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Characterizing spatial structure of sediment E. coli populations to inform sampling design

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Abstract

Escherichia coli can persist in streambed sediments and influence water quality monitoring programs through their resuspension into overlying waters. This study examined the spatial patterns in E. coli concentration and population structure within streambed morphological features during baseflow and following stormflow to inform sampling strategies for representative characterization of E. coli populations within a stream reach. E. coli concentrations in bed sediments were significantly different (p = 0.002) among monitoring sites during baseflow, and significant interactive effects (p = 0.002) occurred among monitoring sites and morphological features following stormflow. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression revealed that water velocity and effective particle size (D 10) explained E. coli concentration during baseflow, whereas sediment organic carbon, water velocity and median particle diameter (D 50) were important explanatory variables following stormflow. Principle Coordinate Analysis illustrated the site-scale differences in sediment E. coli populations between disconnected stream segments. Also, E. coli populations were similar among depositional features within a reach, but differed in relation to high velocity features (e.g., riffles). Canonical correspondence analysis resolved that E. coli population structure was primarily explained by spatial (26.9–31.7 %) over environmental variables (9.2–13.1 %). Spatial autocorrelation existed among monitoring sites and morphological features for both sampling events, and gradients in mean particle diameter and water velocity influenced E. coli population structure for the baseflow and stormflow sampling events, respectively. Representative characterization of streambed E. coli requires sampling of depositional and high velocity environments to accommodate strain selectivity among these features owing to sediment and water velocity heterogeneity.

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Acknowledgements

Financial support for this project was provided by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). The authors would like to acknowledge the assistance of Tristan Goulden and Nick Dourado for assisting with field work and sample processing.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Process Engineering and Applied Science, Dalhousie University, F201, 1360 Barrington Street, Halifax, NS, B3H 4R2, Canada

    Gregory S. Piorkowski, Rob C. Jamieson & Lisbeth Truelstrup Hansen

  2. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Atlantic Food and Horticulture Research Centre, 32 Main Street, Kentville, NS, B4N 1J5, Canada

    Greg S. Bezanson

  3. Department of Biology, University of Regina, LB 244, 3737 Wascana Parkway, Regina, SK, S4S 0A2, Canada

    Chris K. Yost

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  1. Gregory S. Piorkowski
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  2. Rob C. Jamieson
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  4. Greg S. Bezanson
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Correspondence to Rob C. Jamieson.

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Piorkowski, G.S., Jamieson, R.C., Hansen, L.T. et al. Characterizing spatial structure of sediment E. coli populations to inform sampling design. Environ Monit Assess 186, 277–291 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-013-3373-2

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