Pathogen and Fecal Contamination in Alabama Black Belt Soils and Surface Water, 2023

Olivia A. Harmon's dataset from 2023 surveys measures enteric pathogens and fecal indicator bacteria in environmental samples from a rural Alabama community with limited sanitation. It includes 58 soil samples from sites near suspected wastewater discharges, 10 control soil samples, and 28 surface water samples analyzed via qPCR and culture methods. The data provides quantitative evidence of contamination levels, such as a mean culturable E. coli count of 224 MPN/g in impacted soils.

Use Cases

• Assessing fecal contamination levels in soil based on E. coli and Enterococcus counts mentioned in the description
• Identifying enteric pathogen hazards in surface water based on qPCR detections of Acanthamoeba, Cryptosporidium, and rotavirus
• Comparing environmental contamination between impacted and unimpacted sites based on the sample design described
• Modeling public health risks from sanitation failures based on the measured pathogen presence in soil and water

Strengths

• Includes specific quantitative contamination measures, such as a mean culturable E. coli count of 224 MPN/g in impacted soils
• Provides confidence intervals for key measurements, like the 95% CI 0-510.5 MPN/g for impacted soil E. coli
• Covers multiple sample types (soil and surface water) and analysis methods (qPCR and culture) as described
• Clearly defines sample sizes: 58 impacted soil, 10 control soil, and 28 surface water samples

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment
• The dataset's 5.5 KB size suggests a very limited scope, likely containing summary statistics rather than raw observations

Provenance

Source

Olivia A. Harmon via figshare

Collection Method

Cross-sectional environmental surveys with samples analyzed by multi-parallel qPCR and culture methods.

Time Range

2023

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-22 17:22:45; freshness should be verified

Geography

A small town in Alabama's Black Belt region, USA