RAPID: Mobilization and transport of microbial contaminants along Texas waterways following Hurricane Harvey

第一部分项目意义和重要性飓风哈维对德克萨斯州东南部的废水基础设施造成了前所未有的破坏，导致污水污染物释放到地表沃茨，并有可能使人类广泛接触微生物病原体。该提案旨在了解人类接触病原体的可能性，并评估飓风哈维期间废水排放的程度。在研究过程中测量的运输和其他因素的比较将建立一个预测框架，评估严重洪水后的废水污染的目标。调查将集中在东南部和较低的中部得克萨斯州农村地区的小城镇，以提供急需的和紧迫的数据，对小城镇的水质污水溢出的影响。第二部分技术说明本研究的假设是，污水溢出和雨水径流期间和哈维后释放到得克萨斯州的水道高水平的潜在致病生物。将通过评估德克萨斯州东南部和中下部农村地区受洪水影响的地表沃茨中粪便指示细菌、人类线粒体DNA和选定人类病原体的存在、丰度和命运来检验这一假设。具体的测量包括粪便指示生物的定量分析（E。大肠杆菌、肠球菌和人类特异性拟杆菌目），以及人类线粒体DNA（mtDNA）和选定的人类病原体（E.大肠杆菌O157：H7，弯曲杆菌属，弧菌属）在水和沉积物样本中。该项目将推进对粪便源跟踪的基本理解，并通过使用人类mtDNA作为粪便污染的直接测量，扩大对粪便指标的理解，以识别沿海和地表沃茨中的粪便污染源。

Part I Project Significance and ImportanceHurricane Harvey has caused unprecedented damage to wastewater infrastructure in southeastern Texas, resulting in the release of sewage contamination into surface waters and the potential for widespread microbial pathogen exposure to humans. This proposal seeks to understand the potential for human exposure to pathogens and assess the extent of wastewater releases during Hurricane Harvey. Comparisons of transport and other factors measured during the study will be made with the objective of building a predictive framework for assessing wastewater contamination following severe flooding. The investigation will focus on smaller towns in southeast and lower central Texas rural locations to provide much needed and urgent data on the effects of sewage spillages on the water quality of smaller towns.Part II Technical DescriptionThe hypothesis of this research is that sewage overflows and stormwater runoff during and after Harvey have released high levels of potentially pathogenic organisms into Texas waterways. This hypothesis will be tested by evaluating the presence, abundance and fate of fecal indicator bacteria, human mitochondrial DNA and selected human pathogens in flood-impacted surface waters in southeast and lower central Texas rural locations. Specific measurements include the quantitative analysis of fecal indicator organisms (E. coli, Enterococci, and Human-specific Bacteroidales), together with human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and selected human pathogens (E. coli O157:H7, Campylobacter spp., Vibrio spp.) in water and sediment samples. This project will advance fundamental understanding of fecal source tracking and expand the understanding of fecal indicators for identifying sources of fecal contamination in coastal and surface waters through the use of human mtDNA as a direct measure of fecal contamination.