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Characterizing the distribution of planktonic fecal bacteria in the James River, Richmond, Virginia

Surface waters containing fecal bacteria present significant public health risks. Understanding the sources of and factors affecting the distribution of fecal-indicating bacteria is necessary to predict potential illnesses more effectively. This thesis presents two studies on the distribution of fecal bacteria in the James River through Richmond, Virginia. Chapter 1 describes nearly 11 years of water quality, climate, and hydrologic data that occurred with changes in Escherichia coli concentrations, concluding that Richmond contributes significant quantities of fecal bacteria to the James River, and that the distribution of these bacteria varies seasonally. Chapter 2 details the development of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)-based methods to identify four common pathogenic taxa of fecal bacteria, and indicates that the factors controlling the distribution of these pathogens may be taxa-specific. Both studies, taken together, indicate that urbanization increases the presence of fecal bacteria and pathogens in this system, and that recreational contact with the river presents potential health risks.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:vcu.edu/oai:scholarscompass.vcu.edu:etd-1261
Date08 August 2011
CreatorsFurry, John
PublisherVCU Scholars Compass
Source SetsVirginia Commonwealth University
Detected LanguageEnglish
Typetext
Formatapplication/pdf
SourceTheses and Dissertations
Rights© The Author

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