Cahoon Lawrence B, Hales Jason C, Carey Erin S, Loucaides Socratis, Rowland Kevin R, Toothman Byron R
Department of Biology and Marine Biology, UNC Wilmington, Wilmington, NC, 28403, USA.
SEPI Engineering, 330 Shipyard Blvd., Suite 203, Wilmington, NC, 28412, USA.
Environ Monit Assess. 2016 Feb;188(2):89. doi: 10.1007/s10661-015-5081-6. Epub 2016 Jan 15.
Fecal contamination of surface waters is a significant problem, particularly in rapidly developing coastal watersheds. Data from a water quality monitoring program in southwest Brunswick County, North Carolina, gathered in support of a regional wastewater and stormwater management program were used to examine likely modes and sources of fecal contamination. Sampling was conducted at 42 locations at 3-4-week intervals between 1996 and 2003, including streams, ponds, and estuarine waters in a variety of land use settings. Expected fecal sources included human wastewater systems (on-site and central), stormwater runoff, and direct deposition by animals. Fecal coliform levels were positively associated with rainfall measures, but frequent high fecal coliform concentrations at times of no rain indicated other modes of contamination as well. Fecal coliform levels were also positively associated with silicate levels, a groundwater source signal, indicating that flux of fecal-contaminated groundwater was a mode of contamination, potentially elevating FC levels in impacted waters independent of stormwater runoff. Fecal contamination by failing septic or sewer systems at many locations was significant and in addition to effects of stormwater runoff. Rainfall was also linked to fecal contamination by central sewage treatment system failures. These results highlight the importance of considering multiple modes of water pollution and different ways in which human activities cause water quality degradation. Management of water quality in coastal regions must therefore recognize diverse drivers of fecal contamination to surface waters.
地表水的粪便污染是一个重大问题，尤其是在快速发展的沿海流域。北卡罗来纳州布伦瑞克县西南部水质监测项目收集的数据，这些数据是为支持一项区域废水和雨水管理项目而收集的，用于研究粪便污染的可能模式和来源。1996年至2003年期间，每隔3 - 4周在42个地点进行采样，采样地点包括各种土地利用类型中的溪流、池塘和河口水域。预期的粪便来源包括人类废水系统（现场和集中式）、雨水径流以及动物的直接排泄物。粪大肠菌群水平与降雨指标呈正相关，但在无降雨时频繁出现高粪大肠菌群浓度表明还存在其他污染模式。粪大肠菌群水平还与硅酸盐水平呈正相关，硅酸盐是地下水源的信号，这表明受粪便污染的地下水的流入是一种污染模式，可能会在不受雨水径流影响的情况下提高受影响水体中的粪大肠菌群水平。许多地方化粪池或下水道系统故障导致的粪便污染很严重，且除了雨水径流的影响之外。降雨还与中央污水处理系统故障导致的粪便污染有关。这些结果凸显了考虑多种水污染模式以及人类活动导致水质退化的不同方式的重要性。因此，沿海地区的水质管理必须认识到地表水粪便污染的多种驱动因素。
