Are Sterols Useful for the Identification of Sources of Faecal Contamination in Shellfish? A Case Study.
Florini, Styliano; Shahsavari, Esmaeil; Aburto-Medina, Arturo; Khudur, Leadin S.; Mudge, Stephen Michael; Smith, David J.; Ball, Andrew S.
Peer reviewed, Journal article
Published version
Permanent lenke
https://hdl.handle.net/11250/2722025Utgivelsesdato
2020Metadata
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Sammendrag
This work aimed to identify the major source(s) of faecal pollution impacting Salcott Creek oyster fisheries in the UK through the examination of the sterol profiles. The concentration of the major sewage biomarker, coprostanol, in water overlying the oysters varied between 0.01 µg L−1 and 1.20 µg L−1. The coprostanol/epicoprostanol ratio ranged from 1.32 (September) to 33.25 (February), suggesting that human sewage represents the key input of faecal material into the estuary. However, a correlation between the sterol profile of water above the oysters with that of water that enters from Tiptree Sewage Treatment Works (r = 0.82), and a sample from a site (Quinces Corner) observed to have a high population of Brent geese (r = 0.82), suggests that both sources contribute to the faecal pollution affecting the oysters. In identifying these key faecal inputs, sterol profiling has allowed targeted management practices to be employed to ensure that oyster quality is optimised.