Transport of Cryptosporidium and Giardia in Massachusetts watersheds during storm events

摘要

It is widely known that micro-organisms such as bacteria (for example, E. coli),rnGiardia (often associated with beaver), and Cryptosporidium (sometimes associatedrnwith pets, livestock, and wildlife) can enter streams during rain and snowmelt events.rnIt is difficult, however, to accurately determine the magnitude and timing of transportrnduring such events. In addition, accurately identifying the sources of theserncontaminants is a challenge. Hence, the organizations responsible for public waterrnsupplies, outdoor recreation, and environmental quality face substantial challenges inrntheir efforts to protect public health. Microbial and water-quality measurements wererncollected during storm events under a variety of meteorological and land-usernconditions in order to 1) identify risk of Cryptosporidium oocysts, Giardia cysts andrnother constituents, including microbial indicator organisms, entering surface watersrnfrom various land uses during periods of surface runoff; and 2) optimize stormrnsampling procedures for these parameters. The resulting database consists of wetrnweather transport data for twenty-one distinct storm events and three dry weatherrnspatial basin sampling events. Insights gained on the prevalence and transportrncharacteristics of the monitored parameters are discussed.