U'Miami Research and the Ambient Water Module

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U.Miami Research and theAmbient Water Module
Helena Solo-Gabriele, Ph.D., P.E. Associate
Professor University of Miami, College of
Engineering Plus
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Introduction

• Recreational waters are regulated through
  microbial measurements
• Usually a surrogate microbe is used to indicate
  the presence of pathogens

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Ideal Characteristics of Indicator Microbe

• Found in sewage and in the feces of humans in
  large quantities
• Survival characteristics in environment similar
  to that of the pathogens
• Non-pathogenic in itself

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• Cocci, Gram
• Rods, Gram, spore forming, obligate anaerobe
• Rods, Gram-

enterococci
US EPA
C. perfringens
Hawaii
Total Coliform
FDEP
Fecal Coliform
Non-fecal Coliform
Florida Dept of Health Entero fecal coliform
E. coli
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GMGeometric Mean
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GMGeometric Mean
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The Scenario
Force Main Break
T Total Coliform (1000) F Fecal Coliform
(200) E Enterococci (35)
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Research at Hobie Beach
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Preface

• Use of indicator microbes has helped protect
  public health. Point-sources of sewage.
• Does it work 100 of the time?
• Can we improve upon existing monitoring
  methodologies?

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Organization of Presentation

• Background Prior studies at Hobie Beach
• Interim results from current on-going study
• Future work

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Background

• Change in EPA guidelines prompted evaluation of
  multiple indicators
• total/fecal coliform ? enterococci/E. coli
• EPA studies conducted in NY, MA, and LA (marine)
  PA, OK (fresh). Point sources
• Environmental factors influence persistence and
  possible regrowth of indicator microbes

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Background (cond)
Data from a tidally-Influenced brackish river in
Ft. Lauderdale (Solo-Gabriele 2000)
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Indicator Microbe Concentrations Correlated With
Tides Max concentration at HIGH tide indicates
that contamination from within the
river Suspect that wetting and drying cycles
play a factor in regrowth Highly organic soil
and shallow embankment
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Background (cond)
600mL River Water (Control)
600mL River Water 10g Soil
600mL River Water 50 g Soil
60mL River Water 540 mL Sterile Water 50 g
Soil
600mL Sterile Water 50 g Soil (Sterile Control)
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Goal New Beach Study

• Evaluate relationship between human health and
  the physical and microbial characteristics of a
  coastal water

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Study Site and Pilot Data
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Study Site Hobie Beach, Biscayne Bay
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Study Site

• Preliminary pilot
• epidemiologic study
• found no significant
• association between
• health effects and
• microbe concentrations
• N 208 (small)
• Individual exposures variable

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Environmental Monitoringfor Hobie Beach
Revisited

• Transect work during high and low tide
• Intensive sediment sampling
• Continuous sampling hourly for 48 hours

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Transects
High Tide Line
Low Tide Line
Intertidal zone
Buoy J
Buoy K
Knee or Middle
Buoy L
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Buoy
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Transect Work - Water
High Tide
Low Tide
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Transect Work - Sand
High Tide
Low Tide
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TSS 100 mg/L ?increase enterococci level by
1 CFU/100 ml
400 CFU/ml
100 CFU/ml
1 CFU/ml water
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Inter-tidal Zone
Intensive Sand Sampling
Samples Collected Under Water
Dry Sand
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48-Hour Sampling - Water
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Runoff Samples
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Summary

• Source of microbes is from inter-tidal zone and
  dry sediments near inter-tidal zone
• Dominant Factors Tidal Stage and
  Rain
• Microbes from pore water to water column

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Studies By Other Groups

• Nova University (Rogerson et al)
• Ft. Lauderdale, Hollywood, Hobie Beach
• (similar findings and observed significance
  of dry sand)
• U. Hawaii (Fujioka et al)
• U. Puerto Rico (Hazen/Toranzos)

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The Big Question

• Are enterococci that persist in the environment
  an indicator of health effects?
• (sub/tropical environments with non-point
  sources)

Research Needs

• Do environmentally persistent enterococci levels
  correlate with
• Pathogens?
• Human health?

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Future Work
Wang, U.Miami Marine School Rankey, U.Miami
Marine School Elmir, Miami-Dade
DOH Solo-Gabriele, U.Miami Engineering/Marine
Fleming, U.Miami Marine/Med School Fleisher, Nova
University Backer, Centers of Disease Control
Hydrodynamic/Water Quality Model
Epidemiologic Study
Environmental Monitoring (indicators pathogens)
Solo-Gabriele, U.Miami Engineering/Marine Elmir,
Miami-Dade DOH Palmer, U.Florida Goodwin, NOAA
Fell/Baums, U.Miami Marine Goodwin, NOAA
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Thanks to Sampling Team!

• Not Shown Chris Sinigalliano, Krystal Anson,
  Anthony Logan, Amy Omae, Nick Heybeck, Caitlin
  Feikle, Gene Rankey, Helena Solo-Gabriele, Samir
  Elmir
• Not Shown (Addl Support) Lora Fleming, Sharon
  Smith, Jack Fell/Adel Tallman, Angel Li, Lilian
  Custals/Joe Prospero, Pat Walsh

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Thanks to our funding agencies

• City of Ft. Lauderdale
• Pilot Work
• NIEHS- U.Miami, MFBSC
• Miami-Dade Dept. of Health
• NSF-NIEHS Oceans and Human Health Program (P50
  ES12736-01)
• Thanks to IDEXX for donating supplies

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Questions?

• Indicator Microbes
• Needs to be implemented to protect
• against point-source sewage
• Questions raised about meaning in
• sub/tropical environments
• characterized by environmental non-
• point sources