title: Fecal pollution source tracking toolbox for identification, evaluation and characterization of fecal contamination in receiving urban surface waters and groundwater.
abstract: The quality of surface waters/groundwater of a geographical region can be affected by anthropogenic activities, land use patterns and fecal pollution sources from humans and animals. Therefore, the development of an efficient fecal pollution source tracking toolbox for identifying the origin of the fecal pollution sources in surface waters/groundwater is especially helpful for improving management efforts and remediation actions of water resources in a more cost-effective and efficient manner. This review summarizes the updated knowledge on the use of fecal pollution source tracking markers for detecting, evaluating and characterizing fecal pollution sources in receiving surface waters and groundwater. The suitability of using chemical markers (i.e. fecal sterols, fluorescent whitening agents, pharmaceuticals and personal care products, and artificial sweeteners) and/or microbial markers (e.g. F+RNA coliphages, enteric viruses, and host-specific anaerobic bacterial 16S rDNA genetic markers) for tracking fecal pollution sources in receiving water bodies is discussed. In addition, this review also provides a comprehensive approach, which is based on the detection ratios (DR), detection frequencies (DF), and fate of potential microbial and chemical markers. DR and DF are considered as the key criteria for selecting appropriate markers for identifying and evaluating the impacts of fecal contamination in surface waters/groundwater.
authors: NUS Environmental Research Institute, National University of Singapore, T-Lab Building, #02-01, 5A Engineering Drive 1, 117411, Singapore. Electronic address: eritnh@nus.edu.sg.
authors: Ngoc Han
authors: NH
authors: Tran
authors: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore, 1 Engineering Drive 2, 117576, Singapore. Electronic address: ceeginyh@nus.edu.sg.
authors: Karina Yew-Hoong
authors: KY
authors: Gin
authors: School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, PO Box 123, Broadway, NSW 2007, Australia. Electronic address: h.ngo@uts.edu.au.
authors: Huu Hao
authors: HH
authors: Ngo
mesh_terms: D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005243:Feces; D060587:Groundwater / Q000382:microbiology; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014876:Water Pollution / Q000032:analysis* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: Artificial sweeteners; Chemical wastewater markers; Fecal pollution source tracking; Microbial indicators; Pharmaceuticals and personal care products; Surface water contamination