Development of next generation microbial source tracking methods

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We are developing new approaches to characterize the persistence and transport of different bacteria and viruses in the environment, and to distinguish the different sources of human fecal pollution to water bodies, what we are calling “next generation microbial source tracking.”

Here are some of our publications on this topic:

  1. ⁺Pinongcos, F., Mladenov, N., °Calderón, J.S., Verbyla, M.E., Kinoshita, A.M., Gersberg, R., ⁺Batikian, C. (2022). Chemical and microbial markers for discriminating sanitary sewer contamination in coastal, urban streams. ACS ES&T Water (published online ahead of print). https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestwater.2c00265
  2. °Calderón, J.S., Verbyla, M.E., ⁺Gil, M., ⁺Pinongcos, F., Kinoshita, A.M., *Mladenov, N. (2022). Persistence of fecal indicators and microbial source tracking markers in water flushed from riverbank soils. Water, Soil, & Air Pollution, 233(83): 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-022-05542-8
  3. °°Mendoza, L.M., *Mladenov, N., Kinoshita, A.M., Pinongcos, F., Verbyla, M.E., Gersberg, R. (2020). Fluorescence-based monitoring of anthropogenic pollutant inputs to an urban stream in southern California, USA. Science of the Total Environment, 718, 137206. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137206
  4. Momba, M., Edbon, J., Kamika, I., Verbyla, M.E. (2019). Using indicators to assess microbial treatment and disinfection efficacy. In: J.B. Rose and B. Jiménez-Cisneros, (eds) Sanitation and Disease in the 21st Century: Health and Microbiological Aspects of Excreta and Wastewater Management. (A.Farnleitner and A. Blanch (eds), Part 2 Indicators and Microbial Source Tracking Markers). Michigan State University, E. Lansing, MI, UNESCO. Global Water Pathogen Project. https://doi.org/10.14321/waterpathogens.6
  5. Harwood, V., Shanks, O., Koraijkic, A., Verbyla, M.E., Ahmed, W. and Iriate, M. (2018). General and Host-Associated Bacterial Indicators of Fecal Pollution. In: J.B. Rose and B. Jiménez-Cisneros, (eds) Sanitation and Disease in the 21st Century: Health and Microbiological Aspects of Excreta and Wastewater Management. (A.Farnleitner and A. Blanch (eds), Part 2 Indicators and Microbial Source Tracking Markers). Michigan State University, E. Lansing, MI, UNESCO. Global Water Pathogen Project. https://doi.org/10.14321/waterpathogens.6
  6. *Symonds, E.M., Young, S., Verbyla, M.E., McQuaig-Ulrich, S., Ross, E., Jimenez, J.A., Harwood, V.J., Breitbart, M. (2017). Microbial source tracking in shellfish harvesting waters in the Gulf of Nicoya, Costa Rica. Water Research, 111:177–184. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2017.01.004
  7. *Verbyla, M.E., Symonds, E.M., Kafle, R.C., Cairns, M.R., Iriarte, M.M., Mercado Guzmán, A., Coronado, O., Breitbart, M., Ledo, C., Mihelcic, J.R. (2016a). Managing microbial risks from indirect wastewater reuse for irrigation in urbanizing watersheds. Environmental Science & Technology, 50(13): 6803–6813. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.5b05398