title: QMRAcatch: Human-Associated Fecal Pollution and Infection Risk Modeling for a River/Floodplain Environment.
abstract: Protection of drinking water resources requires addressing all relevant fecal pollution sources in the considered catchment. A freely available simulation tool, QMRAcatch, was recently developed to simulate concentrations of fecal indicators, a genetic microbial source tracking (MST) marker, and intestinal pathogens in water resources and to conduct a quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA). At the same time, QMRAcatch was successfully applied to a region of the Danube River in Austria, focusing on municipal wastewater emissions. Herein, we describe extension of its application to a Danube River floodplain, keeping the focus on fecal sources of human origin. QMRAcatch was calibrated to match measured human-associated MST marker concentrations for a dry year and a wet year. Appropriate performance characteristics of the human-associated MST assay were proven by simulating correct and false-positive marker concentrations, as determined in human and animal feces. With the calibrated tool, simulated and measured enterovirus concentrations in the rivers were compared. Finally, the calibrated tool allowed demonstrating that 4.5 log enterovirus and 6.6 log norovirus reductions must be achieved to convert current surface water to safe drinking water that complies with a health-based target of 10 infections person yr. Simulations of the low- and high-pollution scenarios showed that the required viral reductions ranged from 0 to 8 log. This study has implications for water managers with interests in assessing robust catchment protection measures and water treatment criteria by considering the fate of fecal pollution from its sources to the point of abstraction.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Derx
authors.forename: Jack
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schijven
authors.forename: Regina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sommer
authors.forename: Christa M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Zoufal-Hruza
authors.forename: Inge H
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: van Driezum
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Reischer
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ixenmaier
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kirschner
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Frick
authors.forename: Ana Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: de Roda Husman
authors.forename: Andreas H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Farnleitner
authors.forename: Alfred Paul
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Blaschke
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005243:Feces; D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D045483:Rivers; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014876:Water Pollution