A rapid reverse transcription-PCR assay for F+ RNA coliphages to trace fecal pollution in Table Rock Lake on the Arkansas-Missouri border

Water Res. 2006 Dec;40(20):3719-24. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2006.09.003. Epub 2006 Oct 27.

Abstract

Source determination of fecal contamination is imperative to efficiently reduce the fecal material load to environmental waters. This study developed primer pairs targeting three F+ RNA bacteriophages and a simple filtration sampling method to enumerate and identify coliphages in environmental waters. Water samples were collected seasonally for one year from the watershed of Table Rock Lake on the Arkansas-Missouri border in areas predisposed to fecal contamination. Collected samples were analyzed quantitatively with most probable number and plaque assays and qualitatively with reverse transcription-PCR. We demonstrated the usefulness of F+ RNA coliphages as an indicator of fecal contamination, but were unable to distinguish between human and non-human sources. F+ coliphage numbers in Table Rock Lake showed seasonal variation with the highest level of coliphage presence during the January sampling event.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Arkansas
  • Coliphages / genetics
  • Coliphages / growth & development
  • Coliphages / isolation & purification*
  • Environmental Monitoring / methods*
  • Feces / microbiology*
  • Fresh Water
  • Humans
  • Missouri
  • RNA Phages / genetics
  • RNA Phages / growth & development
  • RNA Phages / isolation & purification*
  • RNA, Viral / genetics
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Viral Plaque Assay
  • Water Microbiology*
  • Water Pollution / analysis

Substances

  • RNA, Viral