title: An assessment of potential public health risk associated with the extended survival of indicator and pathogenic bacteria in freshwater lake sediments.
abstract: Microcosm studies were performed to evaluate the survival of Escherichia coli, Salmonella paratyphi and Vibrio parahaemolyticus in water and sediment collected from the freshwater region of Vembanad Lake (9'35 °N 76'25 °E) along the south west coast of India. All three test microorganisms showed significantly (p < 0.01) higher survival in sediment compared to overlying water. The survival in different sediment types with different particle size and organic carbon content revealed that sediment with small particle size and high organic carbon content could enhance their extended survival (p < 0.05). The results indicate that sediments of the Lake could act as a reservoir of pathogenic bacteria and exhibit a potential health hazard from possible resuspension and subsequent ingestion during recreational activities. Therefore, the assessment of bacterial concentration in freshwater Lake sediments used for contact and non contact recreation has of considerable significance for the proper assessment of microbial pollution of the overlying water, and for the management and protection of related health risk at specific recreational sites. Besides, assessment of the bacterial concentration in sediments can be used as a relatively stable indicator of long term mean bacterial concentration in the water column above.
authors.affiliation: Water and Aquatic Sciences Research Lab, Department of Biology, University of Victoria, PO Box 3020 STN CSC Victoria, BC V8W 3N5, Canada. abhichandn@gmail.com
authors.forename: Abhirosh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chandran
authors.forename: Sherin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Varghese
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kandeler
authors.forename: Ambattu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hatha
authors.forename: Asit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mazumder
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D058491:Bacterial Load; D002244:Carbon; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000382:microbiology*; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D010316:Particle Size; D011634:Public Health; D011998:Recreation; D012306:Risk; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012482:Salmonella paratyphi A / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D014736:Vibrio parahaemolyticus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014871:Water Microbiology
chemical_list: D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D002244:Carbon