Quantifying the risk of pathogens from agricultural enterprises entering water sources -- Microbial source tracking

This study will develop an agroecosystem indicator to quantify the   risks of contamination of water resources by microbes from   agricultural holdings within a watershed. The indicator will   integrate existing knowledge, but additional deliverables (in the   form of reports on) the requirement for quantifying the survival of   pathogens within manure storages; the risk of surface water   contamination from intensive sheep and dairy cattle grazing and   management; the effects of the medium in which pathogens are   released into the environment, properties of the microbe, soil   properties and state variables on the survival of pathogens in soil;   the effects of these same factors on the transport of pathogens   through the soil; the formulation of design criteria for vegetated   filter strips to intercept and hold pathogens moving in runoff   water; and a detailed report on the adhesion of microbes to   sedimentary material, their survival and remobilization into the   water column. The components of an integrated approach to microbial   source tracking will be developed and tested in a defined watershed   in Huron County.    Project Objectives:  Identify pathogen source production, die-off during storage and   potential for transport to and in receiving waters (both surface and   ground); integrate these algorithms into an overall predictive model   agroecosystem Indicator for Pathogens) as part of a GIS database;   establish protocols associated with source tracking of pathogens   present in water resources.    (microbial source tracking); (MST); (bacterial source tracking);   (BST)