2022 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Virtual Conference
March 13 - 15, 2022
6/05/2017 | 11:00 AM - 11:15 AM | EXAMINING THE ECOSYSTEM SERVICE OF FECAL INDICATOR BACTERIA REMOVAL BY RIVER NETWORKS | 301B
EXAMINING THE ECOSYSTEM SERVICE OF FECAL INDICATOR BACTERIA REMOVAL BY RIVER NETWORKS
Rivers, estuaries, and beaches in the U.S. face persistent bacterial contamination. A better understanding of the mechanisms controlling bacterial contamination events would result in better management. Removal of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) in river systems potentially attenuates downstream impairments and would represent an important ecosystem service to reduce microbial impairment of freshwater sources. We developed a module for routing FIB through river networks in the Framework for Aquatic Modeling of the Earth System (FrAMES) model to understand the fate and transport of E. coli, which is the freshwater indicator for fecal contamination. This study found that hyporheic exchange is important in removing E. coli. The water column and the hyporheic zone removed approximately 10-30% and 30-50% of E. coli input, respectively, in New England watersheds during the summer period. Watershed size, land use distribution, and hydrology interact to determine network-scale E. coli removal, but hydrology has the most significant impact. This study found that the ecosystem service of FIB removal reduces FIB levels at critical downstream water bodies, such as recreational lakes and estuaries. These results have important implications for managing bacteria contamination.
- S16 Understanding and mitigating change in freshwater ecosystem services
- C27 Landuse and Non-Point source Impacts
- C36 Water Resource Management
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Presenters/Authors
Tao Huang
(), University of New Hampshire, th2018@wildcats.unh.edu;
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Wilfred Wollheim
(), University of New Hampshire, wil.wollheim@unh.edu;
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