RESUMEN
Water quality is an emergent property of a complex system comprised of interacting microbial populations and introduced microbial and chemical contaminants. Studies leveraging next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies are providing new insights into the ecology of microbially mediated processes that influence fresh water quality such as algal blooms, contaminant biodegradation, and pathogen dissemination. In addition, sequencing methods targeting small subunit (SSU) rRNA hypervariable regions have allowed identification of signature microbial species that serve as bioindicators for sewage contamination in these environments. Beyond amplicon sequencing, metagenomic and metatranscriptomic analyses of microbial communities in fresh water environments reveal the genetic capabilities and interplay of waterborne microorganisms, shedding light on the mechanisms for production and biodegradation of toxins and other contaminants. This review discusses the challenges and benefits of applying NGS-based methods to water quality research and assessment. We will consider the suitability and biases inherent in the application of NGS as a screening tool for assessment of biological risks and discuss the potential and limitations for direct quantitative interpretation of NGS data. Secondly, we will examine case studies from recent literature where NGS based methods have been applied to topics in water quality assessment, including development of bioindicators for sewage pollution and microbial source tracking, characterizing the distribution of toxin and antibiotic resistance genes in water samples, and investigating mechanisms of biodegradation of harmful pollutants that threaten water quality. Finally, we provide a short review of emerging NGS platforms and their potential applications to the next generation of water quality assessment tools.
RESUMEN
Tools specifically validated for tropical environments are needed to accurately describe the behavior of chemical contaminants in tropical ecosystems. In the present study, sampling rates (Rs) were determined for the commercial pharmaceutical-type Polar Organic Chemical Integrative Sampler (POCIS) with a 45.8cm(2) exposure surface for 35 Pharmaceutically Active Compounds (PhACs) and Endocrine Disrupting Compounds (EDCs), of which eight compounds (albuterol, atorvastatin, diltiazem, dilantin, enalapril, norfluoxetine, risperidone and warfarin) were reported for the first time. These sampling rates were measured in an outdoor laboratory calibration setup to best capture diurnal tropical temperature variations (29±3°C). The effect of stirring and salinity was investigated. For all compounds, the sampling rates were higher under stirred conditions as compared to quiescent conditions. Calibration results in the presence of 30g sodium chloride support that the effects of salinity on POCIS sampling rates are compound-specific. Comparisons between Time-Weight Average (TWA) water concentrations using POCIS and spot sample levels in the field (2 lake and 1 mangrove estuary sites) are presented. Results showed that POCIS TWA concentrations were in agreement with spot sample concentrations for these aquatic systems. Results indicate that POCIS can be used to effectively measure the TWA concentration for a range of PhACs and EDCs in tropical waters. However, based on the results from mass balance and field deployments, POCIS did not appear suitable for compounds with a low mass balance recovery during calibration (e.g. triclosan and linuron in this study).