Back to the future: Comparing yeast as an outmoded artificial tracer for simulating microbial transport in karst aquifer systems to more modern approaches.

Bacterial contamination of karst groundwater is a major concern for public health. Artificial tracing studies are crucial for establishing links between locations where pollutants can rapidly reach the aquifer systems and subsequent receptors, as well as for enhanced understanding of pollutant transport. However, widely used solute artificial tracers do not always move through the subsurface in the same manner as particles and microorganisms, hence may not be ideal proxies for predicting movement of bacterial contaminants.

Flow Cytometry and Fecal Indicator Bacteria Analyses for Fingerprinting Microbial Pollution in Karst Aquifer Systems.

Microbial pollution of aquifers is a persistent water quality problem globally which poses significant risks to public health. Karst aquifer systems are exceptionally vulnerable to pollution from fecal contamination sources as a result of rapid recharge of water from the surface via discrete pathways linked to highly conductive, solutionally enlarged conduits alongside strong aquifer heterogeneity. Consequently, rapid changes in microbial water quality, which are difficult to monitor with expensive and time-consuming conventional microbiological methods, are a major concern in karst environments.