Microbial source tracking: methods, applications, and case studies

Understanding the origin of fecal pollution is essential in assessing potential health risks as well as for determining the actions necessary to remediate the quality of waters contaminated by fecal matter. As a result, microbial source tracking (MST) has emerged as a field that has evolved and diversified rapidly since the first approaches were described only a decade ago. In response to the emergence of MST, there have been three large multi-laboratory method comparison studies (two in the US and one in Europe), plus numerous workshops, book chapters, and review articles dedicated to synthes.

Chapter 1: Overview -- Chapter 2: Performance Criteria -- Chapter 3: Library-dependent Source Tracking Methods -- Chapter 4: Library-Independent Source Tracking Methods -- Chapter 5: Viruses as Tracers of Fecal Contamination -- Chapter 6: Phage Methods -- Chapter 7: Pathogenic Protozoa -- Chapter 8: Chemical-Based Fecal Source Tracking Methods -- Chapter 9: Statistical Approaches for Modeling in Microbial Source Tracking -- Chapter 10: Mitochondrial DNA as Source Tracking Markers of Fecal Contamination -- Chapter 11: Community Analysis-Based Methods -- Chapter 12: Public Perception of and Public Participation in Microbial Source Tracking -- Chapter 13: Use of Microbial Source Tracking in the Legal Arena: Benefits and Challenges -- Chapter 14: Applications of Microbial Source Tracking in the TMDL Process -- Chapter 15: Relating MST Results to Fecal Indicator Bacteria, Pathogens, and Standards -- Chapter 16: Minimizing Microbial Source Tracking at All Costs -- Chapter 17: Environmental Persistence and Naturalization of Fecal Indicator Organisms -- Chapter 18: Agricultural and Rural Watersheds -- Chapter 19: Case Studies of Urban and Suburban Watersheds -- Chapter 20: Beaches and Coa…