View article

Pathogens present in animal fecal deposits excreted to land undergo a poorly defined process of dispersion, transport or attenuation, and inactivation. The transport of pathogens overland in surface runoff is clearly responsible for event-related increases in the concentrations of in-stream waterborne pathogens in many watersheds. However, there are significant knowledge gaps concerning the precise mechanisms of pathogen transport. This article reviews the fate and transport of pathogens in watersheds supplying drinking water, from their deposition in feces and septic seepages on land to their dispersion in major tributaries. Pathogens considered representative of those associated with waterborne disease included enteric viruses derived from human fecal contamination, bacterial pathogens represented by Escherichia coli O157:H7, and the protozoan pathogens Cryptosporidium and Giardia. References to …