TY - JOUR
T1 - Levels of salmonella enterica and listeria monocytogenes in alternative irrigation water vary based on water source on the eastern shore of Maryland
AU - Acheamfour, Chanelle L.
AU - Parveen, Salina
AU - Hashem, Fawzy
AU - Sharma, Manan
AU - Gerdes, Megan E.
AU - May, Eric B.
AU - Rogers, Koriante
AU - Haymaker, Joseph
AU - Duncan, Rico
AU - Foust, Derek
AU - Taabodi, Maryam
AU - Handy, Eric T.
AU - East, Cheryl
AU - Bradshaw, Rhodel
AU - Kim, Seongyun
AU - Micallef, Shirley A.
AU - Callahan, Mary Theresa
AU - Allard, Sarah
AU - Anderson-Coughlin, Brienna
AU - Craighead, Shani
AU - Gartley, Samantha
AU - Vanore, Adam
AU - Kniel, Kalmia E.
AU - Solaiman, Sultana
AU - Bui, Anthony
AU - Murray, Rianna
AU - Craddock, Hillary A.
AU - Kulkarni, Prachi
AU - Rosenberg Goldstein, Rachel E.
AU - Sapkota, Amy R.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2021 Acheamfour et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.
PY - 2021/10/1
Y1 - 2021/10/1
N2 - Irrigation water sources have been shown to harbor foodborne pathogens and could contribute to the outbreak of foodborne illness related to consumption of contaminated produce. Determining the probability of and the degree to which these irrigation water sources contain these pathogens is paramount. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of Salmonella enterica and Listeria monocytogenes in alternative irrigation water sources. Water samples (n = 188) were collected over 2 years (2016 to 2018) from 2 reclaimed water plants, 3 nontidal freshwater rivers, and 1 tidal brackish river on Maryland’s Eastern Shore (ESM). Samples were collected by filtration using modified Moore swabs (MMS) and analyzed by culture methods. Pathogen levels were quantified using a modified most probable number (MPN) procedure with three different volumes (10 liters, 1 liter, and 0.1 liter). Overall, 65% (122/188) and 40% (76/188) of water samples were positive for S. enterica and L. monocytogenes, respectively. For both pathogens, MPN values ranged from 0.015 to 11 MPN/liter. Pathogen levels (MPN/liter) were significantly (P, 0.05) greater for the nontidal freshwater river sites and the tidal brackish river site than the reclaimed water sites. L. monocytogenes levels in water varied based on season. Detection of S. enterica was more likely with 10-liter filtration compared to 0.1-liter filtration. The physicochemical factors measured attributed only 6.4% of the constrained variance to the levels of both pathogens. This study shows clear variations in S. enterica and L. monocytogenes levels in irrigation water sources on ESM. IMPORTANCE In the last several decades, Maryland’s Eastern Shore has seen significant declines in groundwater levels. While this area is not currently experiencing drought conditions or water scarcity, this research represents a proactive approach. Efforts, to investigate the levels of pathogenic bacteria and the microbial quality of alternative irrigation water are important for sustainable irrigation practices into the future. This research will be used to determine the suitability of alternative irrigation water sources for use in fresh produce irrigation to conserve groundwater.
AB - Irrigation water sources have been shown to harbor foodborne pathogens and could contribute to the outbreak of foodborne illness related to consumption of contaminated produce. Determining the probability of and the degree to which these irrigation water sources contain these pathogens is paramount. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of Salmonella enterica and Listeria monocytogenes in alternative irrigation water sources. Water samples (n = 188) were collected over 2 years (2016 to 2018) from 2 reclaimed water plants, 3 nontidal freshwater rivers, and 1 tidal brackish river on Maryland’s Eastern Shore (ESM). Samples were collected by filtration using modified Moore swabs (MMS) and analyzed by culture methods. Pathogen levels were quantified using a modified most probable number (MPN) procedure with three different volumes (10 liters, 1 liter, and 0.1 liter). Overall, 65% (122/188) and 40% (76/188) of water samples were positive for S. enterica and L. monocytogenes, respectively. For both pathogens, MPN values ranged from 0.015 to 11 MPN/liter. Pathogen levels (MPN/liter) were significantly (P, 0.05) greater for the nontidal freshwater river sites and the tidal brackish river site than the reclaimed water sites. L. monocytogenes levels in water varied based on season. Detection of S. enterica was more likely with 10-liter filtration compared to 0.1-liter filtration. The physicochemical factors measured attributed only 6.4% of the constrained variance to the levels of both pathogens. This study shows clear variations in S. enterica and L. monocytogenes levels in irrigation water sources on ESM. IMPORTANCE In the last several decades, Maryland’s Eastern Shore has seen significant declines in groundwater levels. While this area is not currently experiencing drought conditions or water scarcity, this research represents a proactive approach. Efforts, to investigate the levels of pathogenic bacteria and the microbial quality of alternative irrigation water are important for sustainable irrigation practices into the future. This research will be used to determine the suitability of alternative irrigation water sources for use in fresh produce irrigation to conserve groundwater.
KW - Filtration
KW - Irrigation
KW - Listeria monocytogenes
KW - Mid-Atlantic
KW - Modified Moore swab
KW - Reclaimed water
KW - Salmonella
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85119113618&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1128/Spectrum.00669-21
DO - 10.1128/Spectrum.00669-21
M3 - Article
C2 - 34612697
AN - SCOPUS:85119113618
SN - 2165-0497
VL - 9
JO - Microbiology spectrum
JF - Microbiology spectrum
IS - 2
M1 - e00669-21
ER -