion. Chronic sewage contamination was demonstrated by detection of HF183 and PMMoV in 100% of river samples, and in >89% of ocean samples. Giardia, Cryptosporidium, Salmonella, and NoVGI were frequently detected in rivers (39%, 39%, 26%, and 39% of samples, resp.), but infrequently in ocean water, particularly during the dry season. Multivariate anal. showed that C. perfringens, somatic coliphage, male-specific coliphage, and PMMoV were the subset of indicators that maximized the correlation with pathogens in the rivers. In the ocean, the best subset of indicators was enterococci, male-specific coliphage, and PMMoV. We also executed redudancy analyses on environmental parameters and microorganim concns., and found that rainfall best predicted microbial concns. The seasonal interplay of rainfall and pathogen prevalence undoubtedly influences beach users' health risks. Relationships are likely to be complex, with some risk factors increasing and others decreasing each season. Future use of multivariate approaches to better understand linkages among environmental conditions, microbial predictors (fecal indicators and MST markers), and pathogens will improve prediction of high-risk scenarios at recreational beaches.
    >> More from SciFinder ®
    https://chemport.cas.org/services/resolver?origin=ACS&resolution=options&coi=1%3ACAS%3A528%3ADC%252BB3cXitFCrsrjE&md5=8703b21142734a36cbe08994d9ba8048
  13. 13
    Zgouridou, A.; Tripidaki, E.; Giantsis, I. A.; Theodorou, J. A.; Kalaitzidou, M.; Raitsos, D. E.; Lattos, A.; Mavropoulou, A. M.; Sofianos, S.; Karagiannis, D.; Chaligiannis, I.; Anestis, A.; Papadakis, N.; Feidantsis, K.; Mintza, D.; Staikou, A.; Michaelidis, B. The current situation and potential effects of climate change on the microbial load of marine bivalves of the Greek coastlines: an integrative review. Environmental Microbiology 2022, 24 (3), 1012– 1034,  DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15765
    Google Scholar
    There is no corresponding record for this reference.
  14. 14
    Myers, E. M.; Juhl, A. R. Particle association of Enterococcus sp. increases growth rates and simulated persistence in water columns of varying light attenuation and turbulent diffusivity. Water Res. 2020, 186, 116140  DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.116140
    Google Scholar
    There is no corresponding record for this reference.
  15. 15
    Mostafa, S.; Rubinato, M.; Rosario-Ortiz, F. L.; Linden, K. G. Surface Water Organic Matter on Enterococcus Faecalis Inactivation. Environmental Engineering Science 2016, 33 (6), 365– 373,  DOI: 10.1089/ees.2016.0041
    Google Scholar
    There is no corresponding record for this reference.
  16. 16
    Mwatondo, M. H.; Silverman, A. I. Escherichia coli and Enterococcus spp. Indigenous to Wastewater Have Slower Free Chlorine Disinfection Rates than Their Laboratory-Cultured Counterparts. Environmental Science & Technology Letters 2021, 8 (12), 1091– 1097,  DOI: 10.1021/acs.estlett.1c00732
    Google Scholar
    There is no corresponding record for this reference.
  17. 17
    Jiang, M.; Sheng, Y.; Tian, C.; Li, C.; Liu, Q.; Li, Z. Feasibility of source identification by DOM fingerprinting in marine pollution events. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 2021, 173 (Part B), 113060  DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.113060
    Google Scholar
    There is no corresponding record for this reference.
  18. 18
    Cheng, K. H.; Chan, S. N.; Lee, J. H. W. Remote sensing of coastal algal blooms using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Mar. Pollut. Bull. 2020, 152, 110889  DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.110889
    Google Scholar
    There is no corresponding record for this reference.
  19. 19
    Huang, Y.; Wang, X.; Xiang, W.; Wang, T.; Otis, C.; Sarge, L.; Lei, Y.; Li, B. Forward-Looking Roadmaps for Long-Term Continuous Water Quality Monitoring: Bottlenecks, Innovations, and Prospects in a Critical Review. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2022, 56, 5334– 5354,  DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c07857
    Google Scholar
    55
    Forward-looking roadmaps for long-term continuous water quality monitoring: bottlenecks, innovations, and prospects in a critical review
    Huang, Yuankai; Wang, Xingyu; Xiang, Wenjun; Wang, Tianbao; Otis, Clifford; Sarge, Logan; Lei, Yu; Li, Baikun
    Environmental Science & Technology (2022), 56 (9), 5334-5354CODEN: ESTHAG; ISSN:1520-5851. (American Chemical Society)
    A review. Long-term continuous monitoring (LTCM) of water quality can bring far-reaching influences on water ecosystems by providing spatiotemporal data sets of diverse parameters and enabling operation of water and wastewater treatment processes in an energy-saving and cost-effective manner. However, current water monitoring technologies are deficient for long-term accuracy in data collection and processing capability. Inadequate LTCM data impedes water quality assessment and hinders the stakeholders and decision makers from foreseeing emerging problems and executing efficient control methodologies. To tackle this challenge, this review provides a forward-looking roadmap highlighting vital innovations toward LTCM, and elaborates on the impacts of LTCM through a three-hierarchy perspective: data, parameters, and systems. First, we demonstrate the crit. needs and challenges of LTCM in natural resource water, drinking water, and wastewater systems, and differentiate LTCM from existing short-term and discrete monitoring techniques. We then elucidate three steps to achieve LTCM in water systems, consisting of data acquisition (water sensors), data processing (machine learning algorithms), and data application (with modeling and process control as two examples). Finally, we explore future opportunities of LTCM in four key domains, water, energy, sensing, and data, and underscore strategies to transfer scientific discoveries to general end-users.
    >> More from SciFinder ®
    https://chemport.cas.org/services/resolver?origin=ACS&resolution=options&coi=1%3ACAS%3A528%3ADC%252BB38XhtVentLnF&md5=7d353bc5324198b9f6cc0567774b1f6e
  20. 20
    Ateia, M.; Wei, H.; Andreescu, S. Sensors for Emerging Water Contaminants: Overcoming Roadblocks to Innovation. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2024, 58 (6), 2636– 2651,  DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c09889
    Google Scholar
    There is no corresponding record for this reference.
  21. 21
    Steele, J. A.; Blackwood, A. D.; Griffith, J. F.; Noble, R. T.; Schiff, K. C. Quantification of pathogens and markers of fecal contamination during storm events along popular surfing beaches in San Diego, California. Water Res. 2018, 136, 137– 149,  DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2018.01.056
    Google Scholar
    57
    Quantification of pathogens and markers of fecal contamination during storm events along popular surfing beaches in San Diego, California
    Steele, Joshua A.; Blackwood, A. Denene; Griffith, John F.; Noble, Rachel T.; Schiff, Kenneth C.
    Water Research (2018), 136 (), 137-149CODEN: WATRAG; ISSN:0043-1354. (Elsevier Ltd.)
    Along southern California beaches, the concns. of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) used to quantify the potential presence of fecal contamination in coastal recreational waters have been previously documented to be higher during wet weather conditions (typically winter or spring) than those obsd. during summer dry weather conditions. FIB are used for management of recreational waters because measurement of the bacterial and viral pathogens that are the potential causes of illness in beachgoers exposed to stormwater can be expensive, time-consuming, and tech. difficult. We applied these assays across multiple storm events from two different watersheds that discharge to popular surfing beaches in San Diego, CA. Multiple lines of evidence indicated that the stormwater discharges contained human fecal contamination, despite the presence of sep. storm sewer and sanitary sewer systems in both watersheds. This study is one of the few to directly measure an array of important bacterial and viral pathogens in stormwater discharges to recreational beaches, and provides context for stormwater-based management of beaches during high risk wet-weather periods. Furthermore, the combination of culture-based and digital PCR-derived data is demonstrated to be valuable for assessing hydrog. relationships, considering delivery mechanisms, and providing foundational exposure information for risk assessment.
    >> More from SciFinder ®
    https://chemport.cas.org/services/resolver?origin=ACS&resolution=options&coi=1%3ACAS%3A528%3ADC%252BC1cXjs1OhtLc%253D&md5=1e9d3795f9f3f751a7e9757f4c448e32

Cited By

Click to copy section linkSection link copied!

This article has not yet been cited by other publications.

Download PDF
Go to ACS ES&T Water
Get e-Alerts
Get e-Alerts

ACS ES&T Water

Cite this: ACS EST Water 2024, 4, 11, 4664–4667
Click to copy citationCitation copied!
https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestwater.4c00788
Published October 18, 2024

Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society. This publication is licensed under

CC-BY 4.0 .

Article Views

279

Altmetric

-

Citations

-
Learn about these metrics

Article Views are the COUNTER-compliant sum of full text article downloads since November 2008 (both PDF and HTML) across all institutions and individuals. These metrics are regularly updated to reflect usage leading up to the last few days.

Citations are the number of other articles citing this article, calculated by Crossref and updated daily. Find more information about Crossref citation counts.

The Altmetric Attention Score is a quantitative measure of the attention that a research article has received online. Clicking on the donut icon will load a page at altmetric.com with additional details about the score and the social media presence for the given article. Find more information on the Altmetric Attention Score and how the score is calculated.

  • Abstract

    High Resolution Image
    Download MS PowerPoint Slide

    Figure 1

    Figure 1. Contaminated water being discharged into coastal waters and consequent impact within beach, surf, breaking, shoaling, and open ocean waters. Once pathogens enter ocean waters, different processes will impact their concentration and accumulation, including chemical inactivation processes via sunlight exposure, as well as physical settling. Physical processes such as wave action can impact these removal processes by reconcentrating pathogens near specific locations.

    High Resolution Image
    Download MS PowerPoint Slide

    Matteo Rubinato

    High Resolution Image
    Download MS PowerPoint Slide

    Dr. Matteo Rubinato, born in Cavarzere, Italy, is a Senior Lecturer in Water and Environmental Engineering at Aston University, Birmingham, U.K. He earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in environmental engineering from the University of Padova, Italy, and completed his Ph.D. in civil and water engineering at the University of Sheffield, U.K., in 2015. Dr. Rubinato’s research focuses on understanding and modeling environmental processes typical of urban, river, and coastal areas. His work also explores advancements in environmental fluid mechanics, aiming to develop innovative approaches that mitigate vulnerability and enhance the resilience, adaptive capacity, and sustainability of environmental systems in the face of increasing challenges, uncertainty, and climate change. Since the beginning of his academic career, he has collaborated with researchers at more than 25 institutions across Europe, the United States, and China, including extended research stays at the University of Colorado Boulder, Sichuan University, Beijing Normal University, Dongguan University of Technology, and Universidade Federal da Bahia. His scholarly contributions include numerous high-quality journal articles, conference proceedings, and book chapters https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=Qgudf3UAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate.

  • References

    This article references 21 other publications.

    1. 1
      Laino, E.; Iglesias, G. Scientometric review of climate-change extreme impacts on coastal cities. Ocean & Coastal Management 2023, 242, 106709  DOI: 10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2023.106709
      There is no corresponding record for this reference.
    2. 2
      Ryder, G. The United Nations world water development report, 2017: Wastewater: the untapped resource. 2017.
      There is no corresponding record for this reference.
    3. 3
      Lin, L.; Yang, H.; Xu Effects of Water Pollution on Human Health and Disease Heterogeneity: A Review. Front. Environ. Sci. 2022, 10, 880246,  DOI: 10.3389/fenvs.2022.880246
      There is no corresponding record for this reference.
    4. 4
      Law, K. L.; Starr, N.; Siegler, T. R.; Jambeck, J.; Mallos, N.; Leonard, G. B. The United States’ Contribution of Plastic Waste to Land and Ocean. Sci. Adv. 2020, 6, eabd0288  DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abd0288
      There is no corresponding record for this reference.
    5. 5
      Edmonds, D. A.; Caldwell, R. L.; Brondizio, E. S.; Siani, S. M. O. Coastal flooding will disproportionately impact people on river deltas. Nature Communication 2020, 11, 4741,  DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18531-4
      There is no corresponding record for this reference.
    6. 6
      Gamarra, N. C.; Costa, A. C. L.; Ferreira, M. A. C.; Diele-Viegas, L. M.; Santos, A. P. O.; Ladle, R. J.; Malhado, A. C.; Campos-Silva, J. V. The contribution of fishing to human well-being in Brazilian coastal communities. Marine Policy 2023, 150, 105521  DOI: 10.1016/j.marpol.2023.105521
      There is no corresponding record for this reference.
    7. 7
      González-Fernández, A.; Symonds, E. M.; Gallard-Gongora, J. F.; Mull, B.; Lukasik, J. O.; Rivera Navarro, P.; Badilla Aguilar, A.; Peraud, J.; Mora Alvarado, D.; Cantor, A.; Breitbart, M.; Cairns, M. R.; Harwood, V. J. Risk of Gastroenteritis from Swimming at a Wastewater-Impacted Tropical Beach Varies across Localized Scales. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 2023, 89 (3), e01033– 22,  DOI: 10.1128/aem.01033-22
      There is no corresponding record for this reference.
    8. 8
      Bej, S.; Swain, S.; Bishoyi, A. K.; Mandhata, C. P.; Sahoo, C. R.; Padhy, R. N. Wastewater-Associated Infections: A Public Health Concern. Water, Air, Soil & Pollution 2023, 234 (2023), 444,  DOI: 10.1007/s11270-023-06431-4
      There is no corresponding record for this reference.
    9. 9
      Díaz, S. M.; Barrios, M. E.; Galli, L.; Cammarata, R. V.; Torres, C.; Fortunato, M. S.; García López, G.; Costa, M.; Sanguino Jorquera, D. G.; Oderiz, S.; Rogé, A.; Gentiluomo, J.; Carbonari, C.; Rajal, V. B.; Korol, S. E.; Gallego, A.; Blanco Fernández, M. D.; Mbayed, V. A. Microbiological hazard identification in river waters used for recreational activities. Environmental Research 2024, 247, 118161  DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.118161
      There is no corresponding record for this reference.
    10. 10
      DeFlorio-Barker, S.; Wing, C.; Jones, R. M.; Dorevitch, S. Estimate of incidence and cost of recreational waterborne illness on United States surface waters. Environmental Health 2018, 17, 3,  DOI: 10.1186/s12940-017-0347-9
      There is no corresponding record for this reference.
    11. 11
      Cheng, K.H.; Luo, X.; Jiao, J. J.; Yu, S. Storm accelerated subsurface Escherichia coli growth and exports to coastal waters. J. Hazard. Mater. 2023, 441, 129893  DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.129893
      There is no corresponding record for this reference.
    12. 12
      González-Fernández, A.; Symonds, E. M.; Gallard-Gongora, J. F.; Mull, B.; Lukasik, J. O.; Rivera Navarro, P.; Badilla Aguilar, A.; Peraud, J.; Brown, M. L.; Mora Alvarado, D.; Breitbart, M.; Cairns, M. R.; Harwood, V. J. Relationships among microbial indicators of fecal pollution, microbial source tracking markers, and pathogens in Costa Rican coastal waters. Water Res. 2021, 188, 116507  DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.116507
      12
      Relationships among microbial indicators of fecal pollution, microbial source tracking markers, and pathogens in Costa Rican coastal waters
      Gonzalez-Fernandez, Adriana; Symonds, Erin M.; Gallard-Gongora, Javier F.; Mull, Bonnie; Lukasik, Jerzy O.; Rivera Navarro, Pablo; Badilla Aguilar, Andrei; Peraud, Jayme; Brown, Megan L.; Mora Alvarado, Darner; Breitbart, Mya; Cairns, Maryann R.; Harwood, Valerie J.
      Water Research (2021), 188 (), 116507CODEN: WATRAG; ISSN:0043-1354. (Elsevier Ltd.)
      Tropical coastal waters are understudied, despite their ecol. and economic importance. They also reflect projected climate change scenarios for other climate zones, e.g., increased rainfall and water temps. We conducted an exploratory microbial water quality study at a tropical beach influenced by sewage-contaminated rivers, and tested the hypothesis that fecal microorganisms (fecal coliforms, enterococci, Clostridium perfringens, somatic and male-specific coliphages, pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV), Bacteroides HF183, norovirus genogroup I (NoVGI), Salmonella, Cryptosporidium and Giardia) would vary by season and tidal stage. Most microorganisms' concns. were greater in the rainy season; however, NoVGI was only detected in the dry season and Cryptosporidium was the only pathogen most frequently detected in rainy season. Fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) levels exceeded recreational water quality criteria stds. in >85% of river samples and in <50% of ocean samples, regardless of the FIB or regulatory criterion. Chronic sewage contamination was demonstrated by detection of HF183 and PMMoV in 100% of river samples, and in >89% of ocean samples. Giardia, Cryptosporidium, Salmonella, and NoVGI were frequently detected in rivers (39%, 39%, 26%, and 39% of samples, resp.), but infrequently in ocean water, particularly during the dry season. Multivariate anal. showed that C. perfringens, somatic coliphage, male-specific coliphage, and PMMoV were the subset of indicators that maximized the correlation with pathogens in the rivers. In the ocean, the best subset of indicators was enterococci, male-specific coliphage, and PMMoV. We also executed redudancy analyses on environmental parameters and microorganim concns., and found that rainfall best predicted microbial concns. The seasonal interplay of rainfall and pathogen prevalence undoubtedly influences beach users' health risks. Relationships are likely to be complex, with some risk factors increasing and others decreasing each season. Future use of multivariate approaches to better understand linkages among environmental conditions, microbial predictors (fecal indicators and MST markers), and pathogens will improve prediction of high-risk scenarios at recreational beaches.
      >> More from SciFinder ®
      https://chemport.cas.org/services/resolver?origin=ACS&resolution=options&coi=1%3ACAS%3A528%3ADC%252BB3cXitFCrsrjE&md5=8703b21142734a36cbe08994d9ba8048
    13. 13
      Zgouridou, A.; Tripidaki, E.; Giantsis, I. A.; Theodorou, J. A.; Kalaitzidou, M.; Raitsos, D. E.; Lattos, A.; Mavropoulou, A. M.; Sofianos, S.; Karagiannis, D.; Chaligiannis, I.; Anestis, A.; Papadakis, N.; Feidantsis, K.; Mintza, D.; Staikou, A.; Michaelidis, B. The current situation and potential effects of climate change on the microbial load of marine bivalves of the Greek coastlines: an integrative review. Environmental Microbiology 2022, 24 (3), 1012– 1034,  DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15765
      There is no corresponding record for this reference.
    14. 14
      Myers, E. M.; Juhl, A. R. Particle association of Enterococcus sp. increases growth rates and simulated persistence in water columns of varying light attenuation and turbulent diffusivity. Water Res. 2020, 186, 116140  DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.116140
      There is no corresponding record for this reference.
    15. 15
      Mostafa, S.; Rubinato, M.; Rosario-Ortiz, F. L.; Linden, K. G. Surface Water Organic Matter on Enterococcus Faecalis Inactivation. Environmental Engineering Science 2016, 33 (6), 365– 373,  DOI: 10.1089/ees.2016.0041
      There is no corresponding record for this reference.
    16. 16
      Mwatondo, M. H.; Silverman, A. I. Escherichia coli and Enterococcus spp. Indigenous to Wastewater Have Slower Free Chlorine Disinfection Rates than Their Laboratory-Cultured Counterparts. Environmental Science & Technology Letters 2021, 8 (12), 1091– 1097,  DOI: 10.1021/acs.estlett.1c00732
      There is no corresponding record for this reference.
    17. 17
      Jiang, M.; Sheng, Y.; Tian, C.; Li, C.; Liu, Q.; Li, Z. Feasibility of source identification by DOM fingerprinting in marine pollution events. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 2021, 173 (Part B), 113060  DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.113060
      There is no corresponding record for this reference.
    18. 18
      Cheng, K. H.; Chan, S. N.; Lee, J. H. W. Remote sensing of coastal algal blooms using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Mar. Pollut. Bull. 2020, 152, 110889  DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.110889
      There is no corresponding record for this reference.
    19. 19
      Huang, Y.; Wang, X.; Xiang, W.; Wang, T.; Otis, C.; Sarge, L.; Lei, Y.; Li, B. Forward-Looking Roadmaps for Long-Term Continuous Water Quality Monitoring: Bottlenecks, Innovations, and Prospects in a Critical Review. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2022, 56, 5334– 5354,  DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c07857
      55
      Forward-looking roadmaps for long-term continuous water quality monitoring: bottlenecks, innovations, and prospects in a critical review
      Huang, Yuankai; Wang, Xingyu; Xiang, Wenjun; Wang, Tianbao; Otis, Clifford; Sarge, Logan; Lei, Yu; Li, Baikun
      Environmental Science & Technology (2022), 56 (9), 5334-5354CODEN: ESTHAG; ISSN:1520-5851. (American Chemical Society)
      A review. Long-term continuous monitoring (LTCM) of water quality can bring far-reaching influences on water ecosystems by providing spatiotemporal data sets of diverse parameters and enabling operation of water and wastewater treatment processes in an energy-saving and cost-effective manner. However, current water monitoring technologies are deficient for long-term accuracy in data collection and processing capability. Inadequate LTCM data impedes water quality assessment and hinders the stakeholders and decision makers from foreseeing emerging problems and executing efficient control methodologies. To tackle this challenge, this review provides a forward-looking roadmap highlighting vital innovations toward LTCM, and elaborates on the impacts of LTCM through a three-hierarchy perspective: data, parameters, and systems. First, we demonstrate the crit. needs and challenges of LTCM in natural resource water, drinking water, and wastewater systems, and differentiate LTCM from existing short-term and discrete monitoring techniques. We then elucidate three steps to achieve LTCM in water systems, consisting of data acquisition (water sensors), data processing (machine learning algorithms), and data application (with modeling and process control as two examples). Finally, we explore future opportunities of LTCM in four key domains, water, energy, sensing, and data, and underscore strategies to transfer scientific discoveries to general end-users.
      >> More from SciFinder ®
      https://chemport.cas.org/services/resolver?origin=ACS&resolution=options&coi=1%3ACAS%3A528%3ADC%252BB38XhtVentLnF&md5=7d353bc5324198b9f6cc0567774b1f6e
    20. 20
      Ateia, M.; Wei, H.; Andreescu, S. Sensors for Emerging Water Contaminants: Overcoming Roadblocks to Innovation. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2024, 58 (6), 2636– 2651,  DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c09889
      There is no corresponding record for this reference.
    21. 21
      Steele, J. A.; Blackwood, A. D.; Griffith, J. F.; Noble, R. T.; Schiff, K. C. Quantification of pathogens and markers of fecal contamination during storm events along popular surfing beaches in San Diego, California. Water Res. 2018, 136, 137– 149,  DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2018.01.056
      57
      Quantification of pathogens and markers of fecal contamination during storm events along popular surfing beaches in San Diego, California
      Steele, Joshua A.; Blackwood, A. Denene; Griffith, John F.; Noble, Rachel T.; Schiff, Kenneth C.
      Water Research (2018), 136 (), 137-149CODEN: WATRAG; ISSN:0043-1354. (Elsevier Ltd.)
      Along southern California beaches, the concns. of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) used to quantify the potential presence of fecal contamination in coastal recreational waters have been previously documented to be higher during wet weather conditions (typically winter or spring) than those obsd. during summer dry weather conditions. FIB are used for management of recreational waters because measurement of the bacterial and viral pathogens that are the potential causes of illness in beachgoers exposed to stormwater can be expensive, time-consuming, and tech. difficult. We applied these assays across multiple storm events from two different watersheds that discharge to popular surfing beaches in San Diego, CA. Multiple lines of evidence indicated that the stormwater discharges contained human fecal contamination, despite the presence of sep. storm sewer and sanitary sewer systems in both watersheds. This study is one of the few to directly measure an array of important bacterial and viral pathogens in stormwater discharges to recreational beaches, and provides context for stormwater-based management of beaches during high risk wet-weather periods. Furthermore, the combination of culture-based and digital PCR-derived data is demonstrated to be valuable for assessing hydrog. relationships, considering delivery mechanisms, and providing foundational exposure information for risk assessment.
      >> More from SciFinder ®
      https://chemport.cas.org/services/resolver?origin=ACS&resolution=options&coi=1%3ACAS%3A528%3ADC%252BC1cXjs1OhtLc%253D&md5=1e9d3795f9f3f751a7e9757f4c448e32