Center for Marine Science, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC 28409, USA.
J Environ Manage. 2010 Dec;91(12):2748-53. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2010.07.043. Epub 2010 Aug 21.
Fecal contamination of water bodies causes a public health problem and economic loss. To control such contamination management actions need to be guided by sound science. From 2007-2009 a study was undertaken to determine the sources of fecal bacteria contamination to the marine waters adjoining the Town of Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, USA. The research effort included sampling for fecal coliform and Enterococcus bacteria, sampling for optical brighteners, dye studies, and use of molecular bacterial source tracking techniques including polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and terminal restriction fragment polymorphism (T-RFLP) fingerprinting of the Bacteroides-Prevotella group. Of the 96 samples collected from nine locations during the study, the water contact standard for Enterococcus was exceeded on 13 occasions. The T-RFLP fingerprint analyses demonstrated that the most widespread source of fecal contamination was human, occurring in 38% of the samples, with secondary ruminant and avian sources also detected. Optical brightener concentrations were low, reflecting a lack of sewage line leakage or spills. A lack of sewer leaks and lack of septic systems in the town pointed toward discharge from boat heads into the marine waters as the major cause of fecal contamination; this was supported by dye studies. Based on these data, the Town initiated action to have the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency declare the coastal waters (out to 3 nautical miles), the nearby Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway and its tributaries a no-discharge zone (NDZ) to alleviate the human fecal pollution. The Town garnered supporting resolutions from other local communities who jointly petitioned the North Carolina Department of Environmental and Natural Resources. This State regulatory agency supported the local government resolutions and sent an application for an NDZ to the EPA in April 2009. The EPA concurred, and in February 2010 the coastal waters of New Hanover County, NC, became the first marine area on the U.S. eastern seaboard between Delaware and the Florida Keys to be declared a no-discharge zone.
水体粪便污染会引发公共卫生问题和经济损失。为了控制此类污染，管理措施需要以可靠的科学为指导。2007 年至 2009 年期间，在美国北卡罗来纳州赖茨维尔海滩镇附近的海域进行了一项研究，以确定粪便细菌污染的来源。该研究工作包括采集粪大肠菌群和肠球菌的样本，采集光学增亮剂的样本，进行染料研究，并使用分子细菌溯源技术，包括聚合酶链反应（PCR）和 Bacteroides-Prevotella 组的末端限制性片段多态性（T-RFLP）指纹分析。在研究期间，从 9 个地点采集了 96 个样本，有 13 个样本的肠球菌水接触标准超标。T-RFLP 指纹分析表明，最广泛的粪便污染来源是人类，在 38%的样本中都有发现，其次是反刍动物和禽类来源。光学增亮剂浓度较低，表明没有污水管道泄漏或溢出。该城镇没有污水管道泄漏和化粪池系统，这表明粪便污染的主要原因是船只排污进入海洋水域；这一结论得到了染料研究的支持。基于这些数据，该镇采取行动，促使美国环境保护署宣布沿海海域（3 海里范围内）、附近的大西洋内陆航道及其支流为禁止排放区（NDZ），以减轻人类粪便污染。该镇获得了其他地方社区的支持决议，这些社区联合向北卡罗来纳州环境和自然资源部请愿。该州监管机构支持地方政府的决议，并于 2009 年 4 月向美国环保署提交了 NDZ 的申请。美国环保署表示同意，2010 年 2 月，北卡罗来纳州新汉诺威县的沿海水域成为美国东海岸从特拉华州到佛罗里达群岛之间第一个被宣布为禁止排放区的海域。
