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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Environmental Microbial & Food Safety Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #356293

Research Project: Design and Implementation of Monitoring and Modeling Methods to Evaluate Microbial Quality of Surface Water Sources Used for Irrigation

Location: Environmental Microbial & Food Safety Laboratory

Title: Microbial water quality: monitoring and modeling

Author
item Pachepsky, Yakov
item ALLENDE, ANA - Centro De Edafología Y Biología Aplicada Del Segura-Csic
item BOITHIAS, LAURIE - University Of Toulouse
item CHO, KYUNGHWA - University Of Ulsan College Of Medicine
item HOFSTRA, NYNKE - Wageningen University
item JAMIESON, ROBERT - Dalhousie University
item MOLINA, MARIROSA - National Exposure Research Laboratory (NERL)

Submitted to: Environmental Quality
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/10/2018
Publication Date: 9/20/2018
Citation: Pachepsky, Y.A., Allende, A., Boithias, L., Cho, K., Hofstra, N., Jamieson, R., Molina, M. 2018. Microbial water quality: monitoring and modeling. Environmental Quality. 47(5):931-938.

Interpretive Summary: Microorganisms in waters used for various purposes, including drinking, recreation, irrigation, aquaculture, etc., are increasingly becoming the subject of concerns related to human and animal health. In spite of the importance of this subject matter, there no books or special publications that would present a panoramic view of the state-of-the-art in the microbial water quality research. Journal of Environmental Quality is a very appropriate outlet for such special publication. This minireview presents the content of the spatial collection of papers on microbial water quality in the context of modern trends in research and applications. It covers important aspects of the microbial water quality involve identifying sources of microorganisms that are used in microbial water quality metrics (e.g. agricultural enterprises, residential properties, wildlife, etc.), and assessing processes of release, transport, and survival of organisms and genetic material that are of interest for microbial water quality research and applications. Research and applications in microbial water quality arena encompass diagnostics, monitoring, modeling, and management of microbial communities in waters. The international group of editors expects that this microbial water quality paper collection will stimulate the interdisciplinary effort in the field off great importance for public health and environmental quality.

Technical Abstract: Microbial water quality is a part of general water quality which is a measure of the condition of water related to the requirements of one or more biotic species and or to any human need or purpose. Microbial water quality encompasses selection and evaluation of microbial water quality metrics that currently include prevalence and concentrations of pathogenic microorganisms, microorganisms - indicators of potential pathogen contamination, and certain genetic material such as Shiga toxin-related genes and antibiotic resistance genes. Other important aspects of the microbial water quality involve identifying sources of microorganisms that are used in microbial water quality metrics (e.g. agricultural enterprises, residential properties, wildlife, etc.), and assessing processes of release, transport, and survival of organisms and genetic material that are of interest for microbial water quality research and applications. Research and applications in microbial water quality arena encompass diagnostics, monitoring, modeling, and management of microbial communities in waters. Environmental factors are known to control microbial water quality in natural systems. Thus, microbial water quality appears to be an organic part of environmental quality in general. This explains the motivation of the Journal of Environmental Quality to create and publish a collection of research reports focused on problems and methods of this vibrant and fast developing field. The international group of authors and editors represents 11 countries. This editorial presents a panoramic view of the state-of-the-art in the microbial water quality research, and outlines the promising avenues of future research. By assembling this issue, the editors intended to stimulate the interdisciplinary effort in the field that is known to set noble goals and bring valuable results.