The Impact of Environmental Factors on Surface and Treated Water Microbiome
Abstract
Water quality assessment is essential for maintaining healthy ecosystems and
protecting human health. Data interrogation and exploratory data analysis techniques are
used to analyze the spatial and temporal variability of water quality parameters,
identifying correlations, and to better understand the factors that impacts microbial and
chemical quality of water. The seasonal dynamics of microbiome in surface waters were
investigated to identify the factors driving these dynamics. Initial investigation analyzed
two decades of regional water quality data from 20 various locations in Central Arizona,
USA. Leveraging advanced data science techniques, the study uncovered correlations
between crucial parameters, including dissolved organic carbon (DOC), ultraviolet
absorbance (UVA), and specific ultraviolet absorbance (SUVA). These findings provide
foundational insights into the dynamic of overall water quality. A comprehensive 12-
month surface water sample collection and study was conducted to investigate potential
bias in bacterial detection using EPA approved Membrane Filtration (MF) technique.
The results underscore that while MF excels in recovering bacteria of public health
significance, it exhibits biases, particularly against small and spore-forming bacteria and
Archaea, such as Bacilli, Mollicutes, Methylacidiphilae, and Parvarchaea. This
emphasizes the importance of complementing standard microbiology approaches to
mitigate technological biases and enhance the accuracy of microbial water quality testing,
especially for emerging pathogens. Furthermore, a complementary study of microbial
dynamics within a model drinking water distribution systems (DWDSs) using treated
water from the same source water as the above study. The influence of pipe material and
water temperature on the microbiome and trace element composition was investigated.
The research unveiled a preferential link between pipe material and trace elements, with
water temperature significantly impacting the microbiome to a higher degree than the
chemical composition of water. Notably, Legionellaceae and Mycobacteriaceae were
found to be prevalent in warmer waters, highlighting the substantial influence of water
temperature on the microbiome, surpassing that of pipe material. These studies provide
comprehensive insights into the spatial and temporal variability of water quality
parameters. Analyzing microbial data in depth is crucial in detecting bacterial species
within a monitoring program for adjusting operational conditions to reduce the presence
of microbial pathogens and enhance the quality of drinking water.
Description
Keywords
Microbial Dynamics, Water Quality Assessment