As the industry leader, Microbial Insights has developed and licensed a robust suite of quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays for microbial source tracking (MST). These assays are designed to pinpoint likely contamination sources, including human, dog, ruminant, seagull, and Canada goose, providing a powerful tool for targeted decision-making. Stakeholders across the country rely on these MST tools to guide effective corrective actions to reduce fecal inputs and improve water quality.
ISSUE: Microbial contaminants in U.S. recreational waters are responsible for approximately 90 million illnesses each year, and around 1 in 10 surface waters in the U.S. are believed to pose a risk to human health due to high densities of fecal indicator bacteria.
IMPACT: Fecal contamination is hazardous to human health and can have economic impacts including beach closures and shellfish harvesting restrictions.
THREATS: Health + Environmental Consequences.
PATH TO RESOLUTION: If you do not know the fecal contamination source, how can you fix the problem? In a typical watershed, contamination of surface waters can be caused by a myriad of potential point and non-point sources containing fecal material from:
- Humans (sewer leaks, sanitary sewer overflows, septic system failures, stormwater)
- Dogs and other domestic animals (stormwater, urban runoff)
- Livestock (confined animal feeding operations)
- Wildlife
By identifying contamination sources, our microbial source tracking (MST) tools provide the actionable insight and data you need to improve water quality. Our superior customer service will help guide and support you with expert analysis and interpretation every step of the way so you can get the job done.
