Article

 

Factors Influencing Bacterial Diversity and Community Composition in Municipal Drinking Waters in the Ohio River Basin, USA. Public Deposited

Downloadable Content

Download PDF
https://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/articles/rv042t73v
Abstract
  • The composition and metabolic activities of microbes in drinking water distribution systems can affect water quality and distribution system integrity. In order to understand regional variations in drinking water microbiology in the upper Ohio River watershed, the chemical and microbiological constituents of 17 municipal distribution systems were assessed. While sporadic variations were observed, the microbial diversity was generally dominated by fewer than 10 taxa, and was driven by the amount of disinfectant residual in the water. Overall, Mycobacterium spp. (Actinobacteria), MLE1-12 (phylum Cyanobacteria), Methylobacterium spp., and sphingomonads were the dominant taxa. Shifts in community composition from Alphaproteobacteria and Betaproteobacteria to Firmicutes and Gammaproteobacteria were associated with higher residual chlorine. Alpha- and beta-diversity were higher in systems with higher chlorine loads, which may reflect changes in the ecological processes structuring the communities under different levels of oxidative stress. These results expand the assessment of microbial diversity in municipal distribution systems and demonstrate the value of considering ecological theory to understand the processes controlling microbial makeup. Such understanding may inform the management of municipal drinking water resources.
Creator
Date Issued
  • 2016-01-01
Academic Affiliation
Journal Title
Journal Issue/Number
  • 6
Journal Volume
  • 11
File Extent
  • 0157966-0157966
Subject
Last Modified
  • 2019-12-05
Identifier
  • PubMed ID: 27362708
Resource Type
Rights Statement
DOI
ISSN
  • 1932-6203
Language

Relationships

Items