Fecal pollution of surface water is a significant environmental health issue. Indicator organisms are used to monitor microbial water quality, but often their presence does not coincide with the presence of pathogens. Bacterial source tracking is a term describing methods to determine the origin of fecal pollution based on bacterial traits. The objective of this research is to evaluate the use of 2 bacterial source tracking techniques, antibiotic resistance analysis (ARA) and ribotyping, to determine the sources of bacteria isolated from Sinking Creek. Based on the results of this study, ARA and ribotyping are not useful techniques for identifying sources of fecal pollution in Sinking Creek. ARA classification rates were low, and ribotype pattern generation success was 37%. The results of this study bring into question the reliability and reproducibility of these 2 source tracking methods for routine use in small watersheds.
","abstract_html":"<p>Fecal pollution of surface water is a significant environmental health issue. Indicator organisms are used to monitor microbial water quality, but often their presence does not coincide with the presence of pathogens. Bacterial source tracking is a term describing methods to determine the origin of fecal pollution based on bacterial traits. The objective of this research is to evaluate the use of 2 bacterial source tracking techniques, antibiotic resistance analysis (ARA) and ribotyping, to determine the sources of bacteria isolated from Sinking Creek. Based on the results of this study, ARA and ribotyping are not useful techniques for identifying sources of fecal pollution in Sinking Creek. ARA classification rates were low, and ribotype pattern generation success was 37%. The results of this study bring into question the reliability and reproducibility of these 2 source tracking methods for routine use in small watersheds.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Gallagher, Lisa Kathleen"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"MSEH (Master of Science in Environmental Health)","degree_level":"Thesis - unrestricted","degree_discipline":"Environmental Health","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2008,"date_issued":"2008-05-03T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2008-05-03T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:21:03Z","subjects":["Ribotyping","Fecal coliforms","Antibiotic resistance analysis","Source tracking","Sinking Creek","Discriminant analysis","Environmental Indicators and Impact Assessment","Environmental Sciences","Physical Sciences and Mathematics"],"languages":[],"rights":["Copyright by the authors."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1913","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Gallagher, Lisa Kathleen"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2008-05-03T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Environmental Health"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis - unrestricted"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["MSEH (Master of Science in Environmental Health)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Ribotyping","Fecal coliforms","Antibiotic resistance analysis","Source tracking","Sinking Creek","Discriminant analysis","Environmental Indicators and Impact Assessment","Environmental Sciences","Physical Sciences and Mathematics"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright by the authors."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://dc.etsu.edu/context/etd/article/3265/viewcontent/GallagherL041508f.pdf","https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1913"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Fecal pollution of surface water is a significant environmental health issue. Indicator organisms are used to monitor microbial water quality, but often their presence does not coincide with the presence of pathogens. Bacterial source tracking is a term describing methods to determine the origin of fecal pollution based on bacterial traits. The objective of this research is to evaluate the use of 2 bacterial source tracking techniques, antibiotic resistance analysis (ARA) and ribotyping, to determine the sources of bacteria isolated from Sinking Creek. Based on the results of this study, ARA and ribotyping are not useful techniques for identifying sources of fecal pollution in Sinking Creek. ARA classification rates were low, and ribotype pattern generation success was 37%. The results of this study bring into question the reliability and reproducibility of these 2 source tracking methods for routine use in small watersheds.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Bacterial Source Tracking in the Sinking Creek Watershed Using Antibiotic Resistance Analysis and Ribotyping."]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Gallagher, Lisa Kathleen"],"dc:date.issued":["2008-05-03T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Fecal pollution of surface water is a significant environmental health issue. Indicator organisms are used to monitor microbial water quality, but often their presence does not coincide with the presence of pathogens. Bacterial source tracking is a term describing methods to determine the origin of fecal pollution based on bacterial traits. The objective of this research is to evaluate the use of 2 bacterial source tracking techniques, antibiotic resistance analysis (ARA) and ribotyping, to determine the sources of bacteria isolated from Sinking Creek. Based on the results of this study, ARA and ribotyping are not useful techniques for identifying sources of fecal pollution in Sinking Creek. ARA classification rates were low, and ribotype pattern generation success was 37%. The results of this study bring into question the reliability and reproducibility of these 2 source tracking methods for routine use in small watersheds.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://dc.etsu.edu/context/etd/article/3265/viewcontent/GallagherL041508f.pdf","https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1913"],"dc:rights":["Copyright by the authors."],"dc:subject":["Ribotyping","Fecal coliforms","Antibiotic resistance analysis","Source tracking","Sinking Creek","Discriminant analysis","Environmental Indicators and Impact Assessment","Environmental Sciences","Physical Sciences and Mathematics"],"dc:title":["Bacterial Source Tracking in the Sinking Creek Watershed Using Antibiotic Resistance Analysis and Ribotyping."],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Environmental Health"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis - unrestricted"],"thesis:degree_name":["MSEH (Master of Science in Environmental Health)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:21:03Z"}