Title: A system view of water bacteriological quality management: the impact of soil, sediment/sand, and aquatic vegetation on and pathogens in water

Presenter: Dr. Tao Yan

University: Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Hawaii

Time: 15:00-17:00, October 16, 2013

Venue: Room A203, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Abstract:

Dr. Tao Yan is a tenured associate professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Hawaii. His research focuses on water bacteriological pollution, environmental microbiology, and biotechnology for water treatment and reuse.

Water bacteriological contamination can easily transmit human pathogens to large communities via contaminated foods, drinking water and recreational water, thus representing a major public health threat. The current regulatory paradigm of water-borne disease risks relies primarily on concentrations of fecal indicator bacteria (FIBs) in water, and is based on the assumption that higher FIB concentration in water indicates higher risk of human pathogens. However, recent research results have detected the presence of high abundance of FIBs and pathogens in soil, sediment/sand, and aquatic vegetation, which frequently exchange microorganisms with the waterbodies. These recent research findings indicate the need of a system view of water bacteriological quality management that goes beyond the water and includes other relevant system components. This talk will present field observation and laboratory experimental results that showed that soil, sand, and overgrown aquatic vegetation can be alternative source of FIBs and pathogens in various waterbodies.