A rapid reverse transcription-PCR assay for F+ RNA coliphages to trace fecal pollution in Table Rock Lake on the Arkansas-Missouri border.
Source determination of fecal contamination is imperative to efficiently reduce the fecal material load to environmental waters. This study developed primer pairs targeting three F+ RNA bacteriophages and a simple filtration sampling method to enumerate and identify coliphages in environmental waters. Water samples were collected seasonally for one year from the watershed of Table Rock Lake on the Arkansas-Missouri border in areas predisposed to fecal contamination. Collected samples were analyzed quantitatively with most probable number and plaque assays and qualitatively with reverse transcription-PCR. We demonstrated the usefulness of F+ RNA coliphages as an indicator of fecal contamination, but were unable to distinguish between human and non-human sources. F+ coliphage numbers in Table Rock Lake showed seasonal variation with the highest level of coliphage presence during the January sampling event.
Dryden
S K
SK
Department of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, USA.
Ramaswami
B
B
Yuan
Z
Z
Giammar
D E
DE
Angenent
L T
LT
D001131:Arkansas; D003090:Coliphages / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D005618:Fresh Water; D006801:Humans; D008923:Missouri; D012317:RNA Phages / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D010948:Viral Plaque Assay; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014876:Water Pollution / Q000032:analysis
D012367:RNA, Viral