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Future research needs involving pathogens in groundwater

Besoins en recherche pour le futur impliquant les agents pathogènes dans les eaux souterraines

Necesidades futuras de investigación relacionadas con patógenos en el agua subterránea

未来的研究需要涉及地下水中的病原体

Futuras necessidades da pesquisa envolvendo patógenos em águas subterrâneas

Hydrogeology Journal volume 25, pages 931–938 (2017)Cite this article

Abstract

Contamination of groundwater by enteric pathogens has commonly been associated with disease outbreaks. Proper management and treatment of pathogen sources are important prerequisites for preventing groundwater contamination. However, non-point sources of pathogen contamination are frequently difficult to identify, and existing approaches for pathogen detection are costly and only provide semi-quantitative information. Microbial indicators that are readily quantified often do not correlate with the presence of pathogens. Pathogens of emerging concern and increasing detections of antibiotic resistance among bacterial pathogens in groundwater are topics of growing concern. Adequate removal of pathogens during soil passage is therefore critical for safe groundwater extraction. Processes that enhance pathogen transport (e.g., high velocity zones and preferential flow) and diminish pathogen removal (e.g., reversible retention and enhanced survival) are of special concern because they increase the risk of groundwater contamination, but are still incompletely understood. Improved theory and modeling tools are needed to analyze experimental data, test hypotheses, understand coupled processes and controlling mechanisms, predict spatial and/or temporal variability in model parameters and uncertainty in pathogen concentrations, assess risk, and develop mitigation and best management approaches to protect groundwater.

Résumé

La contamination des eaux souterraines par des agents pathogènes entériques a souvent été associée à l’apparition de maladies. Une gestion adéquate et un traitement des sources des agents pathogènes sont des prérequis importants pour prévenir d’une contamination des eaux souterraines. Cependant, les sources diffuses de contaminations pathogènes sont fréquemment difficiles à identifier, et des approches existantes pour la détection des agents pathogènes sont coûteuses et ne fournissement que seulement des informations semi-quantitative. Des indicateurs microbiens qui sont facilement quantifiables souvent ne sont pas corrélés avec la présence d’agents pathogènes. Les agents pathogènes constituant une nouvelle préoccupation et l’augmentation des détections de la résistance aux antibiotiques parmi les pathogènes bactériens dans les eaux souterraines sont des sujets de préoccupation croissante. Une élimination adéquate des agents pathogènes pendant le passage dans le sol est donc essentielle pour une exploitation de eaux souterraines en toute sécurité. Les processus susceptibles de favoriser le transport d’agents pathogènes (par exemple, des zones de vitesse élevée et d’écoulements préférentiels) et de diminuer l’élimination des agents pathogènes (par exemple, la rétention réversible et une survie accrue) sont particulièrement préoccupants, car ils augmentent le risque de contamination des eaux souterraines, mais sont encore mal compris. L’amélioration de la théorie et des outils de modélisation sont nécessaires pour analyser des données expérimentales, tester des hypothèses, comprendre les processus couplés et les mécanismes de contrôle, prédire la variabilité spatiale et/ou temporelle des paramètres des modèles et de l’incertitude des concentrations en agents pathogènes, évaluer le risque, et développer des mesures d’atténuation et de meilleures méthodes de gestion pour protéger les eaux souterraines.

Resumen

La contaminación del agua subterránea por patógenos entéricos se ha asociado comúnmente con brotes de enfermedades. La gestión y el tratamiento adecuados de las fuentes de patógenos son requisitos previos importantes para prevenir la contaminación del agua subterránea. Sin embargo, las fuentes no puntuales de contaminación de patógenos son a menudo difíciles de identificar, y los enfoques existentes para su detección son costosos y sólo proporcionan información semicuantitativa. Los indicadores microbianos que se cuantifican fácilmente a menudo no se correlacionan con la presencia de patógenos. Los patógenos de preocupación emergente y la creciente detección de la resistencia a los antibióticos entre los patógenos bacterianos en el agua subterránea son temas de creciente preocupación. La eliminación adecuada de patógenos durante el pasaje en el suelo es por lo tanto crítica en la extracción segura del agua subterránea. Los procesos que aumentan el transporte de patógenos (por ejemplo, zonas de alta velocidad y flujo preferencial) y disminuyen la eliminación de patógenos (por ejemplo, retención reversible y supervivencia mejorada) son de especial preocupación porque aumentan el riesgo de contaminación del agua subterránea, pero todavía no son comprendidos. Se necesitan herramientas mejoradas de la teoría y modelado para analizar los datos experimentales, probar hipótesis, entender los procesos acoplados y los mecanismos de control, predecir la variabilidad espacial y/o temporal de los parámetros del modelo y la incertidumbre en las concentraciones de los patógenos, la evaluación de riesgos y el desarrollo de la mitigación y una mejor gestión de los enfoques para proteger el agua subterránea.

摘要

肠道病原体造成的地下水污染通常与疾病爆发有关。病原体源的恰当管理和处理是预防地下水污染的重要先决条件。然而,病原体非点源污染常常难以确定,现有的病原体检测方法费用昂贵,并且仅仅提供半定量信息。容易量化的微生物指标常常与病原体的存在没有对应关系。新兴的对病原体的关注及地下水中细菌性病原体抗生素抗性的越来越多的检测成为越来越受到关注的主题。因此,病原体在土壤通道中被充分除去对于安全的地下水开采至关重要。增强病原体运移的过程(例如高速带和优先流)及减少消除病原体的过程(例如可逆滞留及增强的存活时间)受到特别关注,因为这些过程增加了地下水污染的风险,然而,这些过程仍然没有被完全了解。需要改进的理论和模拟工具来分析实验数据,检验假设,了解耦合过程和控制机理,预测模型参数中空间和/或时间上的变化及病原体含量的不确定,评价风险性以及开发缓解和最佳管理方法,以保护地下水。

Resumo

A contaminação das águas subterrâneas por patógenos entéricos tem sido frequentemente associada a surtos de doença. A gestão e o tratamento adequados de fontes de patógenos são requisitos importantes na prevenção da contaminação das águas subterrâneas. No entanto, as origens não pontuais de contaminação por patógenos são frequentemente difíceis de identificar e as abordagens existentes para a detecção de patógenos são dispendiosas e somente fornecem informação semi-quantitativa. Os indicadores microbianos que são facilmente quantificados, com frequência não se correlacionam com a presença de patógenos. São tópicos de inquietação crescente os problemáticos patógenos emergentes e a crescente detecção de patógenos bacterianos com resistência antibiótica em águas subterrâneas. A adequada remoção de patógenos durante a passagem pelos solos é consequentemente crítica para a extração de água subterrânea segura. Os processos que favorecem o transporte de patógenos (p.e., zonas de alta velocidade ou de fluxo preferencial) e os que atenuam a remoção de patógenos (p.e., retenção reversível e aumento de sobrevivência) são dignos de preocupação especial porque aumentam o risco de contaminação das águas subterrâneas, mas ainda estão incompletamente compreendidos. São necessárias novas ferramentas teóricas e de modelagem para analisar os dados experimentais, testar hipóteses, compreender processos acoplados e mecanismos de controle, predizer a variabilidade espacial e/ou temporal nos parâmetros do modelo e a incerteza nas concentrações de patógenos, avaliar o risco e desenvolver abordagens de mitigação e de gestão otimizada para a proteção das águas subterrâneas.

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Fig. 1

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Brendan Headd for helpful discussions concerning Fig. 1. This research was supported by the Climate Change, Soils, and Emissions (NP 212) of the USDA-ARS and the Toxics Hydrology Program of the USGS.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. USDA-ARS, US Salinity Laboratory, Riverside, CA, 92507, USA

    Scott A. Bradford

  2. USGS, Boulder, CO, 80303, USA

    Ronald W. Harvey

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Correspondence to Scott A. Bradford.

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Published in the special issue “Hydrogeology and Human Health”

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Bradford, S.A., Harvey, R.W. Future research needs involving pathogens in groundwater. Hydrogeol J 25, 931–938 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-016-1501-0

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Keywords

  • Microbial processes
  • Contamination
  • Groundwater monitoring
  • Health
  • Groundwater/surface-water relations