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. 2015 Apr 1:511:676-83.
doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.12.062. Epub 2015 Jan 17.

Source tracking swine fecal waste in surface water proximal to swine concentrated animal feeding operations

Christopher D Heaney  1 , Kevin Myers  2 , Steve Wing  3 , Devon Hall  4 , Dothula Baron  4 , Jill R Stewart  2
Affiliations

Source tracking swine fecal waste in surface water proximal to swine concentrated animal feeding operations

Christopher D Heaney et al. Sci Total Environ. .

Abstract

Swine farming has gone through many changes in the last few decades, resulting in operations with a high animal density known as confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs). These operations produce a large quantity of fecal waste whose environmental impacts are not well understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate microbial water quality in surface waters proximal to swine CAFOs including microbial source tracking of fecal microbes specific to swine. For one year, surface water samples at up- and downstream sites proximal to swine CAFO lagoon waste land application sites were tested for fecal indicator bacteria (fecal coliforms, Escherichia coli and Enterococcus) and candidate swine-specific microbial source-tracking (MST) markers (Bacteroidales Pig-1-Bac, Pig-2-Bac, and Pig-Bac-2, and methanogen P23-2). Testing of 187 samples showed high fecal indicator bacteria concentrations at both up- and downstream sites. Overall, 40%, 23%, and 61% of samples exceeded state and federal recreational water quality guidelines for fecal coliforms, E. coli, and Enterococcus, respectively. Pig-1-Bac and Pig-2-Bac showed the highest specificity to swine fecal wastes and were 2.47 (95% confidence interval [CI]=1.03, 5.94) and 2.30 times (95% CI=0.90, 5.88) as prevalent proximal down- than proximal upstream of swine CAFOs, respectively. Pig-1-Bac and Pig-2-Bac were also 2.87 (95% CI=1.21, 6.80) and 3.36 (95% CI=1.34, 8.41) times as prevalent when 48 hour antecedent rainfall was greater than versus less than the mean, respectively. Results suggest diffuse and overall poor sanitary quality of surface waters where swine CAFO density is high. Pig-1-Bac and Pig-2-Bac are useful for tracking off-site conveyance of swine fecal wastes into surface waters proximal to and downstream of swine CAFOs and during rain events.

Keywords: Concentrated animal feeding operation; E. coli; Enterococcus; Fecal pollution; Microbial source tracking; Run-off; Swine; Water quality.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Map of surface water sampling sites proximal to swine concentrated animal feeding operation spray fields, North Carolina.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
a–c. Boxplot comparison of concentrations (log10 CFU/100 mL) of: (a) fecal coliforms (b) E. coli and (c) Enterococcus by season for all surface water samples at sites proximal to swine concentrated animal feeding operation spray fields in North Carolina. Median line and interquartile range depicted by boxes; range depicted by whiskers; outliers depicted by circular dots.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Mean fecal indicator bacteria concentrations (log10 CFU/100 mL) by cumulative amount of rainfall (inches) during the 48 hours prior to sampling at sites proximal to swine concentrated animal feeding operation spray fields in North Carolina. Error bars represent the standard error of mean fecal indicator bacteria concentrations.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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