TY - JOUR TI - Pathogen simulation using soil and water tool (SWAT) model and bacteroides source tracking technique DO - https://doi.org/doi:10.7282/T3833R2R PY - 2012 AB - The Upper Salem River Watershed (USRW), located in southern New Jersey, is listed as impaired for pathogens by The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) (NJDEP 2011). A 2003 Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for the watershed recommended the use of pathogen source tracking to identify pathogen sources and develop a quantitative model to simulate pathogen pollution in the watershed (NJDEP 2003). This research comprises three parts: a) Fecal coliform and E. coli simulation using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model in the USRW; this is the first study to conduct sensitivity analysis, calibration and validation of the SWAT model for two widely used pathogen indicators for multiple sampling stations in one watershed. The results of the sensitivity analysis indicate that pathogen input is the most sensitive parameter in the simulation of both indicators. Fecal coliform and E. coli simulation at five of six sampling stations generally showed good calibration and validation based on Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency values (0.04 to 0.71). b) Investigation of temperature effects on the persistence of bovine-Bacteroides; the primary goal of this part of the research was to identify the decay rate of bovine- Bacteroides in stream water at 4°C, 20°C and 30°C. The decay constant of bovine-Bacteroides was calculated between 0.01 h-1 in the mesocosm incubated at 4°C to 0.05 h-1 in the mesocosm at 30°C. Comparison of this study with other similar studies indicates that as temperature increased, a greater discrepancy in compared constant values was observed. c) Pathogen source tracking was done using a multiple linear regression analysis in the USRW. The primary goals of this research phase were to use a bovine-Bactreroides source tracking technique to investigate if bovine feces are a contributing pathogen source to the river system and to identify the spatial distribution of bovine pathogen discharge to the USRW. The results of the simulated model showed agreement with the potential bovine distribution sources (i.e., animal feeding facilities). A probability of occurrence map of bovine derived pathogens was also developed to spatially identify which sub-watersheds have greater likelihood of pathogen contributions from bovine sources. KW - Environmental Sciences KW - Pathogenic microorganisms--Detection--New Jersey--Salem River Watershed KW - Viral pollution of water--New Jersey--Salem River Watershed LA - eng ER -