Identification of Mammaliicoccus fleurettii as the source of a methicillin-resistant gene in a First Nation reserve lake in Manitoba, Canada.

Our study aimed to identify the bacterial source of a previously detected mobile antibiotic-resistant gene, , found in a lake that serves as a source to a water treatment plant operated by a First Nation reserve. Three methicillin-resistant presumptive spp. isolated from the sample using selective media were verified as positive by PCR.

Bacterial diversity and resistome analysis of drinking water stored in cisterns from two First Nations communities in Manitoba, Canada.

The microbiological content of water is an ongoing concern in First Nations communities in Canada. Many communities lack water treatment plants and continue to be under drinking water advisories. However, lack of access to treatment plants is only a part of the problem as poor water distribution systems also contribute to the failure to provide safe drinking water.

Quantitation of glyphosate, glufosinate, and AMPA in drinking water and surface waters using direct injection and charged-surface ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Herbicides glyphosate (N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine) and glufosinate (2-amino-4-(hydroxymethylphosphinyl)butanoic acid) and the main transformation product of glyphosate, aminomethanephosphonic acid (AMPA), are challenging to analyze for in environmental samples. The quantitative method developed by this study adapts previously standardized dechlorination procedures coupled to a novel charged surface C column, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, polarity switching, and direct injection. The method was applied to chlorinated tap water, as well as river samples, collected in the City of Winnipeg and rural Manitoba, Canada.

Quantitation of Canadian organic ultraviolet filters using polarity switching and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Ultraviolet filters (UVFs) absorb UV light and are comprised of numerous classes of compounds including inorganic and organic. They have been used for decades in protecting humans from skin damage and cancer. Recent studies have shown that UVFs are found in many phases of abiotic and biotic systems with their physical-chemical characteristics determining environmental fate and potential biological impacts such as bioaccumulation.

Trihalomethanes in drinking water from three First Nation reserves in Manitoba, Canada.

Previous research indicates that the water distribution system used has a significant impact on the microbial quality of tap water sampled in First Nations reserves in Canada. This study tested tap water from homes in three First Nations reserves to compare the concentrations of four trihalomethanes and related water quality parameters between homes receiving piped water from a water treatment plant (WTP) versus homes equipped with cisterns that are filled by a water truck. Of all the samples collected across time from household taps, 75% of piped samples and 70% of cistern samples had TTHM concentrations exceeding Health Canada's maximum acceptable concentration (MAC) of 100 µg L total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) in treated water.

Quantitative Assessment of First Nations Drinking Water Distribution Systems for Detection and Prevalence of Thermophilic Species.

Water is considered a major route for transmitting human-associated pathogens. Although microbial water quality indicators are used to test for the presence of waterborne pathogens in drinking water, the two are poorly correlated. The current study investigates the prevalence of thermophilic DNA markers specific for spp.

Using the Pesticide Toxicity Index to show the potential ecosystem benefits of on-farm biobeds.

The influent and effluent of two single-cell biobeds (Province of Alberta, Canada) and two dual cell-biobeds (Province of Saskatchewan, Canada) were monitored during a number of growing seasons. A total of 59 unique pesticide active ingredients were detected, with all biobed influent samples (n = 54) and 93% of effluent samples (n = 54) containing pesticide mixtures. About one-half of the effluent samples in both single-cell (56%) and dual-cell (45%) biobeds contained active ingredients that have Groundwater Ubiquity Score (GUS) values >2.

Relative proportions of organic carbon functional groups in biochars as influenced by spectral data collection and processing.

Solid-state C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and synchrotron-based X-ray Absorption Near-Edge Structure (XANES) have applications for determining the relative proportions of organic C functional groups in materials. Spectral data obtained by NMR is typically processed using integration (INTEG) whereas XANES spectral data is typically processed using deconvolution (DECONV). The objective of this study was to examine the impact of spectral data collection and processing on the estimated relative proportions of organic C functional groups in biochars.

Pesticide Mixtures in the Water-Column Versus Bottom-Sediments of Prairie Rivers.

River water-column and bottom-sediments samples were screened for 160 pesticide compounds to compare the types of pesticides present in the water-column versus bottom-sediments, and between segments of rivers flowing through intensively-managed versus semi-natural habitats. Of the 35 pesticide compounds detected, current-use pesticides accounted for 96% (water) and 76% (bottom sediments). Pesticide mixtures were present in 72% (water) and 51% (sediment) of the total samples.

Water delivery system effects on coliform bacteria in tap water in First Nations reserves in Manitoba, Canada.

About one-half of the homes on First Nations (FN) reserves in Manitoba, Canada, receive piped water from a water treatment plant (WTP). Many other homes (31%) are equipped with cisterns that are filled by a water truck, and our objective was to determine how the use of cisterns affects drinking water safety relative to drinking water piped directly to homes from the WTP. The study included belowground concrete cisterns, belowground fiberglass cisterns, and aboveground polyethylene cisterns stored in insulated shelters, and all the data collection methods showed that the tap water in homes with cisterns were relatively more contaminated with coliform bacteria than the tap water in piped homes.

Phytoextraction of ciprofloxacin and sulfamethoxaxole by cattail and switchgrass.

Cattail (Typha latifolia L.) and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) can effectively remove inorganic contaminants from soils and biosolids, but their role in the attenuation of organic contaminants, such as antimicrobials, is currently poorly understood.

Complete Genome Sequences of Two Environmental Isolates Obtained from Potable Water Sourced in a First Nation Community.

Here, we report the complete genome sequences of two distinct isolates of that were obtained from potable water sourced from cistern-bearing homes within a First Nation community in Manitoba, Canada.

Dissipation of sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim during temporary storage of biosolids: A microcosm study.

Little is known about the dissipation rate of microcontaminants in biosolids during storage and stabilization in stockpiles (unsaturated) or storage lagoons/tanks (saturated). The objective of this study was to characterize the dissipation in biosolids of two antibiotics, sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and trimethoprim (TMP), in microcosms under saturated and unsaturated conditions that simulate biosolids that are stockpiled on land or deposited in lagoons/tanks, respectively. The laboratory experiment was conducted at 22 °C using biosolids spiked at an initial nominal concentration of 10 mg kg for both antibiotics.

Sulfamethoxazole sorption by cattail and switchgrass roots.

Sorption to roots is one of several mechanisms by which plant-assisted attenuation of antibiotics can be achieved. The objectives of this study were to (1) evaluate the sorption of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) by cattail and switchgrass roots, (2) determine the kinetics of SMX sorption by cattail and switchgrass roots, and (3) characterize the temperature-dependency of SMX sorption. A batch sorption experiment was conducted to measure SMX sorption by roots of the two plant species using five initial antibiotic concentrations (2.

Detection of fecal bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes in drinking water collected from three First Nations communities in Manitoba, Canada.

This study analyzed the microbiological quality of drinking and source water from three First Nations communities in Manitoba, Canada that vary with respect to the source, storage and distribution of drinking water. Community A relies on an aquifer and Community B on a lake as source water to their water treatment plants. Community C does not have a water treatment plant and uses well water.

Environmental and Agricultural Relevance of Humic Fractions Extracted by Alkali from Soils and Natural Waters.

To study the structure and function of soil organic matter, soil scientists have performed alkali extractions for soil humic acid (HA) and fulvic acid (FA) fractions for more than 200 years. Over the last few decades aquatic scientists have used similar fractions of dissolved organic matter, extracted by resin adsorption followed by alkali desorption. Critics have claimed that alkali-extractable fractions are laboratory artifacts, hence unsuitable for studying natural organic matter structure and function in field conditions.

Auxin Herbicides and Pesticide Mixtures in Groundwater of a Canadian Prairie Province.

Groundwater samples were collected from piezometers and water table wells in both dryland and irrigated agricultural regions of Alberta, Canada, to examine the occurrence of pesticide mixtures. Fourteen current-use pesticides and two historical compounds were detected over a 3-yr sampling period. Pesticide mixtures were detected in ∼3% of the groundwater samples, and the frequency of detection increased from spring (1.

Concentrations of Herbicides in Wetlands on Organic and Minimum-Tillage Farms.

Wetlands are abundant throughout the agricultural landscape of central Saskatchewan, Canada, and the biota present in these wetlands may be vulnerable to the toxic effects of pesticides used on nearby crops. We hypothesized that herbicide concentrations would be higher in wetlands on minimum-tillage farms than on organic (no herbicide use) farms, and that the principal transport mechanisms of runoff versus atmospheric deposition could be identified based on the concentrations in these two wetland types. To test these hypotheses, 29 herbicides were monitored for 5 yr in 16 wetlands on minimum-tillage farms and in seven wetlands on organic farms.

Author Correction: Comparison of DNA-, PMA-, and RNA-based 16S rRNA Illumina sequencing for detection of live bacteria in water.

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has been fixed in the paper.

Sorption and desorption of glyphosate, MCPA and tetracycline and their mixtures in soil as influenced by phosphate.

Phosphate fertilizers and herbicides such as glyphosate and MCPA are commonly applied to agricultural land, and antibiotics such as tetracycline have been detected in soils following the application of livestock manures and biosolids to agricultural land. Utilizing a range of batch equilibrium experiments, this research examined the competitive sorption interactions of these chemicals in soil. Soil samples (0-15 cm) collected from long-term experimental plots contained Olsen P concentrations in the typical (13 to 20 mg kg) and elevated (81 to 99 mg kg) range of build-up phosphate in agricultural soils.

Glyphosate (Ab)sorption by Shoots and Rhizomes of Native versus Hybrid Cattail (Typha).

Wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region of North America are integrated with farmland and contain mixtures of herbicide contaminants. Passive nonfacilitated diffusion is how most herbicides can move across plant membranes, making this perhaps an important process by which herbicide contaminants are absorbed by wetland vegetation. Prairie wetlands are dominated by native cattail (Typha latifolia) and hybrid cattail (Typha x glauca).

Comparison of DNA-, PMA-, and RNA-based 16S rRNA Illumina sequencing for detection of live bacteria in water.

The limitation of 16S rRNA gene sequencing (DNA-based) for microbial community analyses in water is the inability to differentiate live (dormant cells as well as growing or non-growing metabolically active cells) and dead cells, which can lead to false positive results in the absence of live microbes. Propidium-monoazide (PMA) has been used to selectively remove DNA from dead cells during downstream sequencing process. In comparison, 16S rRNA sequencing (RNA-based) can target live microbial cells in water as both dormant and metabolically active cells produce rRNA.

17β-Estradiol mineralization under field and laboratory incubations.

Mineralization studies of natural steroid hormones (e.g., 17β-estradiol, E2) are performed in environmental incubators, usually under a constant temperature such as 20°C.

Bacteria in drinking water sources of a First Nation reserve in Canada.

Approximately 20% of the 600 First Nations reserves across Canada are under a drinking water advisory, often due to unacceptable levels of bacteria. In this study, we detected fecal bacteria at an alarmingly high frequency in drinking water sources in a fly-in First Nations community, most notably in buckets/drums of homes without running water where Escherichia coli levels ranged from 20 to 62,000CFU/100mL. The water leaving the water treatment plant was free of E.