New diagnostic tool is part of national project to locate human sources of pollution in UK rivers, ensuring cleaner and safer water
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A new diagnostic tool is being used by University of Brighton scientists to trace sources of pollution in UK water bodies – including rivers, lakes and streams – used for drinking water supplies and for recreational activities.
By using advanced DNA sequencing technology, scientists can search the samples for bacteriophages, which are viruses that infect bacteria and are naturally found in the human gut.
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The new diagnostic technology will enable scientists to both collect and analyse water samples in the field and laboratory, a major improvement on traditional water testing technology that relies on culturing bacteria in labs. Typically, this is a slow process which fails to reveal the presence of human contamination.
Led by researchers at the University of Brighton Centre for Environment and Society, the £950,000-project will allow scientists to rapidly and accurately trace human contamination to its source, helping to reduce risks to public health.
Once fully developed, the technology will be tested by experts at the Environment Agency and the University of Sheffield on the River Wharfe in Yorkshire, home to England’s first inland designated bathing site at Ilkley, which has faced water quality challenges linked to sewage and runoff.
‘This project is particularly exciting as it gives us an opportunity to use the latest biomolecular tools to advance an area of water quality management known as Microbial Source Tracking (MST) that our researchers have been trying to resolve for the past 25 years,’ said co-investigator at the University of Brighton Professor James Ebdon.
Currently, no river in England meets the ‘good chemical status’ set by the Water Framework Directive, the internationally recognised standard which regulates the quality of water bodies across Europe. Pollutants found in sewage and industrial discharges or produced by agricultural and wild animals continue to impact water quality. In total, just 16 per cent of English rivers are classified as being of ‘good ecological status.’
