Schneeberger Chandra L, O'Driscoll Michael, Humphrey Charles, Henry Keaton, Deal Nancy, Seiber Kathy, Hill Vincent R, Zarate-Bermudez Max
J Environ Health. 2015 May;77(9):22-30.
Onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS) are commonly used in coastal areas to treat household wastewater. These systems represent potential sources of fecal pollution of groundwater and nearby surface water. OWTS are expected to reduce microbial concentrations in wastewater; however, system and environmental factors can affect treatment efficiency and impacts on ground and surface water. In the study of OWTS described in this article, the authors sampled septic tanks and groundwater at two households in coastal North Carolina between October 2009 and October 2011. Samples were tested for the fecal indicator microbes E. coli, enterococci, and Clostridium perfringens. Microbial source tracking was also performed in year two. Results showed that enteric microbe concentrations in groundwater significantly decreased with distance from the OWTS. Human markers of fecal contamination were also detected in the OWTS and downgradient groundwater, indicating that OWTS can impact the microbial quality of shallow groundwater.
现场污水处理系统（OWTS）常用于沿海地区处理生活污水。这些系统是地下水和附近地表水粪便污染的潜在来源。OWTS有望降低污水中的微生物浓度；然而，系统和环境因素会影响处理效率以及对地下水和地表水的影响。在本文所述的OWTS研究中，作者于2009年10月至2011年10月期间在北卡罗来纳州沿海的两户家庭采集了化粪池和地下水样本。对样本进行了粪便指示微生物大肠杆菌、肠球菌和产气荚膜梭菌的检测。第二年还进行了微生物源追踪。结果表明，地下水中肠道微生物浓度随与OWTS距离的增加而显著降低。在OWTS和下游地下水中也检测到了粪便污染的人类标志物，表明OWTS会影响浅层地下水的微生物质量。
